...and I come home to bad news

Hanyang has said no. But I called it: the "no" came via email, as is consistent with Korean psychology. Couldn't bear to give me the rejection over the phone, could they.

Dear Kevin Kim

This is [Dr. Yi] from Hanyang University ERICA.

First of all, we do appreciate your interest in Hanyang University ERICA.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to conduct interview with you before you leave.

You may try again for the next time.



Best,

[Dr. Yi]

Trying to be a good sport, I just wrote Dr. Yi back:

Dr. Yi,

Thank you for your kind email. It's unfortunate to hear that I didn't make the short list this time, but I appreciate your having taken the time to speak with me for a few moments yesterday. Ansan and the ERICA campus are both very beautiful places, and the PEC seems like a wonderful place to work, with faculty members who get along very well with each other. Perhaps I will try to apply again next semester.

Sincerely yours,


Kevin Kim

And, whoa—Dr. Yi just replied! (But with a frustrating lack of a vocative comma...)

Thanks Kevin.

I will look forward to your 2nd trial!

Have a safe trip.



Best,

SJ

It's too bad, really; I genuinely liked the Hanyang ERICA campus, the foreign faculty I'd met, and the package that Hanyang was offering. I'll remain forever curious about what bumped me off the short list, but the hiring process is a big, tangled, subjective mystery, so perhaps it's better just to soldier onward.

Somehow, I don't feel all that awful. My contact at Daegu Haany University (DHU) just wrote to ask whether I'd be available for an interview on Thursday at 5PM. I gave him a tentative yes, because there's a very small chance that I might be going back to HUFS-Yongin to interview on Thursday as well. One way or another, I'll be interviewing with someone this Thursday, and since DHU is offering a pretty decent package (E1 visa, 15 hrs/wk of classes, 4 days/wk of work, W29 mil/yr salary, 16 wks vacation, benefits), I would be happy to take it if HUFS either says "no" or ignores me. (This assumes, of course, that DHU really wants me!)

So I'm still optimistic.


_