Jinx

Back in February, I found myself invited for a job interview for a position I didn't know I would be extremely excited about. Though I didn't get the position (which I was more than a bit heartbroken over), I was surprised that I would even be somewhat excited about the prospect of going back to the bench.

That feeling stuck with me as I began ramping up my job hunting in October. Though most of the research positions left me fighting off deep yawns as I read through the job advertisements (medical device development and health care are areas I really don't have direct interests in), I found a few gems that left me excited as I tapped into my training and knowledge base, making me re-evaluate why I love science, but also the road I've taken with my training.

All this came front and center yesterday during a phone interview. Whereas other interviews have left me feeling like I was stretching (with me once stopping a recruiter and telling them I wasn't going to be a good fit), this one felt easy because I was genuinely interested in the project and could relate my experience to what they were looking for. The person interviewing me (who will be the supervisor for this project) was also very straightforward, making it clear that there's no ego on the line other than the work needed to drive all this forward.

The end result is that I've been invited for an in-person interview. I have to brush up my talk and do so reading to prepare, but the hope is that this will be sometime next week.

I'm not going to lie; I want this job. The work excites me and this opportunity will open so many doors. Plus this is a field that is rapidly expanding, with many companies throwing insane amounts of money at this general field of work, all with the focus on crop improvement and addressing issues like food shortage (hunger and malnutrition are still the number 1 cause of death around the world) and alternative energy development.

The problem comes in that I'm worried about jinxing myself with confessing my excitement, setting myself up for failure and disappointment.

So, here I go again. For better or for worse, putting myself out there and hoping that this time the stars align.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.