Sigaba

Before having such a conversation I recommend that you have it clear what you want to do and why. (Not knowing is fine, too, just know that you don't know.) You outlined some of your issues with your program in this thread : Would you be willing to talk to your mentor about addressing any/all of those issues? If she offers a silver bullet that addresses one or more of the issues, would you stay? (If you don't know, don't commit until you have time to think things over.) A point to consider. Give careful thought how you frame your state of mind. "I want to be happy" is an objective that means different things to different people. For some, happiness is less important than achieving other states of mind. If your mentor falls into this group, you may not receive a response that you find especially helpful. For example, she may give a response with the intention of motivating you but may instead cause you even more pain. If the conversation takes such a turn, have within arm's grasp a few tactics to change the direction of the conversation or to cut the talk altogether. You could say something along the lines of "I'm feeling attacked right now..."

I respectfully disagree. The point of political activity is to get something done or to stop something from being done. A personal appeal to a representative is a tactic that may or may not sway the broader discussion or get a decision maker to change one's mind. If you center your personal appeals around your status as a graduate student, and your representative and most of his constituents despise academics, what then? If you center your personal appeals around detailed calculations on how the change impacts your bottom line, and your numbers are off, and/or someone counters that as a student you have access to resources and amenities that are publicly funded, what then? If you successfully focus your effort on stopping the initiative to tax tuition waivers have you really won if lawmakers say "okay," and then propose changes to the tax code that impacts your students or your neighbors or your friends? What then? Do you call it a day or do you start again from square one? As a Republican, I am familiar with the MAGA "drain the swamp" Trump supporters. They are using the general Republican opposition to "big government" as cover for an anti-intellectual vendetta against everyone in the Ivory Tower. It isn't an accident that this measure is on the table. The anger/anguish of those you who are justifiably concerned by the proposed changes is frosting on a cake layered with misogyny, nativism, misogyny, racism, misogyny, religious intolerance, and misogyny. As someone who writes technical documents for participants in contentious public policy debates, I can point to instances where a NIMBYist approach relying on personal appeals to representatives has carried the day. I can also point to instances where those victories were Pyrrhic. Sometimes individuals get so invested in opposition to X that they overlook the fact that without X, achieving Y becomes more costly and time consuming. I can also point out that in many cases, that NIMBYism is hard to sustain unless the dissenting voices have considerable standing in their communities. What I am recommending is that individuals choose tactics that serve a strategy aimed at securing an objective (or objectives) that go beyond an individual's immediate concerns and ultimately still address them. I am recommending that individuals find ways to share their experiences that resonate on a one to one basis and information on the long term impact of the changes on a local and national level. "Back of the napkin" examples follow. I'm a graduate student in STEM. Yes, the change will hurt me in the here and now, and I can handle it. My bigger concern is the impact it will have on our community's ability to develop innovative technologies that can help the economy to grow locally and nationally. You may not be aware of contributions we're making so here they are... I'm a graduate student in the social sciences. Yes, the change will hurt me in the here and now, and I can handle it. My bigger concern that our community, like America, has a number of issues that the government cannot solve on its own. I would like to bring to your attention how my work is improving the understanding of these issues and potential solutions. Some of these solutions can be implemented locally, others through private-public partnerships on a state or national level. All of these solutions will empower residents of our immediate community.. I'm a graduate student in the humanities. Yes, the change will hurt me badly in the here and now. I will do my best to handle it. My bigger concern is that the centuries' old argument over the optimal nature of American civilization is tearing the country apart. If we don't change the way we talk to each other, we will compromise our ability to address the issues of the day and challenges, know and unknown, that we'll soon face. As researchers and educators, the work we do is materially contributing to the restoration of civility in American every day life. Here's how... My $0.02.

Is your specific story as a graduate student going to change the mind of a Republican lawmaker who represents constituents who want to humiliate you?

A question that's a bit easier for me to ask since this specific proposed change will not impact my taxes. Should the focus be on the politics of the proposed changes or the math of how this specific change impacts some graduate students directly? IMO, the best form of the argument isn't how much more in taxes you're going to pay to the dollar, the best form of the argument centers around an affirmative case for tax payers to subsidize the advanced education of (mostly) young grad students, and middle class tax payers not shouldering the burden that will result from decreased taxes for the richest Americans. <== Without using the phrase "fair share" because it absolutely does not resonate among Republicans, who are needed to contact their representatives. My $0.02.

Your requests are going to work their way through numerous departments and entail a number of discussions up and down the companies' food chains. The fact that you sent the request as legal documents will add a layer or two of complexity. Additional issues that may screw up your time line are risk management policies on document retention, how well the relevant departments retain information, Unless your request included a threat of legal or regulatory action that will impede day to day operations, it is exceedingly unlikely that your requests are a priority. Requests for information drain time and money from departmental budgets. Bosses and worker bees generally have more pressing responsibilities. FWIW, I work on projects that are worth eight to nine figures USD in construction costs alone and that are pivotal in the realization of their strategic plans. Typically, we tell them the information we're going to need to do the job starting with the preliminary discussions, during contract negotiations, at kick off meetings, and in subsequent project communications. We reiterate the need for information in report/memo drafts and during conference calls in which drafts are discussed. More often than one would like, we don't get the information we need even when companies want to fulfill our information requests. So I recommend that you be patient, develop Plans B, C, and D. Be very thoughtful in the timing, phrasing, and frequency of your follow up communication. Don't give a jaded worker bee or an uninspired boss a reason to put your request on the bottom of a stack of work in the bottom draw of the cabinet that's most difficult to access. Here's a hint based upon my experiences in another line of work. If you send a follow up communication, try to find assistants and coordinators who sit in client/customer facing departments: corporate affairs, business development, marketing, marketing services, and public relations are examples. Assistants and coordinators will often have a wider range of relationships across departments and up and down an organization's hierarchy. A CEO's executive assistant can have as much, if not more, pull/influence than the next executive on the org chart. Such an individual may know a better way to get a question answered and a request fulfilled. #HTH

FYI. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/all-the-single-ladies/308654/ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/opinion/sunday/marriage-suits-educated-women.html https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/marrying-your-peer-a-tougher-prospect-for-black-women/391586/ http://www.newsweek.com/sex-race-education-and-marriage-gap-322591 TL/DR In the U.S. an educated black woman will likely have a harder time finding a romantic partner who is compatible.

Start looking for websites and published guides on academic writing for non-native English speakers. Pay extra attention to how the pieces you're reviewing are written--your lit review should have many similar elements. See if you can find journals in your fields that are published in French. Pie in the sky, you'll find articles in French and English on the same topic that will provide a "road map" of sorts. Start thinking about expanding and increasing your ability to step outside of your comfort zone. Don't deny or suppress your feelings. But don't let your feelings get in the way of embracing opportunities to grow.

It's a small world. Please give some thought on how to avoid statements like: Alternatives "To my dismay, I'm finding that the practice of law doesn't suit me..." (I am recommending that you avoid giving voice to such strongly held thoughts.) "I hope to earn an offer of admissions from X, Y, and Z or comparable institutions." IRT journals, people in your fields will know which ones are better than others. Conversely, you will not know if people or their colleagues in your fields have had works published in those journals. IRT your plans to earn a doctorate in philosophy, I recommend that you practice law long enough and well enough to establish a positive professional reputation. Put yourself in the best position to get promoted and, if it comes to it, to get your job back if additional graduate work doesn't take you where you want to go. As a rule of thumb, it takes 2 / 2.5 years to learn how to do one's job. If you leave before an employer has had an opportunity to get solid work out of you, you'll be costing people time and money and they'll remember it. If you accept this recommendation, I urge you to embrace your job--the benefits along with the suck.

Sure you won't.

An oversight that reflects my academic privilege as an Americanist trained by historians to find primary source materials and to "take the reader by the hand" in my writing.

How is this favoritism? What are the students who you think are restating the exact same point receiving that you're not?

The following questions are rhetorical. Of your three central activities, which is the most important to both your personal and personal professional development and should receive most of your time? Which activity, while equally important, if not more, takes up time that might be better spent elsewhere? What nightmarish scenario could result from the information provided above? What are two things you could do to make that scenario avoidable?

If you authorize a background check, a third party will likely perform the check. The check will discover errors and omissions. The accompanying report may indicate how significant the error or omission is and make a recommendation. Follow the instructions on the application forms exactly. Don't risk turning a misstep from your youth into a detour away from the life you want to live.

I am sorry that you're in this difficult situation. My recommendation differs slightly in that I recommend you consider going higher up the food chain as soon as possible. Develop a solution that gets you what you want now and preempts the professor's ability to retaliate. I would look at the university's policies regarding sexual harassment and work place harassment. After you've found this arrow, put it in your quiver and think long and hard about the circumstances in which you'd use it. Among the many considerations (including the interconnected boxes of departmental and graduate school politics*) I recommend that you prioritize your heath and your baby's health. I urge you to keep a clear head: understand which actions need to be taken immediately, soon, and sooner than later, and which ones can be taken later. IRT point #8, this will not be a big blow to him. The "worst" case scenario is that he does his job and takes your students himself and misses a social event or two. It is as likely that he'll splits up your students among the other T.A.'s and say nothing positive when they grouse about you. IRT point #9, it's good that you're torn. It means that you're not a jerk. You've done nothing wrong. It speaks to your character that you're concerned about how the impending birth of your child may impact your colleagues. I recommend that you acknowledge your feelings but not to the point where they impinge upon your ability to do what is the best for you. If you're colleagues are equally decent, they'll find a way to get the work done. _________________________________ * The professor's conduct is inappropriate. And his conduct may reflect a widespread anger within the department and graduate school towards T.A.s who've backed out of contracts during an academic turn. It is possible that The Powers That Be may willing to sacrifice your interests to make a point. Such things can happen, even if a T.A. is technically correct. (Or so I have heard.)

I'm going to stray from my lane to recommend that you ask Person A. Unless Professor B is so well established that a LoR from him, no matter how luke warm, is a golden ticket, Lecturer A will present you and your potential in the most accurate light. Before making your firm decision, is it possible to circle back to the one person who recommended Professor B? There may be additional information that will help you make a choice. Also, depending upon this individual's importance to you, you may do well to let the person know that as much as you appreciate the guidance, you're going to ask Person A. This courtesy could potentially save this individual effort and/or embarrassment if she is talking you up to Professor B.

You should put down the shovel. The fact that you don't find @telkanuru 's read-back of your OP flattering doesn't make it less accurate--especially given your subsequent posts. If you want to leave your program, then leave it. Someone who wants to be there will replace you. Don't expect the narrative you're practicing in this thread to convince everyone. "I was too smart for the room," is not an original story, and it is very rarely an accurate one. If you leave, it will be because you decided not to motivate yourself to make the best of an opportunity to acquire advanced expertise in a different field, not because the courses were not rigorous enough. IRT your reputation, FWIW, I knew a guy who viewed himself too smart for almost every room in the House of Klio. He steamrolled his way to glory at break-neck speed. So much so that along with his Ph.D., he earned a PNG. As brilliant as he is (or thought), many others decided he simply wasn't worth the aggravation.

FWIW, I took a number of classes that were outside of the history department (peace and conflict studies; military/naval/aerospace affairs; and a political science class or two). In my SoP, I briefly sketched how those classes were relevant to my fields of interest and gave a percentage, regardless of department, of all units taken in my fields out of all of my classes. (The percentage was surprisingly high.) On another topic, @astroid88, I think that you would do well to become a bit more comfortable with the notion that your current interest reflect a logical evolution of your previous interests. Somewhere out there are two or three big picture questions that link your previous interests to your current ones and the ones you'll develop in graduate school. If you can take readers by the hand and show them those questions, the question "How did astroid88 get from A to B?" will shift to "Did you see how astroid88 did that!?!"

In your experience, when all the i's were crossed and the t's were dotted, in what format did lawyers use when transmitting docs to other firms?

The level of protection you're seeking can be laid out in a contract between you and the copy editor. That being said, the devil will be in the details, and working out these kinds of details is an iterative process that will cost the copy editor time if not also legal fees. Expect those fees to be built into the fee she charges you for her services. That is, if she simply doesn't say "Thanks, but no thanks; I have plenty of paying clients, I don't need this headache." On another topic, in your specific case, and based upon your previous posts, I would exercise extreme caution were I in your circumstances. I would make make absolutely sure that the services she provides to you (specifically) will be in compliance with your department's and school's policies on plagiarism. By the letter of some policies, third-party word smithing can quickly go from her editing your writing to her writing your words. The bottom line is that if someone really wants to screw with you, that person will be able to point at the improved writing in your dissertation compared to other writing you have done and ask the question "Did @Hope.for.the.best actually write this dissertation?" (And then steal your ideas.)

^ If the title of a work is long and you're up against a word count, I'd go with "Smith's seminal work on unicorns." Keep in mind that every choice you make in writing a SOP can be second-guessed endlessly. Do what you can to avoid such gopher holes. The best form of the argument is not necessarily the perfect argument.

To split the hair again, the benefit of one's academic pedigree will vary based upon the division and regional office in a company that's doing the hiring. The boss who hired me had an academic background and was more comfortable than other bosses hiring people who didn't have a background or experience in our division's core practices. She's since transferred to another part of the company and the sensibility has shifted considerably. As I work in the division of a consultancy that does a fair amount of policy work (municipal, county, state, federal, and international) and we've been doing a lot of hiring, I will add the following IME/YMMV-based observations. Work ethic. If you want to get hired, you need to demonstrate a willingness to work long hours, to work smart, and to work hard. Be very tactful when you talk about work/life balance and ask questions about work schedule, vacation time, and so forth. If you're applying for a salaried exempt position, you can be tasked to work more than forty hours a week for weeks at a time.If you start asking questions or make comments that give those doing the hiring to question your intensity, they will start looking elsewhere. At the same time, do not make the mistake of saying enthusiastically "I'll do what ever it takes." At best, the remark will be taken as an indication of your maturity. At worst, you will be taken up on the offer. Quick learner. It is unlikely that you will receive as much training as you'd like. You may not receive any training at all. You will get more training than mentoring. To get the job and to keep the job you will need to demonstrate that you're an independent motivated, self-starting quick learning type. At the same time, you will also need to show that you're wise enough and have the humility to ask for help. Otherwise, you're going to make avoidable mistakes that blow budgets and deadlines, and antagonize the experienced hands who have to go back and clean up your mess. Relationships. Demonstrate that you understand how relationships with external and internal clients are at least as important as the project work that you do. If you're not a "people person," or are generally shy and/or reserved, or if you prefer written communication over phone calls and face to face conversations, you have to figure out how to expand your comfort zone and your communication took kit. If you're exceptionally skilled, you will be cut a lot of slack but eventually, it will catch up to you. And remember, no matter how well you get along with a prospective boss, he or she is not your friend. Situational awareness. If you belong to the Millennial generation (broadly defined) and are seeking employment at a firm run by a combination of Boomers and X-ers (also broadly defined), you're going to encounter different types of sensibilities and expectations. It is likely that many elements of your vision of The Way Things Should Be are technically correct. However, it's imperative that you pick your spots when it comes to cutting against the grain. Understand that employers want what you have to offer and that time is on your side. Find ways to demonstrate that you are persistent and determined but know how to drink a cup of STFU and ask for a refill. Experience/Expertise. As noted in the OP, experience and expertise are valued. An applicant with 4-10 years experience will have an advantage over an applicant with <4 years. However, experience is a knife that cuts both ways if a prospective employer regularly makes "strategic hires" (BTDTs with 10-20+ years experience). Do what you can to determine if the company you want to join makes strategic hires and how you will fit into the mix. Find a way to strike a balance among expressing your preferences for the kind of work you want to do, your personal professional ambition, your desire to learn, and your willingness to be a team player. Transparency. Do not lie, fib, embellish, or exaggerate any information you deliver as part of the application process. When you apply for a job or accept an offer, you will authorize an open-ended background check. In the present, information will be vetted to the fourth decimal place. In the future, additional background checks will make sure that you've not screwed up in your personal life since you accepted the job. If there's something in your past that falls into the grey area, you need to figure out how you're going to describe/talk about it so that you fulfill your disclosure obligation without torpedoing your chances to get hired. Parking. Make sure you have an acceptable method of payment for parking when you go to hand off application materials or attend an interview. Typos. Some employers won't mind one or two too much; perfect work isn't necessarily great, or even good, work. For others, a single error is a deal breaker. Assume that every employer falls into the latter category. Expect an examination. As much experience as you have in taking tests and exams in the Ivory Tower, the test you take as part of a job application will be different. Understand that your objective goes beyond figuring out the correct answer. The exam will also be about producing and delivering a product both on time and within the budget. It's likely that you will screw up on the exam (in the history of my division, only one or two people have nailed it). If you find yourself struggling, what choices will you make? (A hint. Which would you prefer? A perfect cup of coffee in an aesthetically pleasing mug that's not going to be ready when you absolutely need it, or a cup of instant coffee in a paper cup that's put into your hand, ready to drink, right on time? A second hint. If you're going to work for a consultancy, the answer is "It depends.")

You've been using Word since 1983 or Word for Windows since 1989? The statement "I don't know how you think [PDFs are] more professional" is a bit of a head scratcher. In my experiences working in two different industries with clients and third parties in different sectors of the economy, a PDF document is considered more professional than a Word document because PDFs are platform independent. Moreover, a graphics-heavy PDF is generally much smaller in file size than original files and therefore easier to hand off to clients. And a PDF has security features that are crucial when handing over proprietary information. Companies have policies that forbid handing off source files such as Microsoft Office files to clients and third parties without case by case approval by managers and project managers. Companies insist that deliverables be submitted as PDFs. Also, the formatting of Word documents does change if a computer doesn't have the same fonts used to make the original document, or if a slightly older version of Word is used to open a .docx file because older versions of Word don't have as many colors and features. And, according to Microsoft, older versions of Word can open docx files, and for several years, Word has had a feature to allow backward comparability.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with your current workload, at the earliest opportunity, go either to your boss or the DGS and ask about resources that will help you find a sustainable balance between your job and your coursework. If you are feeling exploited by your current workload, have a conversation with your boss or the DGS about your responsibilities as an instructor colliding with your responsibilities as a student. In both conversations, avoid tipping your hand that you're participating in bull sessions and listening to gossip. Instead, present yourself as a professional academic who wants additional training and/or to have a professional dialog about your work. In both conversations, manage your expectations beforehand.The bottom line is that many of the professors in your department will have stories about teaching "the last hard class" and doing more with less when they were in your position.

Make full use of the competitive advantages that come from attending an Ivy. If your Ivy has a school of social work, consider reaching out to administrators and faculty members to discuss your concerns and ask for guidance. Listen with a keen ear. Someone may say without saying "If you apply here, you may have a shot." See if your alumni association has resources that will help you identify MSW programs that have other alumni as students and instructors. If such resources are not available, start looking at faculty and current student rosters to see how well your school is represented. In the event you get any kind of push back for exercising any kind of "elitist privilege," look your critic in the eye and point out that you earned what ever benefits you receive from the educational path that you have walked.

Four reasons. As a graduate student, one will write more short and shorter essays than longer pieces. It's my perception that the SOP helps readers to answer a vital question quickly: "Do I want to read this person's writing over the next several years?" I've gotten feed back in the Ivory Tower (and the private sector) that my most effortful SOPs (cover letters) got Powers That Be to say "yes." (And probably "no" to my least effortful SOP in the case of Happyland University. ) Tinkering with the WS can cause many a great deal of stress. On this BB, the WS is often a revised/shortened/extended version of a previous work, or a work in progress, and/or one's first foray into the craft of research-based historical writing. With maximum effort invested already, devoting additional effort to the WS can have diminishing returns and lead to further adventures in the Land of Imodium. Gee, that sentence uses the passive voice. Let me make it active. Okay, that was easy enough. Let me go through the rest of it and get rid of all passive verbal constructions. Done. That took longer than I thought. No, wait. I remember. I specifically needed to use the passive voice in that section. Wait. Where was that section? Eureka! I am the greatest writer ever! This sucker is good to go as is. [One hour later] I'm a hack...I am doomed. My mother was right...I should have majored in business. Erg. This section isn't as strong as the others. Let me spend a couple of hours fixing it. [Four hours later] FUCK! Crap. Removing that section on X got me under the page limit but now I realize that without X, my argument changes significantly. FUCK. Hm. My initial analysis of Jones's Keeping Up in the historiographical discussion no longer reflects my thinking on that point. I know. I'm going to give myself thirty minutes to tweak it. [Four hours later] FUCK. And also... "[Sigaba], I read your writing sample last night...," said the hardest charging, most motivated Americanist in my department half way through my third semester in the program.