There is a position available at a community college in Walnut, CA (near enough to Pasadena) for a full-time Chemistry Professor, and I want this job so badly. So, so badly. I worked incredibly hard on the application, writing and re-writing the cover letter, perfecting my resume, making sure that I did everything I could to convince them that they NEED to hire me.

And the great thing is, that I actually feel really qualified for this job. This round of job-searching is a ton different than the job search from hell after undergrad. At that time, I had no experience, no qualifications other than a degree in Chemistry and a perfect GPA. Though I was proud of my GPA, it was really not that impressive to the job market, and I spent 3 months searching for a job before getting hired by Lynntech.

This time around, I have a M.S. in Chemical Education, a degree which I am really proud of and which I feel makes me even more qualified to teach at a community college than a PhD would. And I have teaching experience and industry experience. And my GPA isn't perfect, but I'm much more well-rounded now.

My excitement over this job opening has made me a little more excited about moving to California. Really, anything that will convince me that we CAN actually pay the bills over there will turn any fear into excitement, because I really do love California. And it really will be so much fun over there. Especially if I can find a job that I like which will pay the bills.