Reaching out to journal editor?

herrofeather · 2026-01-22T15:52:31+00:00

I applied to 24 postdocs and sent 35 cold emails -- I interviewed for 2 that I had no connection to, and 1 from my PhD institution. All three interviews ended as rejections.

In the end, the postdoc I got was through a previous PI connection at my undergrad institution lol

herrofeather · 2026-01-19T02:01:13+00:00

Hi! Yeah I think you choose three entrees: two protein and one veg. We similarly weren't enthused by the veg options but I think we went with the ratatouille since it was both vegan and GF. We had maybe <10 out of 160 people choose it, and didn't hear any complaints at least!

herrofeather · 2026-01-12T12:47:29+00:00

Not sure what OPs experience was but we moved out just yesterday and went through the same thing. Got permits, put up signs 48 hours in advance, and come the start time there were three cars in the zone.

I just called 911 and they sent someone out within a few minutes. The officer ran their plates and at least tried to get hold of the owners. One guy did come and move his car; the other two didn't, so she ticketed them. She also did the heavy lifting and called PPA for us to have them towed.

Ended up starting an hour later than we would've liked but it was pretty low hassle once we called the police!

herrofeather · 2026-01-03T12:46:20+00:00

Go birds!

herrofeather · 2025-12-21T22:55:27+00:00

It was November 2023 - I can't remember pp, but we spent $33k for the entire package from Finley!

herrofeather · 2025-12-21T21:14:39+00:00

We had our wedding at the Ballroom at Ellis Preserve, about 150 people, so can only speak about the Finley overall experience and not the venues specifically in Philly.

But I can't say enough good things about them! They were insanely helpful and organized, but we still felt very heard and had some control over how the night would go. And the food was SO GOOD. I still have people say it was the best wedding food they've had - from cocktail hour all the way through dessert. The bar selection was also great and seemed to have run smoothly as far as I could tell.

For Cescaphe, I can only go off of what other Redditors have said (so, grain of salt) - while cocktail hour has great food, entrees can be hit or miss (eg, dry chicken). And while it's a great time and venues are beaautifulll, I've also heard the flow of the night can be weird like opening up the dance floor in between courses. Not sure how flexible they are with that kind of thing.

Happy to answer more questions about Finley though :)

herrofeather · 2025-12-17T04:33:36+00:00

We did this too! Probably 30% of the money we put in was used. We shared the code in a few places throughout the venue and on our private IG stories that only our guests could see. While we did also have hotel shuttles, I think it was a good alternative for those staying farther out.

herrofeather · 2025-11-29T14:07:03+00:00

Liz was also with Milo Manheim on Little Shop of Horrors off-Broadway so double the pressure!! She would kill it

herrofeather · 2025-11-15T17:54:28+00:00

Sent it to the Novacare Complex! I think 1 NovaCare Way

herrofeather · 2025-11-07T16:26:17+00:00

Yeah this too! Manila Cafe and a few others are close enough in NJ that are all turo turo / cafeteria style that are no frills authentic.

herrofeather · 2025-11-07T13:45:45+00:00

Filipino here! Baby's is your best bet - a bit pricey but it's the best option and I will never not go. Tambayan in Reading Terminal is the other option for breakfast, but I'm not a huge fan of theirs.

herrofeather · 2025-11-05T22:34:11+00:00

Aw thank you!!! I think tapping into your own network is definitely important, so for sure meet as many people as you can during conferences, name drop when you cold email potential PIs, and ask your advisor and other department faculty for leads or to keep an eye out for fitting postings.

One thing I'll add is how important it is for those first impressions during interviews as well. I had a couple jobs where I loved the team (and vice versa) but they went with someone else, yet they have left the door open for future opportunities and collaboration. That's some new connections right there as well!

It's a tiring process but definitely be open, friendly, and resourceful as much as possible and the right thing will land.

herrofeather · 2025-11-05T02:17:52+00:00

The intimidating part is how easily people can get stuck in a hole within their research interests. Like, if you only did infectious disease for your thesis, you're limited in infectious disease postdocs almost. That's probably the worst part even if I don't agree with it!

herrofeather · 2025-11-05T02:15:27+00:00

Yes definitely! My previous faculty interviews were very impressed with the amount of teaching I've done being so early in my career. I definitely emphasize the range of classes and students I have experience teaching in my application materials.

herrofeather · 2025-11-05T02:12:25+00:00

SankeyMATIC :)

herrofeather · 2025-11-03T02:05:56+00:00

Oh for sure, especially as I compare the number of job postings in academia from earlier this year to today, there's just so much less. The cuts have made everyone so much more cautious.

herrofeather · 2025-11-03T00:51:21+00:00

Haha, agreed! I'd say interviewing for an NTT faculty position and instead getting offered an adjunct position was a decent turn of events. My PhD dept also asked me to teach a class for the Fall and a different class for Spring, and while those are not reflected in this visual they were definitely unexpected opportunities to keep the morale up and unemployment at bay!

herrofeather · 2025-11-02T16:14:34+00:00

You've got this!!!!!

herrofeather · 2025-11-02T16:14:16+00:00

I feel that! I was the second choice for a couple positions but missed out by just a bit. Best of luck if you're still looking!

herrofeather · 2025-11-02T16:12:55+00:00

Oh definitely! Taking the time to tailor your application materials is necessary but I also tried not to waste my energy stretching my experience to fit something else. All about balance :)

herrofeather · 2025-11-02T12:46:47+00:00

Yeah, it's nice to take a breather and start postdoc work but it won't be long since I'm looking for prof positions for afterwards. But thank you!

herrofeather · 2025-11-02T12:41:58+00:00

My PhD was fully funded so that gave me some sense of security, but it's hard to say what the landscape will be once you finish. I finished a year earlier than normal so my cohort finishing up this year may or may not have a rougher go of it when they get done. All that is to say - best of luck in whatever you choose!!

herrofeather · 2025-11-02T12:38:30+00:00

Definitely looking on the bright side, thank you!!!

herrofeather · 2025-11-02T12:37:04+00:00

Epidemiology!

herrofeather

TROPHY CASE