The good and the not-so-good of job hunts

As I clean out my job search files, I wanted to share some excerpts of letters and emails I've received. Names have been removed to protect, well, my career.

1. From a letter of rejection early in the process: "I know this is disappointing news..." Well, no. You're one of 70+ applications I sent out to all sorts of schools. Now, if I'd met y'all and fallen in love with the place, maybe I'd be disappointed...

2. "I am writing with regret to say that though we enjoyed enormously our conversation last week at the MLA Convention, we will not be inviting you for an on-campus interview. [...] The main criterion in finally judging your case, I think, was that we [...] need an advanced assistant professor who could gain tenure relatively soon[...]." Note the promptness and completeness of this letter! Granted, not every search committee chair has time to do this, but a few thoughtful words sent in a timely manner go a long way.

3. Following my decision not to pursue a position at their school: "[...] we are
all happy to hear that you have a position. You will make a difference
in this profession."

Perhaps I could offer a business writing workshop at C's some day: "Correspondence as the 4th (5th?) "C"!"