Close only counts...

Looking up an old email, I came across the following note from my advisor after my one campus interview last year. As they say, close only counts in horeshoes and hand-grenades. But at least it's good to remember I was close.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dr. TassePlein
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: FW: interview at [South-North University]

Dear _________:

I've just had a LONG conversation with [SearchCommittee Chair]. Obviously they liked you very much, and you are very much in the running for the position. Just a heads up: [SCC] mentioned to me that he thought that your answers tended to go on "about 50% longer than necessary." I told them that this was a sign of your enthusiasm, and perhaps the excitement of the interview, natural under the circumstances. The ONLY reason I'm telling you this should be clear: if they call back again because they can't decide, or because they want one last go round, you might keep it in mind. Since I, ahem, referred to you as a "visionary," he wanted to make sure that this didn't mean that you were a loose cannon. I assured him that you were the essence of a team player, and that what you liked best was working with interesting and imaginative groups of people. He also seemed puzzled by why you would ask about accelerating tenure. So I'd watch that kind of stuff too if you speak to them again.

Let me close this note by congratulating you on what sounds like a *splendid* interview. They really like you enormously, found you infectiously exciting, etc. and could very well end up making you an offer (apparently they have one more interviewee). But please, if it somehow doesn't work out, don't take it hard. It's a *marvelous* first dip into the market, and you've done a brilliant job.

Yrs,
____________