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The original was posted on /r/professors by /u/Imjastv on 2023-10-06 01:49:21.

Well, I guess I knew this was coming. I was hired for a non-permanent contract, but the chair of the department was trying to move budgets around to keep me longer because they liked me and my work. Today they got an official answer from above saying that there is not enough budget for my contract to be renewed. Looks like even with the best people on your side, the system will still be there to crush your spirit.

I’m a bit bummed, this contract runs until after the start of our winter semester in early 2024, so finding a new contract is going to be a pain. I can’t even start looking for jobs now apart from starting to contact my network of former colleagues/employers and see if they need a desperate TA to run whichever first year class everyone is running away from.

I got used to being treated well - I was paid for full time work, had amazing advantages and good work conditions with good students and enough time for research on the side. I got used to the luxury of having enough money to pay my rent, save money, have expensive hobbies and buy whatever I wanted (while being reasonable) while still having money in the bank at the end of the month. Now, it’s back to silly TA contracts with crappy hours and barely enough in my account to pay my rent and maybe some cheap hobbies. I’m even considering taking a second job if it comes to that because there is no way I am giving up on everything after so many years of sacrificing my comfort during the PhD.

I probably have something lined up for next September (I was hoping they’d find budget to keep me on until that potentially started), and if that fails I’ll fall back on my feet in any case so I’m not too worried about my future long-term, and I am lucky to be in a situation where my partner and family can give a hand if (when) I can’t afford my rent, so it could definitely be worse, but I am still very bummed out by this.