You’ve promised yourself you’ll begin looking for a job just as soon as summer’s over. Fortify yourself with the tribulations of young Albert Einstein; things got so bad that his father even wrote on his behalf. It took Einstein almost two years to land his entry-level appointment at the Swiss Patent Office But the rest, of course, is history We hope you fare as well. From The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Vol. 1: The Early Years, 1879-1902 (Princeton University Press, 1987). edited by John Stachel, translated by Anna Beck.
To Adolf Hurwitz
Milan, 30 September [1900]
Esteemed Herr Professor!
My friend Ehrat has written to me that Dr. Matter, who has been your assistant until now, has obtained a position as a Gymnasium teacher in Frauenfeld. I am therefore taking the liberty to inquire respectfully whether I have a chance of becoming your assistant.
I would not have taken ...
