The 2007 Student Affairs Job Hunt

In Medias Res # 26- All's Well

2007-05-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

My apartment is three quarters packed. There is something really depressing about living in a place with nothing on the walls, no books in the bookcase, no lamp on the night table. I am excited to move though, and I am ready to get out of Dodge as it were.

Today in an attempt to procrastinate I have been reading my old postings, and doing that most sacred of student affairs activities: reflecting. I keep getting asked if I am worried or nervous about moving to a new city. “Are you stressed?” My supervisor inquired last night at dinner.

Surprisingly I’m not. Looking back it is interesting to see how much enthusiasm I mustered for the wrong kind of job. To a certain extant back in January I was mostly romanticizing the notion of being done. I also had wildly unrealistic expectations about what moving to some of these campuses would be like. Somehow I managed to convince myself that working in a Residence Life department two hours away from a major city would provide me with plenty of opportunities to visit said city.

On the whole I am surprised how very often in my posts I am simultaneously peeved and excited. Mostly I just remember being stressed and cranky. This was a very rough semester for me. My course work got neglected basically throughout March and April (I was always on planes. I never had time to do reading). My social life was non existent. The few times I was in town for more than an evening I just wanted to veg out and of course, work on my applications.

In retrospect I learned a couple of things from this search:

If it feels wrong, it is wrong. My gut was right 99% of the time in this process. I knew who was going to call me back. I knew who wasn’t really enthused about my candidacy and I knew who I didn’t want to work for.
That said, I ignored my gut too often. I was doing first round phone interviews for positions well into April. I had some scheduled that I had forgotten about even after I accepted a position. This level of desperation was completely unnecessary. I wasted my time and I wasted the interviewer’s.
I have a lot more stamina than I give myself credit for. Maybe it’s because grad school was this warm and supporting environment, but I more than met the marathon challenge encompassed in two weeks of back to back campus visits. Although I don’t plan on normally working myself that hard, it is nice to know going into my next position that I have untapped resources.
I can actually get what I want, and more than that I can get precisely what I want. When I first started graduate school one of our professors’s asked us to write a letter to ourselves about our ideal position. Where would we be? What would we be doing? Looking back at the research project that spun out of that letter, I am pleasantly surprised at how much the job I have matches the job I wanted. Not just in terms of position, but also location, campus environment, and yes even salary.

Since I’m in a list making mood, here are some recommendations for people who will be searching next year:

If you can afford it, go to a placement. Lots of members in my cohort opted not to attend the Joint Conference because the assumption was they would not find their job there. Yes, placements are rife with Res Life jobs, but I’ve since learned that’s proportional. There are lots of great positions at placement in all facets of the university, and you do yourself a disservice if you fail to put in the face time. My position would have been basically unattainable if I had not attended a placement.
Find one person to vent to. Just one. Everybody’s search is different, and everybody responds to the stress of the situation in a unique way. Find the one person whose temperament is most like your own and share with them. It will keep you and your stress in check, and everyone else will appreciate you more.
Start early. Especially if you are a procrastinator start putting your resume and a cover letter together over Thanksgiving break. Even in you are not going to placement you never know when a job will pop up and it makes it easier to apply if most of the work is already done.
Start saving money now. Most of it you will get back in taxes if you keep your receipts, but doing a national job search can be prohibitively costly.
Figure out the essentials and stick to them. I interviewed out of fear with institutions where I would have been miserable. Stick to the essentials, and you will have fewer regrets.
Be flexible. Just because you’ve never heard of a school or a town, doesn’t mean that it’s not a fabulous institution. Although I didn’t end up there, there were lots of institutions not on my radar who ended up near the top of my list after a bit of exploration.
Don’t settle. It would have been easy to jump on the first good fit that came along, but I had my heart set on a position. I stretched everyone’s patience a little bit, but in the end I got what I wanted.
Be the best possible version of yourself. And you know what I mean. I met too many people in this process who gave into their baser instincts at times, and when you are trying to evaluate a position or a campus the baser instincts get highlighted in neon. Everything seems that much more unpleasant.

I move next week, so who knows when I will have the internet again. Assuming this is my last post (and it may not be) I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time out to scan my musings. I know a lot of this was redundant, but hopefully you found at least some of it amusing, dear reader. Shout out to Hirstin Moh for keeping me on track with the postings. Best of luck to everyone who is about to start a new position or who is still looking for one.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #25- Responsibility Sucks

2007-05-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

We're adults. When did that happen? And how do we make it stop? ~Meredith Grey

Okay, okay...I realize that I haven't exactly been on top of the whole updating thing. I think it's because it is finally SUMMER which means no work, no classes, no homework, and no drama. Let me just say, it has been phenomenal! I worked out a deal to be able to stay in my apartment on campus and then just move straight to my new job which eliminates a move home to live with my parents. Not only does this save me a move, but it also means that I don't have to live with my parents for six weeks. Granted, I love them dearly, but I think as a 24-year-old Master's graduate I wouldn't fare well with taking orders and being given chores. I think my parents would agree that we are both happier this way.

In order to "earn my keep" while on campus, I have been given a few responsibilities around our department. I've been working with Hall Director Recruitment and Selection and will help to welcome the new grads and full-time hall directors to campus which is right up my alley. I have been asked to make welcome baskets and other such fun things and I may be chauffeuring candidates around campus via golf cart during on campus interview days (that was my idea!). In the meantime, I have has a LOT of free time.

I have been filling the time with three main sources of entertainment. Books, movies, and eating. Seriously, that's all I do. Oh, and flying kites. It is really windy on our campus so my supervisor and I bought kites and have flown them a lot. There is something equally relaxing and exhilarating about flying kites. It's like you are brought back to your childhood, experience a Mary Poppins flashback (let's go fly a kite, up to the highest heights...) all while getting some sun. It is truly wonderful. I have also been reading like it is nobody's business! I actually forgot how much I loved to read. I have been trying to read a combination of current best sellers, trashy romance novels, and classics at the same time. It is amazing! I think my book reading has been helped due to the fact that my supervisor (who I am now friends with) and my undergrad mentee (who I can now call a friend since she is no longer on contract and I have graduated) are both staying here this summer and also LOVE to read. We have reading parties 6-7 times a week. We just pick a spot on campus, bring our current book, and read for hours on end. Sometimes we never talk and sometimes we pepper our reading with discussions about the book topics or just random things that pop into our minds. Sometimes we take a break to watch a movie or get food, sometimes we read for hours. This is my idea of heaven.

On a much less hopeful note, I am also in the process of buying a car, packing up my life, and moving 2274.95 miles (seriously, I just Mapquested it) to a totally new life, job, state, and universe for that matter. Let me tell you right now. If you are even contemplating moving far away from where you are now, start saving money. I don't care if you are thinking about moving in 10 years. You should really start saving money now. EVERYTHING that has to do with moving is expensive. Moving vans, boxes, insurance, gas, motels, occasional side trip, food, it just keeps adding up! Luckily, my parents have graciously offered to loan me the money upfront so I don't have to take out another loan from the bank so I'm not worried about not having the money. I'm more pissed that everything costs so much. I guess this is a welcome to the dreaded "real world" that I put off for two additional years by going to grad school.

Well, I have another book that is calling my name. If you by chance have any books that you would recommend for summer reading, send them my way at pickmechoosemehireme@yahoo.com. I'll compile a list and then re-post your suggestions here so if others are in the same both that I am in (i.e. just waiting for life to start again) we can have a virtual book club going. Happy summer!

In Medias Res # 25: The Upside of Unemployment

2007-05-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there is an obvious monetary downside to how much time I will be without a paycheck (two months, in case you were keeping tallies). In that time I need to move (and pay movers), eat, set up an apartment (including utilities) and keep myself from going insane with boredom. That said, there are some really nice consequences of not having a job.

I can sleep as late as I want
I can stay up as late as I want
I am reading about a book a day. Sometimes more.
I have time to cook complex satisfying healthy meals. Yesterday I tried a salmon recipe that took four hours. But it came out amazing and was completely worth it (I’m also saving insane amounts of money by eating every meal at home).
I have time to catch up on all the stupid movies I’ve missed in the last two years. Seriously, before unemployment I didn’t even know who Amanda Bynes was!
I have read every issue of the New Yorker that was published this year.
My i-pod is always charged when I go for a run.
My laundry is clean, put away and folded nicely. I have no half unpacked luggage lying around.
My bed gets made every day.

Were it not for the lack of money I think I could really learn to love unemployment. Now admittedly I do find myself occasionally bored, and I have been jotting down work ideas in a notebook for the past few weeks, so I’m clearly restless and ready to start work. Next week I really have to get down to the nitty gritty of packing, and I’m sure the actual moving process will be stressful. But these last two weeks of blissful nothing have been pretty spectacular. I highly recommend it, if you can swing it.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #24- Summer

2007-05-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

I LOOOOOOOVE Summer! The end.

PS More updates later, I promise. But right now there is a trashy novel that has absolutley NOTHING to do with theory or student affairs or higher education calling my name!

In Medias Res #24: The 2007 Student Affairs Apartment Hunt

2007-05-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a long weekend.

I tried to make things easy on myself by staying with a friend who lives just outside of my new town. I figured I would get some sleep and then drive in early the next morning to start my search. Which is exactly what I did. Except I failed to realize that I was traveling with the oncoming traffic into the city, and about five minutes from my exit the traffic stopped. As such, I started my day late.

But that was okay because the first few apartments on my schedule were keys with a code in a lockbox. That’s right dear reader, the property manager didn’t come to open the apartment for me. He just told me where to find keys so I could break in. Needless to say all of these apartments were underwhelming. One of them was a little bit bigger than some of the other units I looked at, but the neighborhood was a little uncomfortable and the apartment itself needed a lot of work.

So I moved on. I met my next appointment and the apartments he showed me looked like sets for a movie about intravenous drug users. And he was late. Call me anal retentive, but this is your job. I would never be late for a meeting, and if there were unavoidable circumstances I would at least let people know I was going to be late to the best of my ability. Whatever the case, I was not about to rent a crackhouse. You can get those for free.

At this point it was 9:15 and I had exhausted half of the internet leads I had set up. I decided to just start driving around and looking for rent signs. This proved fortuitous. First, I ran into a rental office right in between the two neighborhoods I wanted to live in. The realtor was really nice, showed me a lot of units, and the day was finally starting to look up. I could actually see myself living in one of these places.

I went to my next appointment and again the realtor was late. This time by more than an hour. You may be asking yourself why I waited so long? Well, I really wanted to see the apartment and I became enchanted with the neighborhood as I walked around waiting for her. When she finally showed up and let me see the unit, I walked in and out. The floor plan was horrible.

So I returned to driving. I called one sign and they told me to come to their office. Where I was greeted by a loud and emphatic, “How old are you?” This was announced dripping with condescension, and about five minutes later when the property manager explained to me she couldn’t even show me the apartment because I did not have three different prior landlords to refer me, I left.

And called another sign. This one I had much more luck with. They showed me three apartments, all in my price range with nice layouts and the amenities I wanted. The property manager was even pleasant and told me all about the neighborhood (and even a bit about its drawbacks).

I was basically ready to sign a lease but I had to go meet a college friend for lunch (even though it was already early afternoon). We had a great meal at this charming small Italian restaurant and she walked me over to her property manager’s office where they took me to see a couple more apartments. Even though these apartments were technically bigger the finishes were very 70s basement. Way too much wood paneling for one person.

After all of this I went back to realtor #4 and rented the apartment I had intended to. I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with friends and suffering the long drive back to campus. I have moving funds from my new office so now I need to hire movers (it is, alas, a third floor walk up). In just a few weeks In Medias Res will be hitting the road again, and next time he’s not coming back!

In Medias Res #23- I'd rather do this instead of packing

2007-05-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

How is it that something you can enjoy in the abstract can become stressful and mundane in reality? In other words, when did apartment hunting start to suck?

I was excited about this before (as you could probably tell from the last few posts). A new apartment! A new neighborhood! Possibly even places to go out where students are nowhere to be found! Don’t get me wrong I love students, but I love them even more when they stay away from my favorite restaurants and coffee shop (which where I am now happens pretty rarely).

Apartment hunting really isn’t all that bad. I just thought it would be easier. I don’t know why I thought moving to a new city with a major real estate market would be easy. But I did. So tomorrow I start the trek back to my new campus to hunt for apartments. That in itself could serve as the premise for a blog.

Here’s some stuff I’ve noticed for you graduate students (or professionals) who may be planning a major move:

-I should have started saving for this when I started my job search. Granted, I figured there was a good chance I’d be living in (although it’s not as if that move would have been free either). It would have been the smart thing to do, though. For example, I won’t get my security deposit or utility deposits back before I move into the new place. Since I would like to have the electricity turned on I’m going to need to front that money. And pay off my credit cards for the job search. And subsist on no salary. My new employers are giving me moving funds, but it’s all through reimbursement.

-Oh yeah, I won’t be getting a salary between now and the end of July. So again, I probably should have saved some more. Right now I have enough cash on hand to get me through an apartment deposit, utility deposit, and buying some new stuff for the new apartment. I will be cutting it close, and to be completely honest I don’t know how much this new city is going to cost.

-Craigslist is not the be all end all. Although, you’d think so if you asked my friends where they found their apartment. Lots of websites, like rent.com and apartments.com only have listings for major complexes (and if that’s where you want to live, kudos). You’re best bet? Going to the website of the major newspaper and looking through the electronic classifieds. Apparently everybody still advertises in the newspaper (real estate professionals are so Web 1.0).

I’ll give you all an update on the apartment hunt (maybe even with pictures if I can get my act together) when I get back. Hopefully it will be relatively uneventful and I will return with a job, a masters degree and apartment (although 2 out of 3 aint bad).

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #23- Dreams

2007-05-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

We convince ourselves it's better that we never dream at all. But, the strongest of us, the most determined of us, holds on to the dream or we find ourselves faced with a fresh dream we never considered. We wake to find ourselves, against all odds, feeling hopeful. And, if we're lucky, we realize in the face of everything, in the face of life the true dream is being able to dream at all. ~Meredith Grey

In the past week, I graduated with my Master's degree, closed a building, bid farewell to my amazing staff of RAs, and have already said goodbye to one of my closest friends in grad school. What else has happened over the weekend?

I ACCEPTED A JOB OFFER!

Unlike the last time I proclaimed this statement, this time it is actually true. I got back from my graduation ceremony and found the red light of my voicemail lit up on my phone. For some reason that I still don't understand, I decided to check it even though under normal circumstances I would have waited until the work week started again. I had a message from my #1 Dream School (you know, the one I've been going on and on about for the past few posts) that said that they would like me to call them back. I immediately did so and they offered me the job on the spot, which technically means I had a job before graduation! Now, I had planned to play it cool and try to negotiate some additional terms (even though all of the benefits and salary had already exceeded my expectations), but I was so damn happy I said yes right away. I can't say that I'm surprised that I did this though, because I have had my heart set on this position for almost half the year.

When I walked on campus, I absolutely felt at home. People have been asking me what about the school I like so much and it has been difficult to explain. There isn't one thing or two things that sold it for me, but it was how valued I felt when I was on campus. I had the same experience when I visited my undergrad institution for the first time. It is hard to describe, but you just know that it is going to be a good fit. Also, I did some additional research on some of the details of their health benefits and they have full benefits for domestic partner's and their children. This was something that I wanted a school to have because as a LGBTQ ally, I wanted to be at an institution that valued equal benefits. I didn't think that this school would offer these benefits due to the religious affiliation, but I was totally wrong. Yet another reason why I am going to like this place!

I realize that my first job won't be a walk in the park, especially since I am moving all the way across the country, but I know deep down that this institution will be good for me as a person and as a professional. I have no doubt that I will be challenged and offered experiences in areas that I am not familiar with as a grad student. I know that the surrounding community will offer tons of opportunity for fun and personal balance. I know that the students that I work with will make me a better professional. And most of all, I know that I will be happy.

As I look back through my posts, it is hard for me to put into words what this job search has been like for me. I have definitely had a love-hate relationship with the entire process. I loved the rush of adrenaline after reading a job description for the "perfect job." I loved going online and figuring out what the surrounding community was like and how I could see myself there. I loved telling my friends about the details of the position and already making plans to visit each other at our hypothetical perfect institutions.

However, at the same time, I hated the job search. I hated that it was the automatic way to procrastinate my last year as a grad student. I do not even want to think about how many hours I spent researching schools, applying online, or putting together information packets for the Joint Conference. I hated how much money I spent on ACPA/NASPA, dry cleaning, postage for thank-you cards and buying flights for two on-campus interviews. I hated how there was an undercurrent of competition between my cohort members when we are in a helping profession. I hated the feelings of inadequacy and incompetency that the job search thrust into the light.

Although the job search both drained and energized me, I could not be happier with where I am now. I get to stay at my school for a few more weeks, drive cross-country with my best friend, and start a new life at my dream school. Overall, I couldn't ask for anything more than where I am now.

Thank you for sticking with me dear readers and I look forward to updating you on the craziness of a cross-country move!

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #22- Reflections

2007-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

If you knew this was your last day on Earth, how would you wanna spend it? ~Meredith Grey

Well, in a few short hours, I will walk across a stage, receive a piece of paper with my name printed in fancy calligraphy, change a tassel from one side of a mortarboard to the other, and officially have my Master's degree. The first thought that pops into my mind is "Where in the hell did two years go?" My second thought is "I really don't feel like a master of anything." My third thought is "THANK GOD!"

Don't get me wrong, grad school has been a phenomenal experience. I learned a lot about higher education, student affairs, and myself. I was fortunate to be a member of a phenomenal cohort, work with great colleagues, and supervise some of the most amazing students on Earth. However, it wasn't all peaches and cream. There were 100's of pages of writing, 1,000's of pages of reading, and countless hours mulling over new thoughts, ideas, and concepts. Oh, and let's not forget about an entire day devoted to testing us on this massive amount of information that has been crammed into our brains for the past two years on top of almost full-time jobs.

However, even though I am exhausted from thinking and reflecting, I feel ready. I feel ready to get out the state where I have spent my entire life. I'm ready to move away from everything I know and love and go fall in love with somewhere else. I'm ready to be thousands of miles away from my friends because I know that mileage has nothing to do with the strength of a friendship. I'm ready to be a professional and make my own decisions about what I think is best for the students that I work with. I'm ready to be a part of a campus community that lives and breathes their mission and values, which brings me to my next point.

This week I had an on-campus interview with my #1 school. This is THE school. The Dream School. The school that has met all of my major criteria for an institution. The school that I have been obsessing over since December. I was really worried that they weren't going to live up to the hype that I had generated in my mind for the past few months, but this could not have been further from the truth. Since I haven't updated in awhile, I'll just go through my visit and try to help you understand just how excited I am about this prospect.

First, I was picked up at the airport by my host and by someone that interviewed me at ACPA. They took me to a Mexican restaurant that overlooked the ocean (not telling you which one!) and it was just phenomenal. There were no awkward pauses in conversation, not weird questions, and I just felt very comfortable with both of them. After dinner, they dropped me off at the campus apartment where I would be staying. I was greeted with a welcome sign, basket filled with goodies, a stocked fridge, and a personalized message from the leadership team. Needless to say, I was impressed. Although I am a little embarrassed to admit this to the entire world, the moment my host left, I shut the door and jumped up and down throughout the living room because I was just so damn happy!

The next day I had breakfast with my host and then the barrage of interviews began. However, unlike my other on-campus interview, every single person was on time (and even early!), they all had questions prepared and my resume in front of them, and seemed genuinely interested in not only getting to know me, but also in me getting to know them as potential colleagues which was refreshing. I met with the Director of Res. Life who was an alum of my grad program and the entire 30 minutes was a dialogue between the two of us about the institution, transitioning from this program to the institution, and my undergraduate experiences. I felt as though I wasn't just being asked to list off my skills and abilities, but it was really about getting to know me as a person.

The day continued with more interviews and I was able to meet a lot of campus colleagues from a variety of offices, as well as people who have the position that I was interviewing for throughout the day. One of my criteria for a position was to find a department that was social outside of work hours and an environment that lent itself to developing friendships. This institution and department definitely met this criteria. While I was waiting, there was a group of about 10 people who were both from my potential office as well as campus colleagues and it was clear that they genuinely liked each other and knew each other outside of work. They talked about going to Happy Hour, working out together, and watching TiVo-ed episodes of Lost or Heroes together. Simply amazing.

The other great thing about this institution was how closely they followed their mission and values. This was a thread that was incorporated into every interview I had and the first question the students asked me was how I was going to incorporate the mission into my work. I was so impressed by this because it was clear that everyone on campus knew what the institution was about as well as ways to get towards this goal. It was amazing! Also, I was slightly worried because the institution has very strong ties to a religion that I am neither a part of, or necessarily agree with on a lot of major points, but the emphasis was so clearly placed on the values gleaned from the religion and not the religion itself, that I couldn't help but fall in love with this place!

The day wrapped up with dinner with four Area Coordinators at a beautiful little local restaurant. We were laughing, dissecting each other's MBTI preferences, and by the end of the night, we were all eating off of each other's plates. I said that I was pretty sure that this was going against everything I had ever learned from Career Center presentations about interview etiquette, but we felt so comfortable with each other! At the end of dinner, they went over the salary, benefits, and other details of the job. Let's just say that the package that this school is offering is out of this world! They asked if I could see myself at this school and I said yes before he has finished his sentence. They said that all I would have to do would fill out an application online and they would call my references. Then they all looked at me like I was supposed to read between the lines and get that they couldn't officially offer, but that it was almost guaranteed. So it looks like unless my references say I am a creeper, I have the job. HOORAY!!! I'll be sure to blog as soon as I hear anything and think good thoughts for me!

In Medias Res #22-Closing up Shop

2007-05-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

So I have been ‘cleaning’ out my desk all this week. That project will go well into next week, after my contract has ended because I failed to realize the massive undertaking that entailed. Sometime next week I’m hoping to get out to the new job and look for apartments. I still have not gotten an offer letter, but friends who took jobs before mine also haven’t received anything. So I guess I shouldn’t be worried about that? (I am anyways. It’s inevitable).

My parents come in tomorrow for graduation (which means I have a lot more cleaning to do between now and then). They will be here for most of the weekend, and then my next big responsibility is to close up shop. I have to somehow get myself from here to there with minimal pain. Already I am debating back and forth in my head over whether I want to keep things, sell them, be done with them or start over?

I would be interested in hearing what people did in preparation for the first job. Right now the start date seems far off, but in reality it is only a couple of weeks away. I really should build some time between then and now for me to relax. For me to sit down and just feel some pride in a job well done. Not only have I secured my self a position, but I’ve also got a masters degree! Well, almost.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #21- Superstition

2007-04-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

Superstition lies in the space between what we can control and what we can't. We rely on superstitions because we're smart enough to know we don't have all the answers, and that life works in mysterious ways. ~Meredith Grey

I decided to open this post with a quote about superstition because the time has come for me to visit THE school. Talking about THE school, I think a shout-out to In Medias Res. finding and accepting THE job is in order! Congratulations co-blogger!!! Well, my visit to THE school is in t-minus 8 hours. I have to say, I am nervous and with nerves comes superstitions. Review everything, knock on wood, I literally found a penny and picked it up, the list continues...

I am being uber-superstitious because this truly is THE school for me. It has been my #1 choice since job postings came out over the Joint Conference website. It has been my #1 choice since the day when they e-mailed me asking for a phone interview. It has been my #1 choice since I had my phone interview and felt like I was talking to two old friends. It has been my #1 choice since the first day at ACPA/NASPA when I felt like I was floating after my first interview. It has been my #1 choice since the last day of ACPA/NASPA when they offered me an on campus interview. It has been my #1 choice since I went to their social and was greeted like I was already a member of their team.

Way back in September, I made a list of qualities that I would like in a position and institution. Some of the qualities I want are as follows:

-Close proximity to the beach (any beach...ocean, river, lake, reservoir, etc.)

-Close proximity to the amenities of a large city, but not located directly in an urban setting

-Great working environment with professionals who enjoy their work and are social outside of work hours

-Living in a fun place with lots of options for a new professional outside of work

-A supervisor who will mentor as well as supervise me

-A department that values personal balance as well as professional development

-A student body who is engaged in their environment and campus community

-An atmosphere of social justice and service in action

-Amenities such as a nice apartment, parking spot, meal plan, benefits, etc.

-An institution that has a clear values, goals, and a mission statement that is congruent with my own professional values

Dear readers, I have to say that THE school has met ALL of the aforementioned requirements. Therefore, I hope that the campus and students live up to what I have been building them up to be in my head for the past 5 months. I have been creating this new version of my life based on this job for so long that I honestly do not know what I would do if I #1 hated it or #2 loved it and didn't get an offer. Speaking of which, I had better go cross my fingers, avoid cracks in the sidewalk, and not let my cat walk in front of me.

I'll be sure to update as soon as I get back! Wish me luck!!!!

In medias Res #21.2- Talk amongst yourselves

2007-04-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am graduating in T-minus uh…soon. So I’m just going to throw some brief thoughts out there. Talk amongst yourselves.

-Looking for apartments is fun. For some reason I thought if I called a property manager they would take me around show me all the units their firm owns. I guess that’s more of a real estate agent thing, though? Like if I were buying a property? Admittedly I have only really leased two apartments in my life: one over the internet for grad school and the one I live in now through a friend of my boss. Otherwise I’ve always sublet. So this is relatively new to me. Fortunately my brother and my dad both work in real estate and so they are giving me a mini crash course on how to find the best place and get the best deal.

-I’ve been reading a lot of commentary about the response to the Virginia Tech shootings. An interesting strain of criticism seems to be that the response from higher ed institutions is insincere or disproportionate. Especially this situation at University of North Colorado which is just absurd. We’re having conversations at my institution, but I don’t see any sort of response in terms of critical consciousness regarding the issues at play (i.e. gender socialization, mental health, and critical discussions about violence). I see a lot of people acting and thinking out of pain which is really unproductive.

-How much of my work should I actually take with me? A lot of this stuff is digital and so I can bring it on a flash drive, but do people regret not taking more of the resources they produced in their assistantships? I have created a lot of paper output since I’ve been in grad school and the thought of hauling all that crap to the next job seems daunting.

Just some things to discuss. Begin the discourse dear reader!

In Medias Res #21- Something wicked (awesome) this way comes

2007-04-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

I’m going to avoid the melodrama. I got a job. And it is THE job. It’s exactly the area of the field I want to work in (and these jobs are few and far between) and it’s on the campus that I wanted. I’ve got a new city to explore, and an apartment to find, but damn I feel good.

So here’s what happened: I got an offer from my number two institution at the beginning of the week, so I called institution number one back and updated them on my search. They promised to get back to me soon. The next morning I slumped around the office, cranky and stressed. I hate waiting more than anything. That afternoon I got two offers at the same institution and I accepted THE job. I still need to negotiate salary and all that fun stuff (apparently there’s some online HR behavior inventory I need to take), but the job is mine! Its mine!

The really exciting thing about the position is I get to maintain and leverage a lot of professional acquaintances I have made in the last two years through networking. Although I was also looking at residence life I have made a lot more efforts in the last two years to expand my diversity education skill set through professional development. I have met a number of really great professionals and in my new capacity I will get to work with them a great deal more. I certainly could have continued that work in Residence Life, but for that to be my work is exciting.

I also get to shape and set the agenda for a completely new program. I'm not only using my skills and knowledge in this position, I'm using my vision.

Whatever the case I’m feeling good. The hunt is over, dear reader. No more shitty phone interviews with half interested people. No more long laborious on campus visits that feel more like a marathon than an interview. Sure I’m nervous about moving, making new friends, starting a brand new job. But the worst part is over. I think?

Pick Me-Choose Me-Pick Me #20- Pain

2007-04-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Pain, you just have to ride it out, hope it goes away on its own, hope the wound that caused it heals. There are no solutions, no easy answers, you just breath deep and wait for it to subside. Most of the time pain can be managed but sometimes the pain gets you where you least expect it. Hits way below the belt and doesn't let up. Pain, you just have to fight through, because the truth is you can't outrun it and life always makes more. ~Meredith Grey

One week ago the landscape of American colleges and universities changed forever. One week ago 32 members of the Virginia Tech community were senselessly murdered by a tortured soul with little regard for the dignity of the human spirit, including his own. One week ago today I felt a sense of overwhelming and indescribable pain that is still hard to comprehend.

Tonight, the community on my campus held a candlelight vigil to show support and solidarity with the Virginia Tech community. My institution has many similar qualities and characteristics of Tech, so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility for something like that to happen here. I was one of around 500 students, staff, and faculty members who gathered near our Student Union. I attended with three of my RAs and attempted to be strong for them and ride out my pain, but I think I failed miserably.

The symbolism of the candlelight was not lost on me tonight. It was fairly windy and the entire crowd was struggling to keep their candles lit. However, as the speaker read the names of the victims aloud, the wind completely stopped. For those few moments, I knew that something larger than myself was at work and I hoped that others in the crowd were feeling the same sense of peace that I was experiencing. As soon as the speaker was finished reading the names, a trumpeter played "Taps" and the light was immediately extinguished.

I couldn't help but be emotional during the vigil, especially when I was surrounded by my amazing RAs. When Ryan Clark's name was read, I absolutely lost it. Ryan Clark was an RA in West Ambler Johnston Hall and arrived when he heard a commotion in the room. He was the shooter's second victim. Ryan was literally just doing his job. He was confronting a loud room just like any other day. I immediately thought about how many times my staff members have done the same thing and how many times they have put themselves in harm's way for the sake of one of their residents. I let myself, for one brief moment, imagine my life if one of my RAs were hurt or worse in one of my halls. Then, I took a deep breathe, let the pain wash over me, gave thanks for their safety, and prayed like hell that I would be able to fight through this.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #19- Time

2007-04-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Time flies. Time waits for no man. Time heals all wounds. All any of us wants is more time. Time to stand up. Time to grow up. Time to let go. Time. ~Meredith Grey

I want to update all of you on my on-campus visit (which was amazing), but I also need a moment of reflection. Therefore, the first section is an overview of my on-campus interview and the second piece is a little devotional to the crying nature of this time of year.

I flew into a major airport (trying to keep confidentiality here) and was picked up by one of their full-time Hall Directors and a colleague who doesn't work in Res. Life, but does work in a collaborative office on campus. They gave me a tour of the city and the amenities and then we went to a gorgeous Italian restaurant in the middle of the city. I have to admit, I was absolutely exhausted, but I had to "put it on" and basically fake enthusiasm. Also, I never felt so self-conscious about the questions that I was asking. The people I was with weren't exactly super excited or spontaneous, so I felt like it was up to me to make conversation which was just really awkward. After dinner, they dropped me off at the place I was staying for the night which was super cute. Also, some of my best friends live in this city and I haven't seen them in over a year, so they came over and we stayed up until 1am talking and catching up. I know I should have been sleeping or preparing or coming up with questions, but I really just needed to reconnect with some of my best friends.

I got up the next morning at 6am (waaaaaay too early!) and prepared a little more. I was very happy that I spent my 2 hour lay-over coming up with questions. I actually came up with over 50 so if you are interested, e-mail me at pickmechoosemehireme@yahoo.com and I'll send it your way! I was picked up and immediately began the marathon of interviews. I knew that it was going to be a full day, but until you have 9 interviews in a row, you don't really realize what "tired" means! I was very, very excited to be able to talk with some students about their experiences. I got to talk with about 8 or 9 of them and they were truly amazing students who were very academically and social justice oriented in their approach to their education. Definitely a plus. Also, with meeting with some other campus colleagues, I got a very good vibe with them and could really see myself working there.

However, there were some definite drawbacks. Their Hall Directors work in a central office so I wouldn't be spending my office hours in my hall. Also, it is a small school so funding is always an issue and this showed up in the salary and benefits. Although there were some drawbacks, I really fell in love with this place! I thought that I would go to rule it out as an option, but instead I really fell in love with the beautiful campus, awesome students, and fun work environment. When I was talking with the Director at the end of the day, he said a few time "When you work here...I mean, if you work here..." so I think I have a really good chance of getting an offer. I should hear something this week! I know I will hold off until my next campus interview which isn't until the first week of May. This upcoming campus interview is with my #1 school since forever so I think that it will really depend on the vibe. So far I am in love with the school based mainly on the position and my potential colleagues, so everything could change when I meet the students, see the campus, and visit the surrounding area. Either way, I am really excited!

Okay, here is the reflective piece. Bear with me, it has been a long day!

There are exactly 12 days until graduation. Holy crap. I don't have a job, a place to live past July, a dependable car, or any idea of what I'll be doing in two months. What do I have? I like lists, so here we go:

An amazingly supportive network of friends and colleagues that I know I will be able to lean on in this crazy time of unknowns.

A staff of student leaders who will never fully comprehend how much of an impact they have had on my life or how much I cherish each staff meeting, study session in my office, or off-color joke.

A supervisor that makes me laugh to the point of tears, think to the point of change, and work to the point of reflection.

A family that is crazy most of the time, but also equally entertaining.

A knowledge that someone or something that is bigger than myself is orchestrating this whole thing with healthy doses of humor, wisdom, and divine intervention.

A network of friends outside of student affairs that doesn't really understand what I do, but try their hardest to keep me sane and functioning.

A potential relationship that is equally surprising and exhilarating that I really never expected.

A realization that I am indeed in the right profession and that I truly love my job.

In Medias Res #19: Falling in Love is so Hard on the Knees

2007-04-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Wow. You know I’m tired and stressed when the only title I can think of is an Aerosmith lyric. Thanks early to mid 90s (and more specifically Alicia Silverstone).

My whirlwind tour is over, and at least for now I think I am done with campus interviews. At this point it is a waiting game. All the schools are supposed to get back to me sometime next week, and I am thankful for the serendipity. I am, however, deeply anxious over when and what they will say when they do get back.

I have a clear preference at this point. There is one school that I am just in love with. It’s a great fit, a great institution, wonderful people. I just really want to work there.

The interview? The interview was magic, dear readers. It was like a phenomenal first date (albeit a chaste non-sexual first date). Perhaps my confidence levels have just picked up and I feel more comfortable, but from the minute they picked me up at the airport until the minute I returned to the Continental Check-in line I felt a buzzy joy. I sensed an immediate camaraderie, and although people were maintaining that professional distance that is a compulsory element of the interview process I still really enjoyed myself.

They have a couple of openings in Res Life and I think mathematically my shot is about 50%. Those are quite good odds. When driving me back to the airport my host mentioned that people were really impressed with me, and I am just hoping that they come through with an offer.

Between the other institutions, one is a close runner up (it doesn’t have the fabulous city life and the facilities are not as astoundingly new) and the other is a distant, distant fourth (if there were the potential for a fourth place, they would be fourth). I think at #2 I would be very happy, and the major factor working in its favor is the phenomenal array and quality of Doctorate programs the institution offers. But at the moment it is running at second place in my heart if not my head.

Of course, the minute I got on campus and was away from my email a whole new round of schools wanted to talk to me “about gauging my interest in the position at Institution X”. I’ve been playing phone tag with these schools, and the whole thing just compounds my stress level. I do not technically have a job, so I can’t be declining every new admirer. That said, in the next two weeks I have assignments due, papers to grade, a final report to write, and…. Oh,yes, I have to graduate. So its not as if I have much free time to do campus interviews until the second week in May.

I have to say it seems like in general this is just a very late hiring season for people. Only a handful of my friends (at this institution and others) have a job. Almost all the people in my cohort who have accepted positions got them from OPE (which was in the beginning of March), and no one seems to have even been offered a position from NASPA/ACPA. Of course, lots of us did not even do placement and so the phone interviews and campus invites are trickling in slowly.

The biggest disappointment in all of this is that we probably won’t all be around to celebrate each other’s success. The end goal of graduate school at least here it seems is about the first job rather than the degree. As the summer drags on and those with positions move away (or those with May/June leases move back home) the kudos and camaraderie will happen over email instead of at our bar on Main Street. And that stinks.

In Medias Res #18-Barely There

2007-04-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

As I noted in my last post, I'm all over the country this week, so I don't have much time to blog. I did want to send out my condolences to everyone at Virginia Tech. I actually had a student pass away when I was a resident assistant in college, but that was nothing compared to the enormity of their situation.

(if I were a more crass person I would note it took George Bush how long to get to New Orleans, but the next DAY he is in Virginia? I know it's closer, but he's got his own plane. That's hardly an excuse.)

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #18- Complete Shock

2007-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, there was a shooting on Virginia Tech's campus early this morning. I have been following the story on CNN and the latest count was over 30 members of the community have passed away, including the shooter. The rampage began early this morning in a residence hall where one student was killed and then the shooter moved to an academic building where he opened fire in a classroom.

I am usually effected by these types of stories, but this one really hit home. My greatest fear in my professional career is a student death. I simply cannot wrap my head around what it would be like to be working as a student affairs professional at Virginia Tech today. I just saw them at Placement, sat beside them during orientation, and saw them throughout the Conference. It is very hard for me to put myself in their place, but my heart goes out to each and every one of the community members at VT.

It is incidences such as this that make every little thing that is stressing me out seem absolutely and totally trivial. What matters are students. Their physical and mental safety, their growth, their development. Period. End of story.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #17 Fear, Doubt, Etc.

2007-04-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

Whoever said "What you don't know can't hurt you" was a complete and total moron. Because ... for most people I know, not knowing is the worst feeling in the world. ~Meredith Grey

Remember when you were a kid and your biggest worry was if you'd get a bike for your birthday or if you'd get to eat cookies for breakfast. Being an adult? Totally overrated. I mean seriously, don't be fooled by all the hot shoes and the great sex and the no parents anymore telling you what to do. Adulthood is responsibility. ~Meredith Grey

Yes loyal readers, this entry necessitates two Grey's quotes. It may have something to do with the fact that I found my Season Two DVDs while cleaning and have been putting on my own mini-marathon, or it could be due to the fact that I am just a mess. From the outside looking in, I'm doing great. I have two on-campus interviews that I am really excited about lined up in the next few weeks, schoolwork is not at the level that it was earlier in the semester, and my staff is doing well. However, from the inside looking out, I am a disaster.

Although I am really excited about interviewing with one of my #1 schools in May and my #2 school on Wednesday I am super nervous and not very confident. You may notice that I have bumped up my #2 school from the rank of #6. I realized that it was really just one person that I didn't click with even though everything else about the position lined up with what I want. I guess I should thank grad school for teaching me great reflective thinking skills! Anyway, yes I am super excited to be on campus and meet students and potential colleagues. However, for some reason my self-confidence has taken a total and complete nosedive. I don't think that I was ever full of myself or anything, but I think I have good experiences, great references, and I love to interview. Therefore, seeing as I have only heard from 4 schools out of 19 schools that I interviewed with, I am beginning to question myself. I have been having absolutely crazy dreams that correspond with a feeling of not being in control and I have to say that I feel totally out of control with this process. I don't like the sit-and-wait game! I just want to know already! If you don't like me, fine. I can deal with that. I CANNOT deal with not knowing and being in this perpetual state of self-questioning.

Additionally, as I was looking over the information from one of my other #1 schools, I realized that they require two years of professional experience. I do not understand how I have missed this the whole time. What is even more perplexing is that they never mentioned it during my two interviews. Therefore, since I haven't heard anything, they either really didn't like me or I am not qualified. Both options suck, but I would rather not be qualified than option #1. I am still waiting to hear from my final #1 school, but since I haven't heard anything so far, I am not holding out too much hope.

Even though I am not too confident, I am really and truly excited for my on-campus visit with my true #1 school in May. This was the institution that I fell in love with way back in December so it is very satisfying to be able to make it to this point in the process. Although I am really excited, the prospect of moving all of my stuff all the way across the country is not exciting whatsoever. Also, the idea of buying a car, paying taxes, getting insurance, paying loans, buying groceries, dealing with investments, renting a U-Haul, (which would be over $1600 plus gas, hotel, food, etc. for a cross-country trek) and packing are making this time very, very stressful. I can deal with professional responsibilities in my job, but personal responsibilities scare the crap out of me. My parents are the typical parents of Millennial children and although I appreciate their contributions to my lifestyle more than I will ever admit, I think the level of support they have given actually makes me less prepared to enter the world of adulthood. I have no clue about getting a loan, buying a car, shopping for insurance, and can barely balance my checkbook.

I don't know where that leaves me other than being totally and completely scared about this next phase of my life. I have come to realize that I can deal with change, just not with transition. I just want the change to happen miraculously overnight and then go from there. Wish me luck dear readers as I try to summon up the confidence to make a good impression for my on-campus interview. This is my first one so I'm sure I'll have lots to talk about when I return!

In Medias Res #17-Of Black Cats (Jinx)

2007-04-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

I was going to blog more extensively about the conference, but I think Pick me covered the advice aspect pretty well. The one thing I will say is go to the Drag Show. I almost didn’t because of an early flight, but I’m glad I did. It puts the insanity of everything else in healthy perspective.
So let’s move on dear readers! It is of course, on campus season. With the Joint Conference so much later this year, I feel like everyone’s in a bit of a time crunch to get candidates on campus while they can still meet students. My most recent on campus went relatively well (I didn’t completely nail the presentation, in large part from nerves). I liked the staff that I met, and I could seriously see myself at that institution for a while. Plus it’s within easy driving distance to a lot of friends, some family, and some great hiking (but it is most importantly in a CITY).
The interview itself was pretty uneventful. In fact, I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing until the phone calls started. For those of you who have been through the process you know what I’m talking about. Usually its family first and then friends, and then maybe the one person in grad school who doesn’t completely wish you well. They all want to know how you did. What did you think? And that is a tedious conversation. Not only because you end up repeating yourself four or five times (and In Medias Res, dear reader, is not a phone person). But also because you don’t want to relive it. You just got done with it. Let a bitch breathe, people!
The one question I dread is the first question my dad always asks: Did they give you some sort of indication? What he wants to know is “will they be making you an offer?” Now, maybe people are winking at me all day, but I’m not picking up on any sort of signs. This is especially galling coming from him because this man defines superstitious. On our last vacation he pulled over and made my brother drive because a black cat had run in front of the car. I’m not kidding, and this is the man who wants me to jinx things by saying out loud “Oh yeah, I’m going to get an offer”.
You may say to yourself, “In Medias, when did you become an irrational festering mess of emotions?” And I would say to you dear reader, “Have you not been reading this blog?” The waiting is what’s killing me. It’s making me superstitions and leery and a little bit cranky. Some of my cohort have gotten offers on campus. I know that’s an extreme example, and I also recognize that given the huge HR mechanisms I’ve been dealing with, that’s not going to happen at any of my schools. I am just bored with the process at this point.
Next week I have back to back to back interviews. I did not want to schedule things this way, but thanks to the Joint Conference crunch I was more or less backed into a corner. On the plus side the travel arrangements for two of the interviews were much much simpler (they just booked for me and paid for everything. How sweet is that?). Of course all the jobs at the top of my list are next week. I’ve been declining stuff lately just because between this week and next week, I’m really hoping to have an offer (and I don’t want any outstanding campus interviews to prevent me from taking one).
I’m not completely nuts. There are still a couple of jobs out there on the horizon if none of these interviews translate into positions. But c’mon! By next week I will have had six (!) on campuses. If somebody doesn’t make me an offer, I am obviously doing something profoundly wrong.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #16- Whirlwind Adventure!

2007-04-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? ~Grey's Anatomy

Hello again loyal readers. Once again, an apology is in order. I have seriously been slacking with the posting, but I have many updates for all of you. I also apologize for the random nature of this post, but I have a lot to write about this week!

First, a re-cap of ACPA/NASPA now that I am not in a state of total and complete exhaustion. I will use this as a space to give some more advice, post general ramblings, and basically attempt to process the six craziest days of my life. For any future job searchers out there, the advice has been italicized and bolded for your convenience so you don't have to sort through all of my other stuff throughout the blog.

I think the most important item I can share with you is that it is vitally important to surround yourself with people who do not stress you out. I can not stress this point enough. I chose not to cram 500 people in a room because I knew that the stress of multiple sleep schedules, bathroom time, and lack of hot water would put me in a really bad mood. Instead, I shared a room with one of my best friends in the hotel where Placement was taking place. Although I really could not afford this luxury, it was totally and completely worth it! I didn't have to worry about paying for parking, renting a car, getting up super early to arrive to Placement, or hanging around if the people in my caravan had interviews that were later than mine. This arrangement allowed for a lot more autonomy and was a great way to manage your environment.

Additionally, be aware of who you surround yourself with in terms of your colleagues or cohort members during the breaks at Placement. One person in my cohort went on and on about how they were "so over Res. Life" and were really qualified for mid-level positions due to previous professional experience. Not only did this make me mad, but it also demeaned the entry-level, Res. Life positions that I was interviewing for throughout the day. I know that they did not mean for this to be the case, but it really got under my skin and by the third day I knew when to go over to the break table and when not to.

Another observation that I came across is actually due to my days as a sorority woman. All of you sorority women out there know how Recruitment techniques are drilled into your head as an undergrad and I soon found myself slipping into "sorority girl" mode at the socials. I think the whole Placement experience can make direct links to Recruitment since they are just snippets of your personality, you dress up for each other, you know what questions to ask to seem interested and intrigued, etc.... but the Recruitment analogy is never more apparent than at the social functions. Personally, I just think these are awkward. I can think of nothing more contrived that setting a specific day, time, and place to "be yourself" and "get to know" the people you could potentially be working with in the upcoming year. I don't care what people say about being yourself because this really is the second round of interviews many schools. Therefore, I found myself plastering on the smile and engaging in surface conversations when all I wanted to do was sit down in the corner, check my e-mail, and ask the people what it is really like to work at their school.

However, socials do serve their purpose. I remember my sorority advisor telling me that it is so much more important to observe how members treat each other instead of how the members treat you as a perspective member. These people know how to treat perspective employees. They know how to be gracious and really attempt to get to know you. I am not saying that this is not genuine by any means, but you have to look at these socials objectively. They are recruiting you as much as you are checking them out by this point in the game. Therefore, I found that when I observed how coworkers were treating each other I was able to gauge just how well they work together and know each other in a social context. It is very important for me to have collegial relationships so this was helpful for me. One institution basically bombarded me with questions and introduced me to everyone, but my host for the night couldn't remember the last name of one of their colleagues or where they worked. This was a red flag for me! However, at another institution I felt like I was a part on an ongoing conversation between coworkers and they really knew each other. This is something that I was looking for in a potential position. This leads me to my next set of ramblings...

I know that some of you were concerned about the number of interviews that I had set up prior to the conference. However, having multiple interviews worked for me. It allowed me to put multiple top choices in perspective and compare the benefits and drawbacks in a much easier way since I had more options. Also, I think the pace actually helped me keep up my energy and stamina instead of draining me. I was usually booked from 9 or 10 in the morning until 4 or 5 at night with either 30 or 60 minutes in between, but this really worked to my advantage. One day I had a rather sizable break between interviews, but the interviews I had after this break were probably some of my worst because I had allowed myself to relax, both physically and mentally and get out of the interviewing mode. Therefore, know your limits and don't let other people's expectations influence your Placement experience. A lot of people in my cohort had a few interviews set up before flying to Orlando and many of them did not have any and were just more aggressive once they arrived. Whether you have 0 or 44 interviews, you just need to do what you are comfortable with because that is what matters in the end. I wanted to have a better read on my options so I may have been on the heavy side, but it really worked out in the end.

I had hoped to leave Placement with a few good prospects and really be able to narrow down my options and values for a first position and I think I was very successful at this. Also, I have pretty exciting news. I have an on-campus interview set-up with one of my #1 schools! (For the record, three schools are tied for #1 at this point.) This was the institution that I fell in love with once they posted the description in December. I fell a little more in love during a phone interview, and I fell A LOT in love with them during the first round of interviewing at Placement. They asked me back for a second interview and I readily agreed. The night before I crammed in my hotel room and came up with about 10 seemingly intelligent and thoughtful questions to ask. When I sat down at the table they immediately said "Well, we have basically fallen in love with you as a candidate and want to extend you an offer for an on-campus interview." I'm sure I looked absolutely ridiculous and probably resembled a deer in the headlights. I had no idea that this was coming! Of course, I said yes on the spot and they immediately started rattling off dates, times, flight arrangements, and other details. I tried to write as quickly as possible, but my notes look like chicken scratch now! I am happy to report that they also invited me to their social later that evening and I think I fell in love with them a little more (if that was even possible) that night. This was the social where the people really knew each other and it just felt comfortable to be with them. We were laughing, joking, telling Res. Life stories and I realized half-way through that I didn't have to make an effort to be myself, but it was just coming naturally. I took this as a good sign!

As a re-cap if any of you are interested in the numbers game, during my four days at Placement I had 19 first round interviews, 6 second round interviews, got invited to 5 socials and went to 3 of them, interviewed with 43 different professionals, wrote countless thank you notes, and came back with around 40 pounds of folders stuffed with every possible publication from a variety of schools. I also left about 7 folders in the hotel room to make sure I didn't have to pay for super heavy luggage on the way back.

The waiting game has started for on-campus interviews. Before I left Orlando, I made a list of "yes," "no," and "maybe" schools. Then I ranked them from there to make sure the interviews were fresh in my mind. I have an on-campus with one of my #1 and I was offered an on-campus with my #6 and #16 today. I think I will go to the #6 school because I think a lot of my hesitations were due to campus culture which really can't be judged until I'm actually on campus.

However, I just decided that the #16 school really is not for me. I was talking with one of my friends who is also thinking about declining an on-campus interview and we said that it just seemed counterintuitive! We both realized that it would be silly to waste the money of an institution on hotel, food, transportation, etc. if we really couldn't see ourselves going there, but that is still so hard to be the person making rejection calls! In the back of my mind there is a little voice that says "What if this is the only other on-campus interview you get and you were dumb and picky and turned it down?" Deep down, I am scared of making a mistake that I won't be able to undo.

In Medias Res # 16- Ugh

2007-04-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

The above is a sentiment I subscribe to wholeheartedly. I am already not a fan of the month of April for a variety of reasons: the time crunch it means on campuses, the programming overload (we have to spend our budget), the student burnout, oncoming slate of assignments. The only saving grace of April is the weather. Usually, at least, the weather is a saving grace. Not today.
NASPA/ACPA? That’s probably what you want me to write about. I will write expansively either tomorrow or this weekend. For now, just some highlights.
The socials were better than OPE. Marriot and Gaylord have better caterers than the U-Wisconsin system. Who knew?
I heart schools that have socials in rooms named after their town. For example, UCLA in the Los Angeles room. Thank you for simplifying my life.
The President’s suite was pimp.
NASPA/ACPA runs a much better placement solely based on the fact that I did not have to run up and down stairs or between towers.
That conference was not accessible.
They found the one place in Orlando where there were no restaurants in walking distance.
Al Gore is funnier than Jay Leno. Poor Jay Leno.
The best thing that can happen to you is for the hotel to overbook and then bump you up to a suite. This did not happen to me.
Do not go out by the pool in your bathing suit if you are interviewing.
The Joint Conference was exhausting, I still have not fully recovered. That said I have a couple of strong leads on positions and I even got another on campus. So that’s exciting. Some of my colleagues had more firm offers when they departed, but I went in with some really strong prospects. The nice part of having stuff already scheduled was the confidence boost it gave me. I turned down a lot of second round interviews (and some offers for first rounds) because they really do not match my needs.
I just felt better going into these interviews for some reason. Perhaps because it was a larger conference the interviewers were more than willing to see my student service experience as translatable to residence life. Or maybe I just cared less if people were seeing the connection. At OPE I felt a lot of resistance from interviewers and at the Joint Conference, there were quite a few more schools how embraced me. More importantly there were some schools that I got really excited about.
I will admit, I have a new crush. It’s a large private, and just about everyone of the staff members I met was amazing, intelligent, and funny. You would think everyone I interviewed with would be personable, but that’s just not the case. But this school? We’re gonna get married. Hopefully. So obviously I didn’t get a job before NASPA/ACPA. That’s ok though. Because the jobs that I found there are really exciting. Next time: more about the joint conference, why interviewing there might have made me less excited for my scheduled on campuses, and why May is worse than April (preview: I’m unemployed).

Pick Me-Choose Me-Pick Me #15- Exhaustion

2007-04-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

We are tired, we are scared, denying it doesn't change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world. ~Grey's Anatomy

So it is almost midnight and I am writing this from my hotel room on the in-room computer which has made my life a LOT easier over the past few days. Just knowing that I am able to check my e-mail if I have to is pretty amazing. I could be doing research for the interviews that I have throughout tomorrow, but I decided that a little bit of reflection was in order after the whirlwind of placement.

If any of my dear readers will be going through the process next year, listen up. These are my words of wisdom for next year.

#1 You will be tired. It will not hit you until you allow yourself to relax, both physically and mentally. I was so used to being "on" that the first day I didn't realize how tired I was until I sat down on my hotel bed and tonight I didn't realize I was tired I was today until I had an extended break and was able to connect with some of the people in my program to compare notes. Be prepared for the "crash" and don't be afraid to tell friends or collegues that you don't want to go out to eat or drink or network. You need your rest!

#2 There is a fine balance between strangers who want to get to know you and strangers who are pumping you for information. During our candidate orientation, the people in charge told us there were going to be 18,000 interviews conducted and 1200 candidates present. You could feel a palpable change in the room once they told us that there were 1500 positions. It was like everyone made a mental shift from "these people are my competition" to "everyone will get a job and let's just get to know people!" With that being said, you still need to be conscious of what you are saying, around whom, and in what environment. I made the mistake of talking about a few Jesuit institutions that I had interviewed with and some woman from across the table jumped down my throat about my assumptions about a Jesuit college that I was privately sharing with a collegue. Make sure you are very aware of your surroundings!

#3 Be prepared for the magnitude and scope of the placement center. There are a TON of people and it can be quite overwhelming, especially when you look at all of the tables lined up in row after row after row in different sections of the placement center. The analogy of herds of cattle being lined up for sale is very appropriate because the employers come out to greet you so you are in a "waiting area" which is more like a holding pen for cattle. The employer comes out, usually with a sign, folder, pennant, dry erase board, foam finger, or mascot from the school and either flail it about or yell you name in conjunction with the flailing. My friend said that she felt like she was the kid in 1st grade who was waiting for their mom to pick them up while the rest of the kids had already left with their parents. I think this is a great analogy because when about 10 people get chosen you immediately re-check your information to make sure you are in the right place, right time, right holding pen, etc. My same friend decided that it would be great if she made a sign or pennant or foam finger with her name on it to show the employers instead!

#4 Placement CAN and WILL BE fun if you allow it to be. You don't realize how many people you know or what great support you really have until you go through Placement. I have gotten so many hugs and words of encouragement, plus some great notes from friends, cohort members, and former collegues in my mail which have made the days a lot easier to handle. Don't forget to laugh and joke to break the tension and get out of the center as well! Schedule in breaks and times for lunch and dinner!

I'm sure I'll have more words of wisdom as the interviewing progresses. So far I have had 13 1st round interviews and have two 2nd round interviews for tomorrow, two 1st round and two 2nd round interviews for Tuesday, plus four invitations for social functions of various institutions. I am pretty happy with where I stand now and I can't wait to see what happens by the time I leave Orlando! More posting sooner rather than later for me!!!

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #14- Frantic

2007-03-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

No time for a Grey's quote for this post. Why? Because it is 1:30am the night before I fly out for ACPA/NASPA and I still haven't packed. Whoops...

Just wanted to let everyone know that I PASSED COMPS! With distinction too, I might add! Much more to come from the conference. I am staying in the conference hotel which has a computer in every room so I will be able to give all of you day-by-day updates about interviews and whatnot.

Also, if you have any last minute tips, suggestions, or unusual questions that threw you off during an interview, feel free to e-mail me at pickmechoosemehireme@yahoo.com. I'll be sure to post for everyone else's benefit too!

Wish me luck!!!

In Medias Res # 15-That thing I promised

2007-03-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I was surprised people actually emailed me. Actually emailed me! It wasn’t a tidal wave, but the three I got were funny. To return the spotlight to me for a moment though: What is it about me that makes me keep taking phone interviews? I basically got dressed down yesterday for not tailoring my resume enough to the job. Admittedly this was a specialist position, but I see all my skills as transferable and I didn’t think it was that hard to read the version I sent out and see me in the position. I really don’t need to be doing phone interviews. I have two more on campuses already scheduled! I am the shit! (in a good way)

That said, I have one more phone interview today-well tonight actually.

Here’s the horror stories. And they are all horror stories, trust me.

The first time I went to a conference for placement (this wasn’t NASPA or ACPA) the airline lost my luggage. This wasn’t a total catastrophe as they promised to have it to me the next day, except the next day was Sunday so they didn’t get it to me until Monday. I went with one of my best friends though, and we’re basically the same size so she lent me an outfit. Except I’m a little chestier (Editor’s note: I don’t think chesty is a word. Just saying) than her. All through my first interview I thought the guy was staring at my chest (they were sort of popping out), and I was getting angrier even though I kept talking. Finally he interrupted me and pointed at my cleavage. I had a bloody nose and it was running down my chest at this point. I was beyond embarrassed. Of course, I had back to back interviews that day so I had to walk around with my tight blood red dress shirt on. I did get a job though.

The first time I went to NASPA was to job search, and I scheduled myself an interview for every slot the first two days. My first interview ran late, and so every interview after that I was playing catch up. I was trying to answer as quickly as possible to get these done with on time, but that never worked. By the end of the day I had missed two interviews and lunch. I was so exhausted I went up to my room, skipped dinner, and proceeded to sleep through my alarm. I missed all my morning interviews the next day, and I was so groggy by the afternoon from hunger that I was basically incoherent. Fortunately my first interview went really well, they asked me for a second round, invited me to campus, and I got the job. Since then, though, I keep a small grocer’s pantry in my bag when I interview. (And I give myself thirty minutes between each.)

Ok, I will be keeping a kit-kat in my messenger bag. This one is my favorite. Short, sweet, to the point, and kind of dirty.

The Grey’s Anatomy fans will appreciate this, but here’s a tip: No matter how tired and stressed you are, or how early you go out don’t pick someone up in the hotel bar. You will end up interviewing with them the next day. And possibly? Working for them for four years.

Phew. Ok, hopefully my experience will reflect the other end of the spectrum. See you all after the conference! (That’s right punks. In Medias Res does not liveblog).

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #13- Shoes

2007-03-25T17:51:00.001-07:00

"I am an evil mistress." ~Meredith Grey
"But still... you look nice." ~George O'Malley

First, a quick job related update. I have indeed taken the advice of many of our dear readers and have cancelled some interviews. I have also declined interviews at a few schools that I would have readily accepted at only a few short weeks ago. Also, after re-reading some comments, I went back through my spreadsheet and have decided to contact an additional five schools that I am not super passionate about after some more reflection. Thank you to various readers who shook me violently back into reality! Second, my comprehensive exams were yesterday. It was quite possibly the worst way to spend a Saturday, but they are over and I will find out before I leave for ACPA/NASPA if I passed. Let's just hope I pass because I don't know how I will cope with the idea of re-doing things hanging over my head while I am interviewing for jobs. I could write an entire post about the stupid test, but that just allows me to dwell on them and I do NOT want to do that because I'll go nuts! Moving on...

I spent today shopping for the conference, or as my RAs have been calling it "The Big Joint." (The funny factor of the word "joint" has apparently not outgrown these college students...and I love them for it!) Now, for some of you, the idea of shopping may put a big smile on your face. Strolling through isle after isle of consumerism, soaking up the commercialization of America does not put a big smile on my face. Well, let me correct myself. I do not like being forced to go shopping. I like to think of it as more of an organic experience. You know, I'm more of a gatherer as opposed to a hunter type of gal so being surrounded by 100's of people who are after the next big deal while I'm just trying to find a cute shirt does not appeal to me.

Therefore, I was not looking forward to today. I knew I had to get dress shoes, a few new shirts for underneath suits, and some random other things to be able to survive in Orlando for less than a week. I decided to start looking for shirts first. The entire time I was shopping, I kept hearing all of the Career Center presentations on ways to "Dress for Success" running through my mind, however I could not remember for the life of me if stripes/patterns were okay for underneath a suit. I think the problem could be due to conflicting presentations.I decided to bounce the idea off of my friends in the program so the first person I called was my friend who works in the Career Center. Sadly, she didn't pick up so I left her a semi-frantic voicemail that is probably unintelligible except for sporadic words such as "stripes," "confused," "hireable," or "credible."

Next up on my speed dial was my best friend who has already been through a professional job search. She suggested that if I choose stripes or pattern, try to pick one that is very demure and don't go crazy with jewelry. Therefore, I picked up the white shirt with black and pink stripes that I had been hesitantly eyeing for the past 20 minutes and a plain black necklace to match. I also picked up the standard white Oxford (which was only $4.00!!!) just to cover myself in case I go to the first day of placement and observe a sea of black suits and white Oxfords. I am fully prepared to conform to the environmental press and not feel guilty about it what-so-ever.

Next up was searching for interview appropriate shoes, which I like to call the search for the ugliest shoes on Earth. If I have learned nothing from the advice that I received last year, it was to wear comfortable shoes, no matter how tempted you are to pick up the cutest things on the shelf that will compliment your suit oh-so-nicely. I do remember having crazy tired feet last year at ACPA, but I also remember the convention center in Indy being about 1/2 mile from our hotel and I somehow chose sessions that were consistently on opposite ends of the seemingly endless concourse. *Sidenote to future conference planners* Ask Segway to co-sponsor the conference so none of us have to walk. I would pay exorbitant conference fees to see George Kuh, Vivienne Cass, or Arthur Chickering go flying past me, latte firmly placed in the convenient cup holder, wind flowing through their thinning hair. Just a thought...

Anyway, I was on a mission to find the cutest, most comfortable, closed toe shoes in the immediate area. If they existed, I was going to find them. However, I have big feet that are hard to fit. I've made my peace with it, but that doesn't mean it is any easier to find shoes. Also, I have been influenced by years and years of gender-oppressive media that tells me to "pick the cute shoes, pick the cute shoes" so today was tough. I ended up with really ugly brown shoes that feel like I am walking on a cloud and really cute, semi- to fairly comfortable black shoes. I gave in when I realized that I could wear these shoes with both my black pants suit and with my black suit with matching skirt. However, I also bought some Dr. Scholl's inserts so if you hear someone next week go on and on about how "I am so totally gellin" while in a black suit with shoes that look very cute and semi-comfortable, then it is probably me.

So the moral of the story is that I found shoes, a daring shirt, a conservative shirt, and a bunch of other stuff. However, as I was looking for ugly shoes, I started to think about whether shoes would really change the outcome of a job offer for me. Given the fact that every, single job presentation has made me believe the interviewers only care about the condition of your nails and what shoes you are wearing, I was worried. When I realized this, I soon scanned the isles for cuter (is that a word?) shoes, ones that would really sell me as a candidate. Then, after my 7 seconds of insanity, I embraced the whole "inner beauty" thing and decided that if I didn't get a job based on my ugly brown shoes then I probably didn't really want to work for the institution in the first place. However, after my moment of clarity I began wonder if I had the perfect suit, shoes, hair, make-up, and almost perfect answers if that would trump an okay suit, shoes, hair, make-up, and perfect answers. Is it really about the total package or would an evil mistress who looks nice get a job over a poorly put-together fairy godmother?

PS If any of you out there think I do nothing but complain, this is not a true reflection of my personality. I was a little peeved about the whole ugly shoes afternoon, but my mood was immediately lifted when I drove into my parking spot and saw four of my residents flying kites on the front lawn of our building. It was a beautiful day, a great image, and a fabulous reminder of why I want to go step into the world of Student Affairs, even if I do it in ugly shoes.