The Great Fishbowl Quest #3

Runnin’ Down a Dream

WARNING: This entry was written by a blogger with a lot on his mind during this entry. Readers are advised that this blog is composed of what may appear to be many mini-entries; in truth, it is simply a peek into a conflicted mind. Read at own risk.
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With my to-do list unfinished, I chose to work during The Football Game (I’ll be honest; I don’t follow football that closely…Anybody surprised?). However, I did catch Tom Petty during the halftime show. With every thought and action pointing my thoughts right back to the job hunt, I couldn’t help but feel better listening to him perform “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”

In the song, his lyrics refer to the process of getting to the “finish line.” Something that I find myself to be struggling with is staying in this moment as opposed to focusing on the next one. For those of you out there with a never-ending to-do list (I have a five-color-coordinated to-do list written on my dry erase board at the moment), I have a suggestion from my own experience.

At the end of the day, write a “finished and accomplished” list. I have gotten a lot done every day this past week, even though I’m not where I’d like to be with my coursework or job hunt. I’m always going to want to be further ahead (most of us are leaders and that urge is natural), but that doesn’t mean it is always possible. I think “just keeping up” is about as good as this semester is going to get.

With that said, I feel that I accomplished a good amount this weekend. I either have interviews or am in contact with eight of my Top Ten Institutions. By the end of this week, I hope to have a good number more high-interest interviews scheduled.
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The Southern Placement Exchange (SPE)

In twelve days, the placement exchanges begin. For those of you who have followed the exchanges for the past few years, there are some new twists to the game. One of those twists is that SPE is occurring before the Oshkosh Placement Exchange (OPE). This has led to a far earlier start time for recruiting than there has been in the past. I think many employers are finding themselves scrambling to be prepared. Candidates, take heart, we’re not the only ones trying to catch up.

I have had the fortunate opportunity of attending SPE as both a candidate and as an employer. It has given me some insights that are somewhat frightening, but good to be aware of, nonetheless. These insights apply to all placement exchanges.

1) Candidates talk about “warm up” interviews. The idea is interview with an institution that doesn’t make the top of your list to “get into the groove” of interviewing. As an employer, I’m not a fan of my time being wasted if you’re not interested at all. As a candidate, I’ve got to say “warm up” interviews can help.
2) The time of the interview matters (far more than anybody prefers). Everyone knows this, but it is amazing how hard it is to concentrate as an employer at certain times of the day. As a candidate you’ve got good motivation to be focused (you’d like to have a job). As an employer, you get hungry, distracted, annoyed, and bored. I try to put my most important interviews early in the morning and right after lunch.
3) If you haven’t been to an exchange, be prepared for the telethon set-up. Imagine a ballroom lined with tables with all of the employers facing the front door and all of the candidates facing the back wall. There are no walls separating you from any other employers or candidates. It’s not as bad as it sounds, but it is something to be aware of.

I’m sure I will talk more about SPE in the next two weeks. If you have any specific questions about it, feel free to comment. There are many in my cohort who haven’t experienced SPE, so I may address some of the concerns they bring up.

I’ve decided to go to bed with only four things on my list for the unaccomplished; but my “finished and accomplished” list is much longer.