The Great Fishbowl Quest #6

I would have posted sooner (I’m sure you’ve been holding your breath), but I’ve pretty much been sleeping and catching up. I’m writing prior to going to class for the day, because once I leave, I won’t stop again until I hit the bed.

Just like always, SPE was fantastic! It felt like a family reunion, and I met even more great people. There was one big disappointment, but a handful of good surprises that outweighed the one negative.

To get the bad done with, an institution that I had ranked as pretty high really didn’t meet my expectations at all (and I believe the feeling was mutual). I’m not even sure I was being interviewed by a real person. It seemed like a hologram, because regardless of what I said, I couldn’t gauge any type of response. I was tempted to say, “Excuse me, but my pants are on fire,” but I expected a response such as, “That’s interesting, let’s continue.”

So that was a bust.

On the positive side, though, there were so many good experiences. I believe I have five institutions actively pursuing me as a candidate with a few more that I’m unsure of. There are most definitely two institutions not interested in pursuing me (with one being the hologram institution).

Switching gears a little, I would love to have a video collage at the closing social at SPE with all of the “bloopers” that happen in the candidate waiting area. Over the video reel we could layer sound bytes of what the candidates are really thinking while they are waiting. I’d enjoy it, because I had a few good “bloopable” moments myself.

Last observation of placement exchanges: It is amazing how little details that shouldn’t play into decisions really do as candidates. For example, when I get back on the employer side of the table, I will always do the following:

1) I will give the candidate material and confirm our time the day before the interview.
2) I will attempt the candidate’s last name no matter how much I may butcher it.
3) I will follow up with a thank you card or some type of conversation.
4) I will attend the closing social.

Even though many of those things may seem trivial, as a candidate I heard so many people talking about how those little things play into their decisions. For example, one candidate found it rude not to receive a thank you card or some type of follow up. I myself found myself frustrated when I went to the social and couldn’t find a few institutions, and when I came home, the people I remembered best were the ones that I had contact with at the social.

Anyway, all is going well. I need to prepare for TPE in Boston, as I still only have one interview. I know, I know. Hopefully, the next time I post I will have a few more interviews scheduled and possibly an on-campus or two from SPE.