It seems that today is the day that I can no longer avoid the fact that I'm going to be sad to leave all of the relationships that I've established here. Already, I don't look forward to losing the opportunity to work with my close friends. While here, I've learned that good colleagues can be hard to come by and excellent colleagues are rare finds. I get that I'll still get to keep in contact with these people, but the chance I'll get to work with them again is slim.
This past weekend a group of us got together for a cookout and the following night my wife and I had the opportunity to have dinner with one of my faculty members and her husband. Both of these experiences pointed to the fact that only recently have we finally felt that we're at home...and we'll be leaving in two months.
The idea of starting over is exhausting.
As I type this, a few of my friends are playing some Wii together, but I had to pass as my staff needed my immediate attention. The opportunities left to spend any quality time together are quickly diminishing and "arguments" are on the table of which professional associations should be joined if we ever expect to see each other again.
I'm sure I'd be frightened if I was told the number of times I would hang out with each of my friends before one of us moved away or if I was told the number of times we'd ever have a real conversation in person again. I'd like to think that some good piece of news would come out of that revelation (that I could work side-by-side with one of my close friends again and still consider that person a close friend), but I know that's a wish made for a Hallmark card.
So for now, I'm going to attempt to handle these feelings by crawling into bed and trying to sleep them off (I know...that's a healthy dose of avoidance). Tonight my wife and I will cook dinner and say our goodbyes to the staff (that will still be working for the remainder of the week), Friday I'll say goodbye to my peers and faculty, and Saturday I'll say goodbye to grad school.
Today's a day of missing.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Suddenly I see, this is what I wanna be.... #18
I have no idea where the past week has gone. I can't even claim that I've been busy everyday as my blogging pal has been - to be honest, I've been hit with a wave of laziness.
Last Friday I got one "Thanks, but no thanks" email from an ACPA employer that I liked. Then within hours after that I got another email from a different employer telling me the same thing about two positions I didn't even know I was being considered for. Unfortunately, this happened to be my number one choice and the ambiguity of the email left me wondering if I was being canned for the position that I really liked, in addition to these other ones that I was totally not interested in. I fired off as much of a professional "wtf?" reply email that I could. Then I had a complete breakdown and completely gave up. I couldn't even tell you what I did for the rest of the day besides stare at my inbox and just dare someone else to email me and turn me down.
My weekend turned hectic and interesting, and I wasn't surprised that there was a full moon. I swear, the most random stuff happens to me. So after working and dealing with many other things, I started my week. I did the class thing, I did the homework thing, I did the working thing. Today is a complete and total day off for me, and I'm planning on enjoying it. I've managed to knock out the last bit of school work that I needed to do. All is left is finishing up a few things for my internship and actually making it through this last week of class.
A bright spot amongst all of this was the announcement of an opportunity for summer employment. My assistantship (which, by the way, is the best place to work with the nicest people ever) has found the money to offer me a temporary part-time position from graduation until mid-August. This has now bought me three more months of job searching time if I need it. I can keep my second job and try to save money while still being able to pay my bills and hunt for a job. This took a HUGE load of anxiety away from me. While I'd love to find a job as soon as possible, knowing that I have a little extra time is great.
I'm also comforted to know that my classmates don't seem to be having much more luck with their searches. Some have gone to more on-campus interviews (I'm holding steady at one so far) but people are getting rejected and not really liking many of the places that they're going to. At least I know I'm not the black sheep of the program that just can't find something.
I did get a reply from my number one school who clarified that their initial email was only in regard to those two positions. I can only assume that they haven't yet made their decisions for the position that I'm interested in. I made some phone calls today and left messages for those people I spoke with at ACPA that I was interested in. Since last week I've applied for 4 or 5 more positions and I've got a few more to crank out over the weekend. I have two weeks until graduation. I can't believe the past two years have all come down to these final two weeks.
Last Friday I got one "Thanks, but no thanks" email from an ACPA employer that I liked. Then within hours after that I got another email from a different employer telling me the same thing about two positions I didn't even know I was being considered for. Unfortunately, this happened to be my number one choice and the ambiguity of the email left me wondering if I was being canned for the position that I really liked, in addition to these other ones that I was totally not interested in. I fired off as much of a professional "wtf?" reply email that I could. Then I had a complete breakdown and completely gave up. I couldn't even tell you what I did for the rest of the day besides stare at my inbox and just dare someone else to email me and turn me down.
My weekend turned hectic and interesting, and I wasn't surprised that there was a full moon. I swear, the most random stuff happens to me. So after working and dealing with many other things, I started my week. I did the class thing, I did the homework thing, I did the working thing. Today is a complete and total day off for me, and I'm planning on enjoying it. I've managed to knock out the last bit of school work that I needed to do. All is left is finishing up a few things for my internship and actually making it through this last week of class.
A bright spot amongst all of this was the announcement of an opportunity for summer employment. My assistantship (which, by the way, is the best place to work with the nicest people ever) has found the money to offer me a temporary part-time position from graduation until mid-August. This has now bought me three more months of job searching time if I need it. I can keep my second job and try to save money while still being able to pay my bills and hunt for a job. This took a HUGE load of anxiety away from me. While I'd love to find a job as soon as possible, knowing that I have a little extra time is great.
I'm also comforted to know that my classmates don't seem to be having much more luck with their searches. Some have gone to more on-campus interviews (I'm holding steady at one so far) but people are getting rejected and not really liking many of the places that they're going to. At least I know I'm not the black sheep of the program that just can't find something.
I did get a reply from my number one school who clarified that their initial email was only in regard to those two positions. I can only assume that they haven't yet made their decisions for the position that I'm interested in. I made some phone calls today and left messages for those people I spoke with at ACPA that I was interested in. Since last week I've applied for 4 or 5 more positions and I've got a few more to crank out over the weekend. I have two weeks until graduation. I can't believe the past two years have all come down to these final two weeks.
The Great Fishbowl Quest #18
So much has happened this week, I could have blogged each day. This has been my most challenging and rewarding week of grad school.
Sunday: Got back from a wedding pretty late and stayed up until I fell asleep working on my last big grad school project. Too bad half of the group members hadn't sended me what I needed to complete the project. Oh well, at this point, we still have 36 hours...
Monday: Never really went to sleep, so I never had to worry about really waking up. Totally sick; I was hoping it was just allergies, but there is a fever attached. Literally worked all day on school work, aside from two staff meetings that were excrutiatingly long. Prepped for our big presentation tomorrow. Still waiting to hear from a job. I'll be up all night, I'm fine if they call...
Tuesday: The presentation was amazing! I'm so glad we met our own expectations, we were more concerned about that then the professor's expectations. He said he felt like he was at ACPA, which means we reached our normal expectations of ourselves. We spent nine hours in one room finishing the research paper attached to our presentation. We became literally loopy with the sleep deprivation we've experienced this week. I got the call! It is still not an official offer, as it has to go to somebody like a Vice Chancellor or something, but there are four jobs, and they submitted four names. I can expect the official within 5-7 days. Just when I thought it was over, my wife became sick enough to require a trip to the emergency room. In bed by 3:00 a.m. My fever still isn't gone.
Wednesday: My body finally staged a mutiny against me and knocked me out. I slept most of the afternoon. When I wasn't sleeping, I was attempting to prep for my last two finals tomorrow. We requested them a week early for those of us in Housing who will be chained to our office next week during checkout. We had a taco night for the RAs in our area. Things are slowing down enough that I'm realizing how much I'm going to miss this place.
Thursday: Two finals, picked up my robe for graduation. Finished my classes! I'm officially done! At the closing banquet, I was awarded the GA of the Year award. I was completely surprised, but very grateful. I feel that I've made a lot of contributions to the department as a whole in my two years here, but that as a hall director, others have done more. Regardless, it was the most important award to me that I could have received.
Friday: I just found out I have a meeting in 26 minutes and I'm not ready for it. So...back to running.
I'm welcoming myself to the first full day of being a professional without being a grad student at the same time...
Sunday: Got back from a wedding pretty late and stayed up until I fell asleep working on my last big grad school project. Too bad half of the group members hadn't sended me what I needed to complete the project. Oh well, at this point, we still have 36 hours...
Monday: Never really went to sleep, so I never had to worry about really waking up. Totally sick; I was hoping it was just allergies, but there is a fever attached. Literally worked all day on school work, aside from two staff meetings that were excrutiatingly long. Prepped for our big presentation tomorrow. Still waiting to hear from a job. I'll be up all night, I'm fine if they call...
Tuesday: The presentation was amazing! I'm so glad we met our own expectations, we were more concerned about that then the professor's expectations. He said he felt like he was at ACPA, which means we reached our normal expectations of ourselves. We spent nine hours in one room finishing the research paper attached to our presentation. We became literally loopy with the sleep deprivation we've experienced this week. I got the call! It is still not an official offer, as it has to go to somebody like a Vice Chancellor or something, but there are four jobs, and they submitted four names. I can expect the official within 5-7 days. Just when I thought it was over, my wife became sick enough to require a trip to the emergency room. In bed by 3:00 a.m. My fever still isn't gone.
Wednesday: My body finally staged a mutiny against me and knocked me out. I slept most of the afternoon. When I wasn't sleeping, I was attempting to prep for my last two finals tomorrow. We requested them a week early for those of us in Housing who will be chained to our office next week during checkout. We had a taco night for the RAs in our area. Things are slowing down enough that I'm realizing how much I'm going to miss this place.
Thursday: Two finals, picked up my robe for graduation. Finished my classes! I'm officially done! At the closing banquet, I was awarded the GA of the Year award. I was completely surprised, but very grateful. I feel that I've made a lot of contributions to the department as a whole in my two years here, but that as a hall director, others have done more. Regardless, it was the most important award to me that I could have received.
Friday: I just found out I have a meeting in 26 minutes and I'm not ready for it. So...back to running.
I'm welcoming myself to the first full day of being a professional without being a grad student at the same time...
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Great Fishbowl Quest #17
Once again, I'm posting while in another state. This time, though, I'm in my home state, visiting family. I'm anxiously awaiting any news from the institution I'm hoping takes me in. At this point, pretty much everyone (at school and at home) knows what our hopes are. I can't think about re-entering the search process at this point; most institutions I'm interested in are close to wrapping up their process.
I just recently learned that whyen I declined my #2 a week ago, they had to reopen their search process. They had only invited a very small number of candidates onto campus and now they seem to be back to square one. I only know this because a person in my cohort was contacted the afternoon that I declined the opportunity.
I love attempting to explain how this process works. I find it hard to give advice to anybody new to the process, as it requires so many personal variables. Somebody recently asked me, "How do you decline your #2 without any assurances of your #1?"
My answer was, "Very carefully."
Our job searches in student affairs require a level of gambling (most true in entry level positions, from my viewpoint). We interview with a number of institutions, all on different timelines, choose the best fits (usually with some level of ranking), and have to choose how long to hold out for. In addition to that, many of us will attempt a level of negotiating and find leverage through offers.
I think that this is the most challenging (and most exciting...and frightening) part of the process. I had the realization last week that I've officially declined two job offers (one I declined twice) with the hope of getting the only other job I took an on-campus interview for. While I feel rather confident with that decision, there are others who have made similar choices and feel that they've put themselves in jeopardy.
Only time will tell (I'm hoping my time will be Monday). At this point, I believe only 1 of 16 people I know job searching have accepted a position.
Will I have my #1 job? Will I need to make our families cry and develop a last-minute plan? Stay tuned...same bat time, same bat channel...
I just recently learned that whyen I declined my #2 a week ago, they had to reopen their search process. They had only invited a very small number of candidates onto campus and now they seem to be back to square one. I only know this because a person in my cohort was contacted the afternoon that I declined the opportunity.
I love attempting to explain how this process works. I find it hard to give advice to anybody new to the process, as it requires so many personal variables. Somebody recently asked me, "How do you decline your #2 without any assurances of your #1?"
My answer was, "Very carefully."
Our job searches in student affairs require a level of gambling (most true in entry level positions, from my viewpoint). We interview with a number of institutions, all on different timelines, choose the best fits (usually with some level of ranking), and have to choose how long to hold out for. In addition to that, many of us will attempt a level of negotiating and find leverage through offers.
I think that this is the most challenging (and most exciting...and frightening) part of the process. I had the realization last week that I've officially declined two job offers (one I declined twice) with the hope of getting the only other job I took an on-campus interview for. While I feel rather confident with that decision, there are others who have made similar choices and feel that they've put themselves in jeopardy.
Only time will tell (I'm hoping my time will be Monday). At this point, I believe only 1 of 16 people I know job searching have accepted a position.
Will I have my #1 job? Will I need to make our families cry and develop a last-minute plan? Stay tuned...same bat time, same bat channel...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Suddenly I see, this is what I wanna be.... #17
Hi, my name is Emotional Mess and Anxiety.
Yesterday I had a spontaneous crying fit in the office. Maybe it wasn't so spontaneous, since one of my supervisors asked how I was and that sort of brought it on.
I am very much aware that my time left at my assistantship and in this program is running out. I would very much like to find a job so that I can figure out my gameplan for the next few months. This whole waiting around thing isn't really working for me anymore, and if I was okay with it, it still wouldn't make this whole decision-making process any easier.
My interview from last week went well. Aside from completely rambling through a presentation, it was good. Great? Awesome? I can't even tell. Would I be surprised if they called and offered it to me.....no. I don't want to say that I expect it, but I can definitely see it happening. What would I say if that happened.....I have no idea. I'm making it a practice to not answer any numbers I don't know that have that area code and exchange. I'd rather get a voicemail and then have time to process things. At this point (and to the disappointment of many, I'm sure) I would probably take the job. Not saying that I wouldn't do some additional follow-up with the other places that I liked at ACPA, but unless someone said "Oh, I was just about to call you!" I'm not sure I could turn it down.
In the meantime, I'll continue sitting and waiting. Patience may be a virtue but it's certainly not one that I possess. If nothing else, I suppose this job search has given me a lesson in that.
Yesterday I had a spontaneous crying fit in the office. Maybe it wasn't so spontaneous, since one of my supervisors asked how I was and that sort of brought it on.
I am very much aware that my time left at my assistantship and in this program is running out. I would very much like to find a job so that I can figure out my gameplan for the next few months. This whole waiting around thing isn't really working for me anymore, and if I was okay with it, it still wouldn't make this whole decision-making process any easier.
My interview from last week went well. Aside from completely rambling through a presentation, it was good. Great? Awesome? I can't even tell. Would I be surprised if they called and offered it to me.....no. I don't want to say that I expect it, but I can definitely see it happening. What would I say if that happened.....I have no idea. I'm making it a practice to not answer any numbers I don't know that have that area code and exchange. I'd rather get a voicemail and then have time to process things. At this point (and to the disappointment of many, I'm sure) I would probably take the job. Not saying that I wouldn't do some additional follow-up with the other places that I liked at ACPA, but unless someone said "Oh, I was just about to call you!" I'm not sure I could turn it down.
In the meantime, I'll continue sitting and waiting. Patience may be a virtue but it's certainly not one that I possess. If nothing else, I suppose this job search has given me a lesson in that.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Great Fishbowl Quest #16
Well, I’ve been waiting to post with secrecy in regards to where I was at in the process. Only very few people know that I’m blogging, but my family was included in the few. Because my wife and I were doing essentially two separate regional searches, our parents have been holding their breath.
This past week the best/worst thing happened in our opinion. We received a fantastic offer from an institution in the Far-From-Home Region and another fantastic offer in the Close-To-Home Region. If it was that simple, the choice would be Close-To-Home, right?
Comparing these two offers felt as if we were comparing apples to...radios. The communities, the job opportunities, the institutions, etc. were completely different. However, with regards to the “totality of circumstances” (thanks, “Law and Ethics” course) it became a clear decision.
My wife and I committed to making a decision before either offered. If this is your first job search, I believe it is critical to trust your original impression of an institution. Offers make opportunities look so much more amazing. That is why it is important to journal your thoughts as you go through the process.
Knowing all of this, we made our decision prior to any offers this week. We had privately chosen Close-To-Home with no intention of sharing this decision until it was official. The first to call was Far-From-Home on Thursday. I asked to have until this coming Monday to provide a response. I spent (what felt like) all day Friday trying to get in touch with Close-To-Home to find out where I was in their process. It had been made clear to me multiple times that I ranked rather high on their list, but I had no intentions of banking on that.
With two conflicting schedules, I was never able to speak with my contact at Close-To-Home, but received an e-mail that has rather clearly laid out where I am in their process. For legal reasons, though, they cannot officially offer me a position. This means that in communicating, I have to pick up enough signals to know that I’m secure.
With that said, I have a hard phone call to make Monday morning to Far-From-Home. It also means that I’m bungee-jumping without a cord and hoping that Close-To-Home follows through with an offer, because legally they don’t have to. If some type of snag happens, there is no Plan B. I’ve turned down all other campus offers except one or two that have me listed as a Plan B candidate. Close-To-Home won’t finish interviewing until this coming Friday, meaning I’m holding no hope of knowing anything until next Monday at the earliest.
My wife and I feel good enough to share it with family, but let’s just say we haven’t gone out to dinner to celebrate the new job yet.
In the meantime, my job search is complete (we’ll keep praying) and I passed my comprehensive exam. All I have to do now is buckle down for a few more course projects, meet my own expectations in class, and prepare this office well enough that somebody new can step in and take over.
I can’t wait to truly share my excitement with my peers, but some of there are still early in their process and with me finishing my process, new stress is added to them.
This past week the best/worst thing happened in our opinion. We received a fantastic offer from an institution in the Far-From-Home Region and another fantastic offer in the Close-To-Home Region. If it was that simple, the choice would be Close-To-Home, right?
Comparing these two offers felt as if we were comparing apples to...radios. The communities, the job opportunities, the institutions, etc. were completely different. However, with regards to the “totality of circumstances” (thanks, “Law and Ethics” course) it became a clear decision.
My wife and I committed to making a decision before either offered. If this is your first job search, I believe it is critical to trust your original impression of an institution. Offers make opportunities look so much more amazing. That is why it is important to journal your thoughts as you go through the process.
Knowing all of this, we made our decision prior to any offers this week. We had privately chosen Close-To-Home with no intention of sharing this decision until it was official. The first to call was Far-From-Home on Thursday. I asked to have until this coming Monday to provide a response. I spent (what felt like) all day Friday trying to get in touch with Close-To-Home to find out where I was in their process. It had been made clear to me multiple times that I ranked rather high on their list, but I had no intentions of banking on that.
With two conflicting schedules, I was never able to speak with my contact at Close-To-Home, but received an e-mail that has rather clearly laid out where I am in their process. For legal reasons, though, they cannot officially offer me a position. This means that in communicating, I have to pick up enough signals to know that I’m secure.
With that said, I have a hard phone call to make Monday morning to Far-From-Home. It also means that I’m bungee-jumping without a cord and hoping that Close-To-Home follows through with an offer, because legally they don’t have to. If some type of snag happens, there is no Plan B. I’ve turned down all other campus offers except one or two that have me listed as a Plan B candidate. Close-To-Home won’t finish interviewing until this coming Friday, meaning I’m holding no hope of knowing anything until next Monday at the earliest.
My wife and I feel good enough to share it with family, but let’s just say we haven’t gone out to dinner to celebrate the new job yet.
In the meantime, my job search is complete (we’ll keep praying) and I passed my comprehensive exam. All I have to do now is buckle down for a few more course projects, meet my own expectations in class, and prepare this office well enough that somebody new can step in and take over.
I can’t wait to truly share my excitement with my peers, but some of there are still early in their process and with me finishing my process, new stress is added to them.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Suddenly I see, this is what I wanna be.... #16
Ring.
Ring, dammit.
As I stare at my phone repeating this over and over, I can't help but feel like this is a futile attempt at getting a callback. Still, it makes me feel like maybe I'm willing some employer out there to think about me and dial my number.
In other words, since I've returned from ACPA I haven't heard much of anything. I had a reminder email to officially apply for a position online (which I did) and a response to an additional thank you email I sent. My gainfully employed friend (and previous fellow student) has told me to be patient, and that by the end of the week I will hear things. He doesn't understand that I'm not patient in any sense of the word and I don't understand why people aren't calling me NOW.
I have a list of other job descriptions I need to go through and apply for, but it's hard to concentrate on the idea of applying more places when I fell in love with so many others already. I have an on-campus interview this week and I'm trying to prepare for it, but it's difficult when it's in a different aspect of higher ed than what I've been interviewing for. I can't help but be really unconcerned about it. I'm completely proficient in this area and I've nearly done this exact same thing in the past. I feel like I could do it with my eyes closed, and I feel like I'd be awesome in this position....but do I want it? Do I really want it? And what would I do if they offered it to me? What if they offered it to me in the midst of interviewing at other places for other positions? What if they offered it to me when I hadn't heard back from other places at all? Ugh. Too many "what ifs" for me to think about right now.
It's starting to set in that I'll be done with school in one month. I can't believe how fast these two years have gone by, and how incredible they've been . I've learned so much, and in such a different way than I did during my undergrad years. I had a nearly tearful conversation with my supervisors last week about how much I've grown as a person and as a professional. I'm glad that others can see it just as much as I can. I must be doing something right :)
Ring, dammit.
As I stare at my phone repeating this over and over, I can't help but feel like this is a futile attempt at getting a callback. Still, it makes me feel like maybe I'm willing some employer out there to think about me and dial my number.
In other words, since I've returned from ACPA I haven't heard much of anything. I had a reminder email to officially apply for a position online (which I did) and a response to an additional thank you email I sent. My gainfully employed friend (and previous fellow student) has told me to be patient, and that by the end of the week I will hear things. He doesn't understand that I'm not patient in any sense of the word and I don't understand why people aren't calling me NOW.
I have a list of other job descriptions I need to go through and apply for, but it's hard to concentrate on the idea of applying more places when I fell in love with so many others already. I have an on-campus interview this week and I'm trying to prepare for it, but it's difficult when it's in a different aspect of higher ed than what I've been interviewing for. I can't help but be really unconcerned about it. I'm completely proficient in this area and I've nearly done this exact same thing in the past. I feel like I could do it with my eyes closed, and I feel like I'd be awesome in this position....but do I want it? Do I really want it? And what would I do if they offered it to me? What if they offered it to me in the midst of interviewing at other places for other positions? What if they offered it to me when I hadn't heard back from other places at all? Ugh. Too many "what ifs" for me to think about right now.
It's starting to set in that I'll be done with school in one month. I can't believe how fast these two years have gone by, and how incredible they've been . I've learned so much, and in such a different way than I did during my undergrad years. I had a nearly tearful conversation with my supervisors last week about how much I've grown as a person and as a professional. I'm glad that others can see it just as much as I can. I must be doing something right :)
Sunday, April 6, 2008
The Great Fishbowl Quest #15
Well, with another on-campus interview complete (third of the season), I think that I’ve seen enough. I’m on the fast timeline, which means at this point I’ve started declining on-campus interviews that I otherwise would have enjoyed visiting. I hope that I’ve declined in a matter that hasn’t shut any doors for future opportunities.
I’d like to provide an update on the institution with a quick turn-around on the job offer. When I e-mailed them, I expected them to offer an extension, even though one was denied to me on the phone. The response I got, though, pretty much was summed up, “Thanks for declining us. Good luck, pal.” I was surprised that such an uncompromising timeline really stuck. I don’t feel that I am typically one who wishes a hard time on those who give me a hard time, but I am glad to say that I received an e-mail this weekend from the person who wasn’t willing to compromise by a day on the timeline. The e-mail stated that I would be getting called tomorrow to discuss our search processes.
Needless to say, they received an e-mail from me saying they are no longer a part of my search process.
Apparently, this institution has a history of offering like this to all levels of staff. That’s not the place for me. It seems that it’s not the place for others, either, as apparently they were not able to get enough people to accept this past week.
This story seems to sum up my thoughts about the power of the candidate. I think far too often new job candidates underestimate their worth and negotiating power. I know that there isn’t a magic formula for knowing how much power a candidate has, but there are some factors that help determine your power.
A good example, and the easiest to determine in my opinion, is “supply and demand.”
In short, if they are hiring for a larger number of positions, you may have some level of power in negotiating timelines, salaries, other tangibles (moving expenses, preference in living location). A good and fair question to ask to determine the “demand” is: “How many positions are you hiring for and how many candidates are you inviting onto campus?”
You can also ask, “Where do I stand as a candidate with your institution?” If they are highly interested, more than likely they will share that information.
This does not apply only to institutions that are hiring a large number. The more important factor to look at is the ratio between open positions and candidates invited on-campus.
Alright, enough of the strategic talk. I hope to have this search process wrapped up by the end of the week. That’s the plan. My wife and I have it narrowed down to two schools and the timing is perfect. I’m pretty confident I will have one offer that I believe I will have high negotiating power with and a potential offer from another institution. Regardless, I will hear from one institution this week and will use it to solicit information in regards to where I stand with the other institution. Based on the details that we can work out, I hope to select a position.
My wife and I (and our families) are holding our breath in regards to which job we will select if both offer.
The decision of the next chapter of our lives is quickly coming to the decision we feared most: a great opportunity in a dream location far from family versus a great-but-not-dreamy opportunity in a great community (but far colder) closer to family?
Stay tuned for the surprising results (even we don’t know yet…)…
I’d like to provide an update on the institution with a quick turn-around on the job offer. When I e-mailed them, I expected them to offer an extension, even though one was denied to me on the phone. The response I got, though, pretty much was summed up, “Thanks for declining us. Good luck, pal.” I was surprised that such an uncompromising timeline really stuck. I don’t feel that I am typically one who wishes a hard time on those who give me a hard time, but I am glad to say that I received an e-mail this weekend from the person who wasn’t willing to compromise by a day on the timeline. The e-mail stated that I would be getting called tomorrow to discuss our search processes.
Needless to say, they received an e-mail from me saying they are no longer a part of my search process.
Apparently, this institution has a history of offering like this to all levels of staff. That’s not the place for me. It seems that it’s not the place for others, either, as apparently they were not able to get enough people to accept this past week.
This story seems to sum up my thoughts about the power of the candidate. I think far too often new job candidates underestimate their worth and negotiating power. I know that there isn’t a magic formula for knowing how much power a candidate has, but there are some factors that help determine your power.
A good example, and the easiest to determine in my opinion, is “supply and demand.”
In short, if they are hiring for a larger number of positions, you may have some level of power in negotiating timelines, salaries, other tangibles (moving expenses, preference in living location). A good and fair question to ask to determine the “demand” is: “How many positions are you hiring for and how many candidates are you inviting onto campus?”
You can also ask, “Where do I stand as a candidate with your institution?” If they are highly interested, more than likely they will share that information.
This does not apply only to institutions that are hiring a large number. The more important factor to look at is the ratio between open positions and candidates invited on-campus.
Alright, enough of the strategic talk. I hope to have this search process wrapped up by the end of the week. That’s the plan. My wife and I have it narrowed down to two schools and the timing is perfect. I’m pretty confident I will have one offer that I believe I will have high negotiating power with and a potential offer from another institution. Regardless, I will hear from one institution this week and will use it to solicit information in regards to where I stand with the other institution. Based on the details that we can work out, I hope to select a position.
My wife and I (and our families) are holding our breath in regards to which job we will select if both offer.
The decision of the next chapter of our lives is quickly coming to the decision we feared most: a great opportunity in a dream location far from family versus a great-but-not-dreamy opportunity in a great community (but far colder) closer to family?
Stay tuned for the surprising results (even we don’t know yet…)…
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Suddenly I see, this is what I wanna be.... #15
I survived ACPA 2008.
They should give everyone who goes through placement a t-shirt with this slogan. We deserve it.
All in all, placement was a huge success. Even if something happened and nothing came from all of my interviews, I would still be satisfied. I definitely got plenty of interview experience and I learned (very quickly) how to answer different questions. I got to experience a degree of anxiety that I didn't know existed, and I learned what points about my experience to highlight.
I ended up interviewing with 11 different institutions and I did 2 second interviews. I had amazing experiences and then I also had the ones that completely left me in shock with the level of unprofessionalism. It's amazing the types of things that you encounter in these situations. I've seen (and also heard of) interviewers staring around the room while a candidate is talking. Doodling. Not writing anything. Having no pen or paper to even think about using to write with. Yawning. I definitely got a good lesson in interviewing skills for when I'm on the other side of the table.
I had the pleasure of finding an amazing institution that has everything I'm looking for. It's quickly jumped to be my #1 choice, and I'm fairly confident that I'll get an invite for an on-campus interview. There were other places that also caught my attention, and now I have a list of 5 or 6 institutions that I would love to take a closer look at. I keep reminding myself that there are other jobs outside of ACPA that I've also applied for, and I have other interviews coming up in the future. I didn't think that I'd find anything out of this process, at least nothing to the level of success that I feel I've reached. I'm a lucky one - many others from my program didn't have nearly of the level of satisfaction that I experienced.
There were a few positions that my friends and I both applied to, not finding out until we got there that we were both interviewing. I'm proud that, at least publicly, no one seemed to have a problem with it. There still doesn't seem to be a high level of competition among us, and it definitely makes it a lot more fun. Being able to see one another and talk and joke around helped keep everyone a bit more sane.
Now I play the waiting game. I sent off some follow-up emails this morning, but I know that it could be another week or so before I hear from some places. I'm hoping that those who are very interested move quickly - I would love to be to keep my job search energy high and ride the wave of adrenaline I still have from placement. Higher Ed isn't a very fast-moving field, and so I'm prepared to wait it out. I just hope I don't have to wait very long.
They should give everyone who goes through placement a t-shirt with this slogan. We deserve it.
All in all, placement was a huge success. Even if something happened and nothing came from all of my interviews, I would still be satisfied. I definitely got plenty of interview experience and I learned (very quickly) how to answer different questions. I got to experience a degree of anxiety that I didn't know existed, and I learned what points about my experience to highlight.
I ended up interviewing with 11 different institutions and I did 2 second interviews. I had amazing experiences and then I also had the ones that completely left me in shock with the level of unprofessionalism. It's amazing the types of things that you encounter in these situations. I've seen (and also heard of) interviewers staring around the room while a candidate is talking. Doodling. Not writing anything. Having no pen or paper to even think about using to write with. Yawning. I definitely got a good lesson in interviewing skills for when I'm on the other side of the table.
I had the pleasure of finding an amazing institution that has everything I'm looking for. It's quickly jumped to be my #1 choice, and I'm fairly confident that I'll get an invite for an on-campus interview. There were other places that also caught my attention, and now I have a list of 5 or 6 institutions that I would love to take a closer look at. I keep reminding myself that there are other jobs outside of ACPA that I've also applied for, and I have other interviews coming up in the future. I didn't think that I'd find anything out of this process, at least nothing to the level of success that I feel I've reached. I'm a lucky one - many others from my program didn't have nearly of the level of satisfaction that I experienced.
There were a few positions that my friends and I both applied to, not finding out until we got there that we were both interviewing. I'm proud that, at least publicly, no one seemed to have a problem with it. There still doesn't seem to be a high level of competition among us, and it definitely makes it a lot more fun. Being able to see one another and talk and joke around helped keep everyone a bit more sane.
Now I play the waiting game. I sent off some follow-up emails this morning, but I know that it could be another week or so before I hear from some places. I'm hoping that those who are very interested move quickly - I would love to be to keep my job search energy high and ride the wave of adrenaline I still have from placement. Higher Ed isn't a very fast-moving field, and so I'm prepared to wait it out. I just hope I don't have to wait very long.
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