Two days ago I had to say goodbye to one of the closest friends I've made during my time here. It was horribly hard, as I feel that these are the first really close friends I've made. This means that this is my first wave of goodbyes that really mean something to me. With my friend's leave, it signaled the end of our core grad group. The worst part is yet to come. A hard goodbye each day starts tomorrow and ends when my wife and I move on Tuesday.
I'm the last leaving of my cohort, meaning there will be none left to see us off. That is something I'm actually grateful for. I like to be the first at a place to welcome and the last to see everyone else off.
This has definitely been the hardest part of the transition from one job to another. To me, finding an available job is easy, finding the right job is a little trickier, but leaving is the hardest part.
I believe that I will stay in close contact with the friends that I have come to love and care about. My wife and I have set up a blog with the hope of being able to keep the friends and "family" we've made here updated.
Like my blogging buddy, my writing background usually allows me the ability to express myself most clearly through the written word. I find it interesting that my last entry is one in which I'm processing as I'm writing. The processing doesn't stop. What will the relationships with my friends become? What will the relationships be like with the new full-time professional peers I'm joining? While this is my last entry in this blog, I have decided to continue blogging throughout my career. What better way to process and track progress? While it will not be a continuation of this blog, I will simply start a new chapter in a new book.
As millions of questions go through my mind, I can't help feeling my heart speeding up. I find my peace, though, in knowing that countless others have gone before us and countless others will follow.
I'm not looking to change the face of higher education, but I definitely want to leave my thumb print on it.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Suddenly I see, this is what I wanna be.... #24
I have spent most of the day watching the series “When We Left Earth” on the Discovery Channel. Sure, there are many more things that I could be doing with my time. Part of this whole post graduate school experience for me is learning how to reclaim my time as my own, and for me this means watching a lot of TV, reading books, and being generally lazy. All this time I am well aware that this should actually just be seen as an extended vacation, as once my job starts I’m sure that my time will be sapped by training and preparation. This almost makes it easier to justify the new levels of lazy that I’m discovering.
Meanwhile, the countdown to the move is officially on. We’re at 23 days and it’s starting to become more apparent that this is something major. My notice has been given at both of my jobs (ah yes, it’s finally time to say goodbye to the Second Job) and within the next 10 days I will be free from the shackles of employment. While I am incredibly ready to start working on new things in a new place, the realization that in 23 days I’ll have to say goodbye to my friends has hit hard. My emotional side has taken over and I’ve spent some time this weekend being pensive and….well….crying. I can’t help that I’ve become so attached to many different people over the past two years, and I can’t help that I’m awful with saying goodbye. This week marks two years since I made the move up here. Three months after that, I was ready to leave. I’ve been anxious to get out of here since then, but something’s changed over the past 6 months. I’ve felt more at home here than before, and my friendships have deepened and become more complex. It will be hard to leave and to know that unless I make a certain effort, I won’t be back.
Tomorrow I am supposed to make the first of my goodbyes. I’ve tried to think about what to say (my English major story writing tendencies kick into gear at these times) but the words aren’t flowing. This will be a unique situation and it’s too personal to explain in its entirety, but it will be the first test of many. I’ll see my closest friend from my program at the end of the week, and we’ll say goodbye – she’s heading off to her new job within the next two weeks.
Then there are my final days of work. My co-workers are more than that to me. The office ceased to be just an “office” a long time ago. The feeling this gives me is inexplicable. I’m already tearing up as I write this.
The following week I’ll travel home for the final time before my departure. While this might not be as emotional since I’ll know that I’ll be back and the people will be there waiting for me, it will still make me cry. I’m getting really good at the whole crying thing.
And with this entry I end my journey of graduate school and job searching. It’s been a long road, but one that’s passed by quickly. I’d do it again in a heartbeat, and many are hoping that I will – the seed of doctorate work has been planted. Nothing is germinating quite yet, but it’s still hanging out there. I’ve already decided to keep my membership with ACPA and I plan on attending the conference next year. I’m sure that using the rest of my professional development funds will not be a challenge; I hope to be a fairly active new professional – at least as active as my schedule will allow.
Journeying into residence life after my sabbatical will be a challenge, and I am fully prepared to encounter many a road block. With any luck my new institution will be as fantastic as I’ve hoped and I will have much support behind me as I start this position. With any luck I will learn more than I could’ve imagined. With any luck my career in student affairs will rocket off to a magnificent start.
With any luck :)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Great Fishbowl Quest #25
Since my last post I've spent a great deal of time figuring out how to condense all of my experiences both being recruited and recruiting into "tips." I think that the most important thing to remember is that there are no hard and fast rules that I think can apply to every situation. There seems to be pros and cons to most advice that I've read (including pros and cons to "pros and cons" lists). With all of that said, the best advice I can give that I believe is always beneficial is the following:
1. Do all of the research that you have time to do: about the process (how will you find your job?) and about the prospects (what opportunities are available at what institutions?).
2. Ask everybody you know about every prospect you're considering. If you do this, it is necessary that you also find out what every person's bias is (if you're not sure how to figure it out, just ask them) in regards to the institution.
3. Know your worth as a candidate. I think this one aspect is the most important of all in regards to getting the job you want once you find it. I think this is also critical to know in regards to how you design your search process. The best way to find out your worth is to talk to supervisors, instructors, and others in the field about your strengths, experiences, and weaknesses. Once you've identified your worth as a candidate, you'll have the ability to tailor your strategies based on the jobs you're applying for. For example, knowing I have apartment experience, I had more negotiating power with positions that would benefit directly from that experience.
4. Have the end in mind. Yes, we all want the perfect job in the perfect location for the highest pay (and we'd like to have it on the first day we start our search). Know that you can hold out early in the process, but need to cash in the chips before everybody stops playing.
5. Network throughout the whole process. More than likely you're going to communicate with more professionals during the job search process than you can remember. No matter how good of a candidate you are, you're only going to be able to accept one position at one institution. Because of this, you should use this experience (and get your money's worth) by connecting to as many professionals as you can and keeping contact with ones who share your same interests.
That's it. That's all I've got. I'll try to stick to those Top Five and save anything else I come up with for those that I'm lucky enough to mentor through the process next year. Ooh...make that Number 6...
6. Mentor a brand new candidate. Mentoring somebody new helps refresh your mind and helps put your own nerves at ease. Speaking as an Employer who has recruited before, it is also fantastic to see a candidate that you're interviewing introducing other candidates.
Alright--with that said--I'm going to go find some more boxes to pack. I move in 12 days. Woah.
1. Do all of the research that you have time to do: about the process (how will you find your job?) and about the prospects (what opportunities are available at what institutions?).
2. Ask everybody you know about every prospect you're considering. If you do this, it is necessary that you also find out what every person's bias is (if you're not sure how to figure it out, just ask them) in regards to the institution.
3. Know your worth as a candidate. I think this one aspect is the most important of all in regards to getting the job you want once you find it. I think this is also critical to know in regards to how you design your search process. The best way to find out your worth is to talk to supervisors, instructors, and others in the field about your strengths, experiences, and weaknesses. Once you've identified your worth as a candidate, you'll have the ability to tailor your strategies based on the jobs you're applying for. For example, knowing I have apartment experience, I had more negotiating power with positions that would benefit directly from that experience.
4. Have the end in mind. Yes, we all want the perfect job in the perfect location for the highest pay (and we'd like to have it on the first day we start our search). Know that you can hold out early in the process, but need to cash in the chips before everybody stops playing.
5. Network throughout the whole process. More than likely you're going to communicate with more professionals during the job search process than you can remember. No matter how good of a candidate you are, you're only going to be able to accept one position at one institution. Because of this, you should use this experience (and get your money's worth) by connecting to as many professionals as you can and keeping contact with ones who share your same interests.
That's it. That's all I've got. I'll try to stick to those Top Five and save anything else I come up with for those that I'm lucky enough to mentor through the process next year. Ooh...make that Number 6...
6. Mentor a brand new candidate. Mentoring somebody new helps refresh your mind and helps put your own nerves at ease. Speaking as an Employer who has recruited before, it is also fantastic to see a candidate that you're interviewing introducing other candidates.
Alright--with that said--I'm going to go find some more boxes to pack. I move in 12 days. Woah.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Suddenly I see, this is what I wanna be.... #23
Things have been busy over the past few weeks. I've been settling down into my routine of working both my jobs and being as lazy as I can in between. I took a week off and traveled back home to see my family and also be a part of my best friend's wedding. My duties as Maid of Honor were extensive and tiring, but I had so much fun seeing old friends and dancing the night away.
Now it's back to working and preparing for the move. I brought some boxes back with me and they're sitting awkwardly in my apartment. I dropped off a bag of clothes (the first of probably many) at Goodwill and started going through drawers and cabinets to find things that need thrown away or that can be packed already. I find myself looking at my new institution's website frequently, fantasizing about what it's going to be like when I get there. A friend of mine has committed to helping me move and we've already started planning out the road trip. Things are definitely in motion.
I've been thinking a lot about the advice I would give to those who will be starting the job search next year, especially those who have never done something like this before - those people who, like myself, went straight through their education and find themselves with little clue as to how to conduct any sort of mass market job search. Here are a few things I've come up with:
- Make sure you have a handful of references that can attest to your experience is different areas.
- Have more experienced people look at your resume...a lot.
- Do all that you can to make it to a conference, and go with others that you know if you can. Having that support system there will be helpful, and getting the experience of interviewing in a high pressure situation will be helpful later on.
- Be wary of falling in love with a place because it "seems" wonderful.
- Read job descriptions thoroughly, and always do research on institutions you think you'd want to be at.
- Prepare some standard interview questions for each place you'll interview with as a way of measuring them against each other.
- Never underestimate the power of the pro and con list. It can help make your decision very clear.
Now it's back to working and preparing for the move. I brought some boxes back with me and they're sitting awkwardly in my apartment. I dropped off a bag of clothes (the first of probably many) at Goodwill and started going through drawers and cabinets to find things that need thrown away or that can be packed already. I find myself looking at my new institution's website frequently, fantasizing about what it's going to be like when I get there. A friend of mine has committed to helping me move and we've already started planning out the road trip. Things are definitely in motion.
I've been thinking a lot about the advice I would give to those who will be starting the job search next year, especially those who have never done something like this before - those people who, like myself, went straight through their education and find themselves with little clue as to how to conduct any sort of mass market job search. Here are a few things I've come up with:
- Make sure you have a handful of references that can attest to your experience is different areas.
- Have more experienced people look at your resume...a lot.
- Do all that you can to make it to a conference, and go with others that you know if you can. Having that support system there will be helpful, and getting the experience of interviewing in a high pressure situation will be helpful later on.
- Be wary of falling in love with a place because it "seems" wonderful.
- Read job descriptions thoroughly, and always do research on institutions you think you'd want to be at.
- Prepare some standard interview questions for each place you'll interview with as a way of measuring them against each other.
- Never underestimate the power of the pro and con list. It can help make your decision very clear.
The Great Fishbowl Quest #24
There are a lot of moments that have made me feel successful as a job-searching candidate, but I am eager to refer to myself now as a professional. I have held the belief that I've acted as a professional throughout my graduate work, so in most ways I don't see myself as a new professional. I do see myself, though, as a young professional with a lot to learn.
I am excited to say that I feel I have already made a large contribution to the institution I'm joining. I had learned that there was another position open at this institution and that they were still searching. One of my friends hadn't yet accepted a position and hadn't committed any excitement to many of her prospects. With her permission, I sent an e-mail to the two people that were heading the candidate search and an interview was set-up. She was invited onto campus and later offered the job!
The excitement for me is two-fold. My supervisor was involved in the candidate search and has now seen my commitment to recruiting that I mentioned enjoying. Also, I opened a door to my friend who accepted the job that they offered. It is probable that we will tag-team a large residence hall together. It is also a relief to think that I may get to work closely with a person that I already have a good relationship with.
Of course, being realistic, there is room for some concerns. The classic roommate example: yes, always been friends and worked together years ago, but will we clash heads running a staff of 30-something together? How will the fact that we already know each other be taken by other staff members?
I am far more excited than worried and I believe that in the eyes of my new supervisor, I'm already a professional at the institution.
I am excited to say that I feel I have already made a large contribution to the institution I'm joining. I had learned that there was another position open at this institution and that they were still searching. One of my friends hadn't yet accepted a position and hadn't committed any excitement to many of her prospects. With her permission, I sent an e-mail to the two people that were heading the candidate search and an interview was set-up. She was invited onto campus and later offered the job!
The excitement for me is two-fold. My supervisor was involved in the candidate search and has now seen my commitment to recruiting that I mentioned enjoying. Also, I opened a door to my friend who accepted the job that they offered. It is probable that we will tag-team a large residence hall together. It is also a relief to think that I may get to work closely with a person that I already have a good relationship with.
Of course, being realistic, there is room for some concerns. The classic roommate example: yes, always been friends and worked together years ago, but will we clash heads running a staff of 30-something together? How will the fact that we already know each other be taken by other staff members?
I am far more excited than worried and I believe that in the eyes of my new supervisor, I'm already a professional at the institution.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The Great Fishbowl Quest #23
I read on my friend's Facebook page that she was stressed because she had two interviews in two days. Wow. Now I understand the reason it is so hard to describe placement exchanges to people.
I've learned that one of the easiest ways to explain my completed job search is through numbers.
100's: the number of positions I was qualified to apply for at institutions represented at the 2 placement exchanges I went to.
70+: the number of positions, institutions, and communities my wife researched.
19: the number of interviews I did at the 2 placement exchanges (not including second interviews).
30: the typical amount of minutes you get to spend forming an opinion in an interview.
10: the number of on-campus interview offers I received.
3: the number of on-campus interviews I took.
3: the number of jobs offered.
1: the number of jobs I took (thankfully).
Interestingly enough, the very first institution that contacted me for an interview, the first interview of the first day of the first placement exchange (SPE) ended up being our first choice of schools.
Before--and I believe I've posted about this--I held the opinion that you should schedule a "warm-up" interview if at all possible. Now I would recommend not going into your first interview with that mindset.
On a completely different note, few people have started leaving yet. I thought at this point I would be saturated with disappointed (yes...saturated...figured my body would be absorbing spilled tears and leaving a layer of salt over my skin). More than anything, I feel that this time in Pergatory (what I've taken to calling my current job) is preparing me mentally to leave. I'm not sad or concerned about leaving those I've come so close to. I believe the relationships that matter most to be will continue regardless of the distance. If they don't, then it will be because they lose importance.
Now it's time to get to packing and prepping the office for the next one coming in. Less than a month until I move.
28 days...
I've learned that one of the easiest ways to explain my completed job search is through numbers.
100's: the number of positions I was qualified to apply for at institutions represented at the 2 placement exchanges I went to.
70+: the number of positions, institutions, and communities my wife researched.
19: the number of interviews I did at the 2 placement exchanges (not including second interviews).
30: the typical amount of minutes you get to spend forming an opinion in an interview.
10: the number of on-campus interview offers I received.
3: the number of on-campus interviews I took.
3: the number of jobs offered.
1: the number of jobs I took (thankfully).
Interestingly enough, the very first institution that contacted me for an interview, the first interview of the first day of the first placement exchange (SPE) ended up being our first choice of schools.
Before--and I believe I've posted about this--I held the opinion that you should schedule a "warm-up" interview if at all possible. Now I would recommend not going into your first interview with that mindset.
On a completely different note, few people have started leaving yet. I thought at this point I would be saturated with disappointed (yes...saturated...figured my body would be absorbing spilled tears and leaving a layer of salt over my skin). More than anything, I feel that this time in Pergatory (what I've taken to calling my current job) is preparing me mentally to leave. I'm not sad or concerned about leaving those I've come so close to. I believe the relationships that matter most to be will continue regardless of the distance. If they don't, then it will be because they lose importance.
Now it's time to get to packing and prepping the office for the next one coming in. Less than a month until I move.
28 days...
Monday, May 26, 2008
Suddenly I see, this is what I wanna be.... #22
It seems that many of my peers from my class have received job offers and have decided where to go for work. The congratulatory emails to the listserv have been trickling in, although I admittedly have no idea how many people are still searching. I lost count awhile ago as to who was actually finishing the spring and who still had a few more classes to pick up. My class had many students get full-time positions along the way, causing them to either halt the program for a semester or two or just greatly slow down their progress. Although no one has said that we've had an abnormally large number of people get positions mid-program, I don't remember this happening last year quite like this.
I'm back at it again at my assistantship, which I guess really isn't my assistantship anymore. I referred to myself as a "GA" this past week and was corrected. It doesn't really feel any different, but serving as a 'Temporary Part-Time Advisor' sounds pretty spiffy. I don't think that I've ever really come out and mentioned that I haven't been working in residence life during grad school. It feels sneaky to write it here, since it seems that all the other bloggers (from this year and previous years) have all been RHDs or ARHDs. But the truth is out: I am, perhaps, a rare breed since I have no graduate live-in res life experience, yet was offered and accepted a position in residence life. To all those who may be looking to do the same, it's obviously possible. My undergraduate res life experience was helpful, as was an internship I did this past year with a hall director. But it was an uphill battle all the way.
I've been skimming through some of my old posts and reliving the experiences, in addition to just remembering back to what it was like to be at ACPA and interview through placement. The more I think about it, the more I realize how anxious I was to fall in love with a school and how I pretty much jumped on Number One Institution because of it. While they offered some of what I was looking for, I'm seeing more now that I gravitated towards them because of how familiar they seemed. They are, in essence, the mirror image of my undergraduate institution - only on a slightly larger scale. And while I will campaign for this type of school (especially in the type of place that I attended) until the day I die, I can say that that probably would not have been the best move for me right now. I think another reason I wanted to like them so much is that they were the first place to contact ME for an interview at ACPA instead of having me chase them down.
The more I think about The New Job and that school, the more I realize how much I loved it without even realizing it. Like I mentioned before, I can remember finding the position description and absolutely falling in love. I read it to my best friend (who immediately stamped it as 'too far away' and dismissed it) and my mom and being so incredibly excited about it. When I secured that interview for the conference (the first I scheduled, and my very first one of placement) I was so pumped that they were giving me a chance. My interview with them lasted nearly an hour. I had stars in my eyes when I realized what I would be doing and who I could be working with. I met many people, all of whom seemed so happy to be meeting me and anxious for me to like THEM just as much as they liked ME. I got positive feedback that felt genuine. I did follow up with them, did a lot of hoping and wishing, and then was able to get the campus interview.
It's funny, but I really wanted to hate that place. If nothing else, just so that decision making would be easier for me. With an offer on the table and (at the time) no concept of what kind of timeline they were working with, I figured that accepting the offer out there already would be the easiest/best thing to do. I didn't realize how crazy I was being, and how much in denial I was. Being terrified to turn down an offer without having another option was the driving force behind my thoughts. When I realized how much I really liked this position and this institution, I panicked. I am grateful for fast-moving individuals that were able to make it happen so quickly, and who, I'm convinced, saved me from making a really big mistake.
So now I look forward, perhaps on a ridiculously high scale, to mid-July when I made my move and start this job. I allowed myself to pack one box (just books) and then realized that it didn't make a dent into anything from my shelf. My tendency to impulsively buy books is always a pain to deal with when it comes time to move. And my large collection from my undergrad English major years just adds to it. I'm definitely faced with a huge undertaking.
I'm back at it again at my assistantship, which I guess really isn't my assistantship anymore. I referred to myself as a "GA" this past week and was corrected. It doesn't really feel any different, but serving as a 'Temporary Part-Time Advisor' sounds pretty spiffy. I don't think that I've ever really come out and mentioned that I haven't been working in residence life during grad school. It feels sneaky to write it here, since it seems that all the other bloggers (from this year and previous years) have all been RHDs or ARHDs. But the truth is out: I am, perhaps, a rare breed since I have no graduate live-in res life experience, yet was offered and accepted a position in residence life. To all those who may be looking to do the same, it's obviously possible. My undergraduate res life experience was helpful, as was an internship I did this past year with a hall director. But it was an uphill battle all the way.
I've been skimming through some of my old posts and reliving the experiences, in addition to just remembering back to what it was like to be at ACPA and interview through placement. The more I think about it, the more I realize how anxious I was to fall in love with a school and how I pretty much jumped on Number One Institution because of it. While they offered some of what I was looking for, I'm seeing more now that I gravitated towards them because of how familiar they seemed. They are, in essence, the mirror image of my undergraduate institution - only on a slightly larger scale. And while I will campaign for this type of school (especially in the type of place that I attended) until the day I die, I can say that that probably would not have been the best move for me right now. I think another reason I wanted to like them so much is that they were the first place to contact ME for an interview at ACPA instead of having me chase them down.
The more I think about The New Job and that school, the more I realize how much I loved it without even realizing it. Like I mentioned before, I can remember finding the position description and absolutely falling in love. I read it to my best friend (who immediately stamped it as 'too far away' and dismissed it) and my mom and being so incredibly excited about it. When I secured that interview for the conference (the first I scheduled, and my very first one of placement) I was so pumped that they were giving me a chance. My interview with them lasted nearly an hour. I had stars in my eyes when I realized what I would be doing and who I could be working with. I met many people, all of whom seemed so happy to be meeting me and anxious for me to like THEM just as much as they liked ME. I got positive feedback that felt genuine. I did follow up with them, did a lot of hoping and wishing, and then was able to get the campus interview.
It's funny, but I really wanted to hate that place. If nothing else, just so that decision making would be easier for me. With an offer on the table and (at the time) no concept of what kind of timeline they were working with, I figured that accepting the offer out there already would be the easiest/best thing to do. I didn't realize how crazy I was being, and how much in denial I was. Being terrified to turn down an offer without having another option was the driving force behind my thoughts. When I realized how much I really liked this position and this institution, I panicked. I am grateful for fast-moving individuals that were able to make it happen so quickly, and who, I'm convinced, saved me from making a really big mistake.
So now I look forward, perhaps on a ridiculously high scale, to mid-July when I made my move and start this job. I allowed myself to pack one box (just books) and then realized that it didn't make a dent into anything from my shelf. My tendency to impulsively buy books is always a pain to deal with when it comes time to move. And my large collection from my undergrad English major years just adds to it. I'm definitely faced with a huge undertaking.
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