The 2007 Student Affairs Job Hunt

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #10-Communication

Communication. It's the first thing we really learn in life. Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking the harder it becomes to know what to say. Or how to ask for what we really need. ~Grey's Anatomy

I think I am officially on the road to adulthood. I had my first phone interview for a position at my dream school today. It. went. so. well!!! I was super nervous, but I realized that the great thing about a phone interview is that the people on the other side can't see you, so I definitely used that to my advantage. I had my resume, cover letter, along with the institutional goals, mission, and vision statements covering my desk. I also had my list of questions ready and the department's website pulled up on my computer. I had a huge sign on my office door that said "I'm phone interviewing. If you interrupt me, I will take your first born child" so my RAs couldn't interrupt me. I was prepared. I was pumped. I was ready for the interview throw down.

Although I was ready for a total and complete interrogation, the entire time I was on the phone, I felt right at home. It was much more of a conversation than an interview which was refreshing! I learned a lot more about the institution, had some of my concerns addressed, and was still answering their questions about my supervisory style, view of diversity, and other interview-ish topics. However, how are you ever really sure if you are giving the answers that are needed or required by the person on the other side? This type of communication becomes especially difficult with phone interviews since there are no non-verbal cues. No smiles, frown, looks of confusion, looking at watches, shifting of weight, wandering eyes, or crossing of the arms. You don't know if you are rambling or not giving enough information. You don't know if you have fully answered the question or if they were looking for something different because there aren't those looks of encouragement or confusion. Even though phone interviews are rough, I must have done something right because they offered me an interview at ACPA/NASPA on the phone! This is a good sign, right? I hope so!

Also, in one of my classes today we were talking about the job search, and all of a sudden our professor asked each of us to share our job leads and how many interviews we had lined up so far. One word for this: AWKWARD! Not only were some of the people in the room going into the same functional areas, but a lot of people in my program are looking in the same geographic region. Everyone shared a little bit, but you could tell that people were being guarded. Many people shared that they had lined up 1 or 2 interviews with schools which is GREAT! Then when it came to me, I felt super awkward because I have substantially more interviews scheduled than other people. Do I tell people how many I have because I'm proud of myself for working my ass off with applications, or do I keep my mouth shut so people don't think I'm bragging or get nervous about their own search? I decided to go with the MBTI "F" in me and simply say that I was happy with the leads that I had so far.

However, since this is an anonymous space, I want to shout it from the rooftops! I HAVE TWELVE INTERVIEWS LINED UP FOR ACPA/NASPA! I hope all of the readers out there don't think that I'm being cocky or full of myself or just lining up interviews to say that I have interviews. All of the appointments are with institutions that I am actually interested in and have done my research on their departments. I hate that there is a competitive nature to the job search since we are in such a "person first" profession, but when it comes down to it. If a member of my cohort applies for the same job that I do, I don't see myself backing off just because of the relationship that I have with this person. There has to come a point where you have a right, and also an obligation to your own happiness, to ask for what you really need.

posted by StudentAffairs.com @ 7:52 PM