Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #19- Time
Time flies. Time waits for no man. Time heals all wounds. All any of us wants is more time. Time to stand up. Time to grow up. Time to let go. Time. ~Meredith GreyI want to update all of you on my on-campus visit (which was amazing), but I also need a moment of reflection. Therefore, the first section is an overview of my on-campus interview and the second piece is a little devotional to the crying nature of this time of year.
I flew into a major airport (trying to keep confidentiality here) and was picked up by one of their full-time Hall Directors and a colleague who doesn't work in Res. Life, but does work in a collaborative office on campus. They gave me a tour of the city and the amenities and then we went to a gorgeous Italian restaurant in the middle of the city. I have to admit, I was absolutely exhausted, but I had to "put it on" and basically fake enthusiasm. Also, I never felt so self-conscious about the questions that I was asking. The people I was with weren't exactly super excited or spontaneous, so I felt like it was up to me to make conversation which was just really awkward. After dinner, they dropped me off at the place I was staying for the night which was super cute. Also, some of my best friends live in this city and I haven't seen them in over a year, so they came over and we stayed up until 1am talking and catching up. I know I should have been sleeping or preparing or coming up with questions, but I really just needed to reconnect with some of my best friends.
I got up the next morning at 6am (waaaaaay too early!) and prepared a little more. I was very happy that I spent my 2 hour lay-over coming up with questions. I actually came up with over 50 so if you are interested, e-mail me at pickmechoosemehireme@yahoo.com and I'll send it your way! I was picked up and immediately began the marathon of interviews. I knew that it was going to be a full day, but until you have 9 interviews in a row, you don't really realize what "tired" means! I was very, very excited to be able to talk with some students about their experiences. I got to talk with about 8 or 9 of them and they were truly amazing students who were very academically and social justice oriented in their approach to their education. Definitely a plus. Also, with meeting with some other campus colleagues, I got a very good vibe with them and could really see myself working there.
However, there were some definite drawbacks. Their Hall Directors work in a central office so I wouldn't be spending my office hours in my hall. Also, it is a small school so funding is always an issue and this showed up in the salary and benefits. Although there were some drawbacks, I really fell in love with this place! I thought that I would go to rule it out as an option, but instead I really fell in love with the beautiful campus, awesome students, and fun work environment. When I was talking with the Director at the end of the day, he said a few time "When you work here...I mean, if you work here..." so I think I have a really good chance of getting an offer. I should hear something this week! I know I will hold off until my next campus interview which isn't until the first week of May. This upcoming campus interview is with my #1 school since forever so I think that it will really depend on the vibe. So far I am in love with the school based mainly on the position and my potential colleagues, so everything could change when I meet the students, see the campus, and visit the surrounding area. Either way, I am really excited!
Okay, here is the reflective piece. Bear with me, it has been a long day!
There are exactly 12 days until graduation. Holy crap. I don't have a job, a place to live past July, a dependable car, or any idea of what I'll be doing in two months. What do I have? I like lists, so here we go:
An amazingly supportive network of friends and colleagues that I know I will be able to lean on in this crazy time of unknowns.
A staff of student leaders who will never fully comprehend how much of an impact they have had on my life or how much I cherish each staff meeting, study session in my office, or off-color joke.
A supervisor that makes me laugh to the point of tears, think to the point of change, and work to the point of reflection.
A family that is crazy most of the time, but also equally entertaining.
A knowledge that someone or something that is bigger than myself is orchestrating this whole thing with healthy doses of humor, wisdom, and divine intervention.
A network of friends outside of student affairs that doesn't really understand what I do, but try their hardest to keep me sane and functioning.
A potential relationship that is equally surprising and exhilarating that I really never expected.
A realization that I am indeed in the right profession and that I truly love my job.
posted by StudentAffairs.com @ 7:05 PM
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