The 2007 Student Affairs Job Hunt

In Medias Res # 26- All's Well

2007-05-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

My apartment is three quarters packed. There is something really depressing about living in a place with nothing on the walls, no books in the bookcase, no lamp on the night table. I am excited to move though, and I am ready to get out of Dodge as it were.

Today in an attempt to procrastinate I have been reading my old postings, and doing that most sacred of student affairs activities: reflecting. I keep getting asked if I am worried or nervous about moving to a new city. “Are you stressed?” My supervisor inquired last night at dinner.

Surprisingly I’m not. Looking back it is interesting to see how much enthusiasm I mustered for the wrong kind of job. To a certain extant back in January I was mostly romanticizing the notion of being done. I also had wildly unrealistic expectations about what moving to some of these campuses would be like. Somehow I managed to convince myself that working in a Residence Life department two hours away from a major city would provide me with plenty of opportunities to visit said city.

On the whole I am surprised how very often in my posts I am simultaneously peeved and excited. Mostly I just remember being stressed and cranky. This was a very rough semester for me. My course work got neglected basically throughout March and April (I was always on planes. I never had time to do reading). My social life was non existent. The few times I was in town for more than an evening I just wanted to veg out and of course, work on my applications.

In retrospect I learned a couple of things from this search:

If it feels wrong, it is wrong. My gut was right 99% of the time in this process. I knew who was going to call me back. I knew who wasn’t really enthused about my candidacy and I knew who I didn’t want to work for.
That said, I ignored my gut too often. I was doing first round phone interviews for positions well into April. I had some scheduled that I had forgotten about even after I accepted a position. This level of desperation was completely unnecessary. I wasted my time and I wasted the interviewer’s.
I have a lot more stamina than I give myself credit for. Maybe it’s because grad school was this warm and supporting environment, but I more than met the marathon challenge encompassed in two weeks of back to back campus visits. Although I don’t plan on normally working myself that hard, it is nice to know going into my next position that I have untapped resources.
I can actually get what I want, and more than that I can get precisely what I want. When I first started graduate school one of our professors’s asked us to write a letter to ourselves about our ideal position. Where would we be? What would we be doing? Looking back at the research project that spun out of that letter, I am pleasantly surprised at how much the job I have matches the job I wanted. Not just in terms of position, but also location, campus environment, and yes even salary.

Since I’m in a list making mood, here are some recommendations for people who will be searching next year:

If you can afford it, go to a placement. Lots of members in my cohort opted not to attend the Joint Conference because the assumption was they would not find their job there. Yes, placements are rife with Res Life jobs, but I’ve since learned that’s proportional. There are lots of great positions at placement in all facets of the university, and you do yourself a disservice if you fail to put in the face time. My position would have been basically unattainable if I had not attended a placement.
Find one person to vent to. Just one. Everybody’s search is different, and everybody responds to the stress of the situation in a unique way. Find the one person whose temperament is most like your own and share with them. It will keep you and your stress in check, and everyone else will appreciate you more.
Start early. Especially if you are a procrastinator start putting your resume and a cover letter together over Thanksgiving break. Even in you are not going to placement you never know when a job will pop up and it makes it easier to apply if most of the work is already done.
Start saving money now. Most of it you will get back in taxes if you keep your receipts, but doing a national job search can be prohibitively costly.
Figure out the essentials and stick to them. I interviewed out of fear with institutions where I would have been miserable. Stick to the essentials, and you will have fewer regrets.
Be flexible. Just because you’ve never heard of a school or a town, doesn’t mean that it’s not a fabulous institution. Although I didn’t end up there, there were lots of institutions not on my radar who ended up near the top of my list after a bit of exploration.
Don’t settle. It would have been easy to jump on the first good fit that came along, but I had my heart set on a position. I stretched everyone’s patience a little bit, but in the end I got what I wanted.
Be the best possible version of yourself. And you know what I mean. I met too many people in this process who gave into their baser instincts at times, and when you are trying to evaluate a position or a campus the baser instincts get highlighted in neon. Everything seems that much more unpleasant.

I move next week, so who knows when I will have the internet again. Assuming this is my last post (and it may not be) I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time out to scan my musings. I know a lot of this was redundant, but hopefully you found at least some of it amusing, dear reader. Shout out to Hirstin Moh for keeping me on track with the postings. Best of luck to everyone who is about to start a new position or who is still looking for one.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #25- Responsibility Sucks

2007-05-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

We're adults. When did that happen? And how do we make it stop? ~Meredith Grey

Okay, okay...I realize that I haven't exactly been on top of the whole updating thing. I think it's because it is finally SUMMER which means no work, no classes, no homework, and no drama. Let me just say, it has been phenomenal! I worked out a deal to be able to stay in my apartment on campus and then just move straight to my new job which eliminates a move home to live with my parents. Not only does this save me a move, but it also means that I don't have to live with my parents for six weeks. Granted, I love them dearly, but I think as a 24-year-old Master's graduate I wouldn't fare well with taking orders and being given chores. I think my parents would agree that we are both happier this way.

In order to "earn my keep" while on campus, I have been given a few responsibilities around our department. I've been working with Hall Director Recruitment and Selection and will help to welcome the new grads and full-time hall directors to campus which is right up my alley. I have been asked to make welcome baskets and other such fun things and I may be chauffeuring candidates around campus via golf cart during on campus interview days (that was my idea!). In the meantime, I have has a LOT of free time.

I have been filling the time with three main sources of entertainment. Books, movies, and eating. Seriously, that's all I do. Oh, and flying kites. It is really windy on our campus so my supervisor and I bought kites and have flown them a lot. There is something equally relaxing and exhilarating about flying kites. It's like you are brought back to your childhood, experience a Mary Poppins flashback (let's go fly a kite, up to the highest heights...) all while getting some sun. It is truly wonderful. I have also been reading like it is nobody's business! I actually forgot how much I loved to read. I have been trying to read a combination of current best sellers, trashy romance novels, and classics at the same time. It is amazing! I think my book reading has been helped due to the fact that my supervisor (who I am now friends with) and my undergrad mentee (who I can now call a friend since she is no longer on contract and I have graduated) are both staying here this summer and also LOVE to read. We have reading parties 6-7 times a week. We just pick a spot on campus, bring our current book, and read for hours on end. Sometimes we never talk and sometimes we pepper our reading with discussions about the book topics or just random things that pop into our minds. Sometimes we take a break to watch a movie or get food, sometimes we read for hours. This is my idea of heaven.

On a much less hopeful note, I am also in the process of buying a car, packing up my life, and moving 2274.95 miles (seriously, I just Mapquested it) to a totally new life, job, state, and universe for that matter. Let me tell you right now. If you are even contemplating moving far away from where you are now, start saving money. I don't care if you are thinking about moving in 10 years. You should really start saving money now. EVERYTHING that has to do with moving is expensive. Moving vans, boxes, insurance, gas, motels, occasional side trip, food, it just keeps adding up! Luckily, my parents have graciously offered to loan me the money upfront so I don't have to take out another loan from the bank so I'm not worried about not having the money. I'm more pissed that everything costs so much. I guess this is a welcome to the dreaded "real world" that I put off for two additional years by going to grad school.

Well, I have another book that is calling my name. If you by chance have any books that you would recommend for summer reading, send them my way at pickmechoosemehireme@yahoo.com. I'll compile a list and then re-post your suggestions here so if others are in the same both that I am in (i.e. just waiting for life to start again) we can have a virtual book club going. Happy summer!

In Medias Res # 25: The Upside of Unemployment

2007-05-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there is an obvious monetary downside to how much time I will be without a paycheck (two months, in case you were keeping tallies). In that time I need to move (and pay movers), eat, set up an apartment (including utilities) and keep myself from going insane with boredom. That said, there are some really nice consequences of not having a job.

I can sleep as late as I want
I can stay up as late as I want
I am reading about a book a day. Sometimes more.
I have time to cook complex satisfying healthy meals. Yesterday I tried a salmon recipe that took four hours. But it came out amazing and was completely worth it (I’m also saving insane amounts of money by eating every meal at home).
I have time to catch up on all the stupid movies I’ve missed in the last two years. Seriously, before unemployment I didn’t even know who Amanda Bynes was!
I have read every issue of the New Yorker that was published this year.
My i-pod is always charged when I go for a run.
My laundry is clean, put away and folded nicely. I have no half unpacked luggage lying around.
My bed gets made every day.

Were it not for the lack of money I think I could really learn to love unemployment. Now admittedly I do find myself occasionally bored, and I have been jotting down work ideas in a notebook for the past few weeks, so I’m clearly restless and ready to start work. Next week I really have to get down to the nitty gritty of packing, and I’m sure the actual moving process will be stressful. But these last two weeks of blissful nothing have been pretty spectacular. I highly recommend it, if you can swing it.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #24- Summer

2007-05-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

I LOOOOOOOVE Summer! The end.

PS More updates later, I promise. But right now there is a trashy novel that has absolutley NOTHING to do with theory or student affairs or higher education calling my name!

In Medias Res #24: The 2007 Student Affairs Apartment Hunt

2007-05-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a long weekend.

I tried to make things easy on myself by staying with a friend who lives just outside of my new town. I figured I would get some sleep and then drive in early the next morning to start my search. Which is exactly what I did. Except I failed to realize that I was traveling with the oncoming traffic into the city, and about five minutes from my exit the traffic stopped. As such, I started my day late.

But that was okay because the first few apartments on my schedule were keys with a code in a lockbox. That’s right dear reader, the property manager didn’t come to open the apartment for me. He just told me where to find keys so I could break in. Needless to say all of these apartments were underwhelming. One of them was a little bit bigger than some of the other units I looked at, but the neighborhood was a little uncomfortable and the apartment itself needed a lot of work.

So I moved on. I met my next appointment and the apartments he showed me looked like sets for a movie about intravenous drug users. And he was late. Call me anal retentive, but this is your job. I would never be late for a meeting, and if there were unavoidable circumstances I would at least let people know I was going to be late to the best of my ability. Whatever the case, I was not about to rent a crackhouse. You can get those for free.

At this point it was 9:15 and I had exhausted half of the internet leads I had set up. I decided to just start driving around and looking for rent signs. This proved fortuitous. First, I ran into a rental office right in between the two neighborhoods I wanted to live in. The realtor was really nice, showed me a lot of units, and the day was finally starting to look up. I could actually see myself living in one of these places.

I went to my next appointment and again the realtor was late. This time by more than an hour. You may be asking yourself why I waited so long? Well, I really wanted to see the apartment and I became enchanted with the neighborhood as I walked around waiting for her. When she finally showed up and let me see the unit, I walked in and out. The floor plan was horrible.

So I returned to driving. I called one sign and they told me to come to their office. Where I was greeted by a loud and emphatic, “How old are you?” This was announced dripping with condescension, and about five minutes later when the property manager explained to me she couldn’t even show me the apartment because I did not have three different prior landlords to refer me, I left.

And called another sign. This one I had much more luck with. They showed me three apartments, all in my price range with nice layouts and the amenities I wanted. The property manager was even pleasant and told me all about the neighborhood (and even a bit about its drawbacks).

I was basically ready to sign a lease but I had to go meet a college friend for lunch (even though it was already early afternoon). We had a great meal at this charming small Italian restaurant and she walked me over to her property manager’s office where they took me to see a couple more apartments. Even though these apartments were technically bigger the finishes were very 70s basement. Way too much wood paneling for one person.

After all of this I went back to realtor #4 and rented the apartment I had intended to. I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with friends and suffering the long drive back to campus. I have moving funds from my new office so now I need to hire movers (it is, alas, a third floor walk up). In just a few weeks In Medias Res will be hitting the road again, and next time he’s not coming back!

In Medias Res #23- I'd rather do this instead of packing

2007-05-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

How is it that something you can enjoy in the abstract can become stressful and mundane in reality? In other words, when did apartment hunting start to suck?

I was excited about this before (as you could probably tell from the last few posts). A new apartment! A new neighborhood! Possibly even places to go out where students are nowhere to be found! Don’t get me wrong I love students, but I love them even more when they stay away from my favorite restaurants and coffee shop (which where I am now happens pretty rarely).

Apartment hunting really isn’t all that bad. I just thought it would be easier. I don’t know why I thought moving to a new city with a major real estate market would be easy. But I did. So tomorrow I start the trek back to my new campus to hunt for apartments. That in itself could serve as the premise for a blog.

Here’s some stuff I’ve noticed for you graduate students (or professionals) who may be planning a major move:

-I should have started saving for this when I started my job search. Granted, I figured there was a good chance I’d be living in (although it’s not as if that move would have been free either). It would have been the smart thing to do, though. For example, I won’t get my security deposit or utility deposits back before I move into the new place. Since I would like to have the electricity turned on I’m going to need to front that money. And pay off my credit cards for the job search. And subsist on no salary. My new employers are giving me moving funds, but it’s all through reimbursement.

-Oh yeah, I won’t be getting a salary between now and the end of July. So again, I probably should have saved some more. Right now I have enough cash on hand to get me through an apartment deposit, utility deposit, and buying some new stuff for the new apartment. I will be cutting it close, and to be completely honest I don’t know how much this new city is going to cost.

-Craigslist is not the be all end all. Although, you’d think so if you asked my friends where they found their apartment. Lots of websites, like rent.com and apartments.com only have listings for major complexes (and if that’s where you want to live, kudos). You’re best bet? Going to the website of the major newspaper and looking through the electronic classifieds. Apparently everybody still advertises in the newspaper (real estate professionals are so Web 1.0).

I’ll give you all an update on the apartment hunt (maybe even with pictures if I can get my act together) when I get back. Hopefully it will be relatively uneventful and I will return with a job, a masters degree and apartment (although 2 out of 3 aint bad).

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #23- Dreams

2007-05-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

We convince ourselves it's better that we never dream at all. But, the strongest of us, the most determined of us, holds on to the dream or we find ourselves faced with a fresh dream we never considered. We wake to find ourselves, against all odds, feeling hopeful. And, if we're lucky, we realize in the face of everything, in the face of life the true dream is being able to dream at all. ~Meredith Grey

In the past week, I graduated with my Master's degree, closed a building, bid farewell to my amazing staff of RAs, and have already said goodbye to one of my closest friends in grad school. What else has happened over the weekend?

I ACCEPTED A JOB OFFER!

Unlike the last time I proclaimed this statement, this time it is actually true. I got back from my graduation ceremony and found the red light of my voicemail lit up on my phone. For some reason that I still don't understand, I decided to check it even though under normal circumstances I would have waited until the work week started again. I had a message from my #1 Dream School (you know, the one I've been going on and on about for the past few posts) that said that they would like me to call them back. I immediately did so and they offered me the job on the spot, which technically means I had a job before graduation! Now, I had planned to play it cool and try to negotiate some additional terms (even though all of the benefits and salary had already exceeded my expectations), but I was so damn happy I said yes right away. I can't say that I'm surprised that I did this though, because I have had my heart set on this position for almost half the year.

When I walked on campus, I absolutely felt at home. People have been asking me what about the school I like so much and it has been difficult to explain. There isn't one thing or two things that sold it for me, but it was how valued I felt when I was on campus. I had the same experience when I visited my undergrad institution for the first time. It is hard to describe, but you just know that it is going to be a good fit. Also, I did some additional research on some of the details of their health benefits and they have full benefits for domestic partner's and their children. This was something that I wanted a school to have because as a LGBTQ ally, I wanted to be at an institution that valued equal benefits. I didn't think that this school would offer these benefits due to the religious affiliation, but I was totally wrong. Yet another reason why I am going to like this place!

I realize that my first job won't be a walk in the park, especially since I am moving all the way across the country, but I know deep down that this institution will be good for me as a person and as a professional. I have no doubt that I will be challenged and offered experiences in areas that I am not familiar with as a grad student. I know that the surrounding community will offer tons of opportunity for fun and personal balance. I know that the students that I work with will make me a better professional. And most of all, I know that I will be happy.

As I look back through my posts, it is hard for me to put into words what this job search has been like for me. I have definitely had a love-hate relationship with the entire process. I loved the rush of adrenaline after reading a job description for the "perfect job." I loved going online and figuring out what the surrounding community was like and how I could see myself there. I loved telling my friends about the details of the position and already making plans to visit each other at our hypothetical perfect institutions.

However, at the same time, I hated the job search. I hated that it was the automatic way to procrastinate my last year as a grad student. I do not even want to think about how many hours I spent researching schools, applying online, or putting together information packets for the Joint Conference. I hated how much money I spent on ACPA/NASPA, dry cleaning, postage for thank-you cards and buying flights for two on-campus interviews. I hated how there was an undercurrent of competition between my cohort members when we are in a helping profession. I hated the feelings of inadequacy and incompetency that the job search thrust into the light.

Although the job search both drained and energized me, I could not be happier with where I am now. I get to stay at my school for a few more weeks, drive cross-country with my best friend, and start a new life at my dream school. Overall, I couldn't ask for anything more than where I am now.

Thank you for sticking with me dear readers and I look forward to updating you on the craziness of a cross-country move!

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #22- Reflections

2007-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

If you knew this was your last day on Earth, how would you wanna spend it? ~Meredith Grey

Well, in a few short hours, I will walk across a stage, receive a piece of paper with my name printed in fancy calligraphy, change a tassel from one side of a mortarboard to the other, and officially have my Master's degree. The first thought that pops into my mind is "Where in the hell did two years go?" My second thought is "I really don't feel like a master of anything." My third thought is "THANK GOD!"

Don't get me wrong, grad school has been a phenomenal experience. I learned a lot about higher education, student affairs, and myself. I was fortunate to be a member of a phenomenal cohort, work with great colleagues, and supervise some of the most amazing students on Earth. However, it wasn't all peaches and cream. There were 100's of pages of writing, 1,000's of pages of reading, and countless hours mulling over new thoughts, ideas, and concepts. Oh, and let's not forget about an entire day devoted to testing us on this massive amount of information that has been crammed into our brains for the past two years on top of almost full-time jobs.

However, even though I am exhausted from thinking and reflecting, I feel ready. I feel ready to get out the state where I have spent my entire life. I'm ready to move away from everything I know and love and go fall in love with somewhere else. I'm ready to be thousands of miles away from my friends because I know that mileage has nothing to do with the strength of a friendship. I'm ready to be a professional and make my own decisions about what I think is best for the students that I work with. I'm ready to be a part of a campus community that lives and breathes their mission and values, which brings me to my next point.

This week I had an on-campus interview with my #1 school. This is THE school. The Dream School. The school that has met all of my major criteria for an institution. The school that I have been obsessing over since December. I was really worried that they weren't going to live up to the hype that I had generated in my mind for the past few months, but this could not have been further from the truth. Since I haven't updated in awhile, I'll just go through my visit and try to help you understand just how excited I am about this prospect.

First, I was picked up at the airport by my host and by someone that interviewed me at ACPA. They took me to a Mexican restaurant that overlooked the ocean (not telling you which one!) and it was just phenomenal. There were no awkward pauses in conversation, not weird questions, and I just felt very comfortable with both of them. After dinner, they dropped me off at the campus apartment where I would be staying. I was greeted with a welcome sign, basket filled with goodies, a stocked fridge, and a personalized message from the leadership team. Needless to say, I was impressed. Although I am a little embarrassed to admit this to the entire world, the moment my host left, I shut the door and jumped up and down throughout the living room because I was just so damn happy!

The next day I had breakfast with my host and then the barrage of interviews began. However, unlike my other on-campus interview, every single person was on time (and even early!), they all had questions prepared and my resume in front of them, and seemed genuinely interested in not only getting to know me, but also in me getting to know them as potential colleagues which was refreshing. I met with the Director of Res. Life who was an alum of my grad program and the entire 30 minutes was a dialogue between the two of us about the institution, transitioning from this program to the institution, and my undergraduate experiences. I felt as though I wasn't just being asked to list off my skills and abilities, but it was really about getting to know me as a person.

The day continued with more interviews and I was able to meet a lot of campus colleagues from a variety of offices, as well as people who have the position that I was interviewing for throughout the day. One of my criteria for a position was to find a department that was social outside of work hours and an environment that lent itself to developing friendships. This institution and department definitely met this criteria. While I was waiting, there was a group of about 10 people who were both from my potential office as well as campus colleagues and it was clear that they genuinely liked each other and knew each other outside of work. They talked about going to Happy Hour, working out together, and watching TiVo-ed episodes of Lost or Heroes together. Simply amazing.

The other great thing about this institution was how closely they followed their mission and values. This was a thread that was incorporated into every interview I had and the first question the students asked me was how I was going to incorporate the mission into my work. I was so impressed by this because it was clear that everyone on campus knew what the institution was about as well as ways to get towards this goal. It was amazing! Also, I was slightly worried because the institution has very strong ties to a religion that I am neither a part of, or necessarily agree with on a lot of major points, but the emphasis was so clearly placed on the values gleaned from the religion and not the religion itself, that I couldn't help but fall in love with this place!

The day wrapped up with dinner with four Area Coordinators at a beautiful little local restaurant. We were laughing, dissecting each other's MBTI preferences, and by the end of the night, we were all eating off of each other's plates. I said that I was pretty sure that this was going against everything I had ever learned from Career Center presentations about interview etiquette, but we felt so comfortable with each other! At the end of dinner, they went over the salary, benefits, and other details of the job. Let's just say that the package that this school is offering is out of this world! They asked if I could see myself at this school and I said yes before he has finished his sentence. They said that all I would have to do would fill out an application online and they would call my references. Then they all looked at me like I was supposed to read between the lines and get that they couldn't officially offer, but that it was almost guaranteed. So it looks like unless my references say I am a creeper, I have the job. HOORAY!!! I'll be sure to blog as soon as I hear anything and think good thoughts for me!

In Medias Res #22-Closing up Shop

2007-05-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

So I have been ‘cleaning’ out my desk all this week. That project will go well into next week, after my contract has ended because I failed to realize the massive undertaking that entailed. Sometime next week I’m hoping to get out to the new job and look for apartments. I still have not gotten an offer letter, but friends who took jobs before mine also haven’t received anything. So I guess I shouldn’t be worried about that? (I am anyways. It’s inevitable).

My parents come in tomorrow for graduation (which means I have a lot more cleaning to do between now and then). They will be here for most of the weekend, and then my next big responsibility is to close up shop. I have to somehow get myself from here to there with minimal pain. Already I am debating back and forth in my head over whether I want to keep things, sell them, be done with them or start over?

I would be interested in hearing what people did in preparation for the first job. Right now the start date seems far off, but in reality it is only a couple of weeks away. I really should build some time between then and now for me to relax. For me to sit down and just feel some pride in a job well done. Not only have I secured my self a position, but I’ve also got a masters degree! Well, almost.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #21- Superstition

2007-04-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

Superstition lies in the space between what we can control and what we can't. We rely on superstitions because we're smart enough to know we don't have all the answers, and that life works in mysterious ways. ~Meredith Grey

I decided to open this post with a quote about superstition because the time has come for me to visit THE school. Talking about THE school, I think a shout-out to In Medias Res. finding and accepting THE job is in order! Congratulations co-blogger!!! Well, my visit to THE school is in t-minus 8 hours. I have to say, I am nervous and with nerves comes superstitions. Review everything, knock on wood, I literally found a penny and picked it up, the list continues...

I am being uber-superstitious because this truly is THE school for me. It has been my #1 choice since job postings came out over the Joint Conference website. It has been my #1 choice since the day when they e-mailed me asking for a phone interview. It has been my #1 choice since I had my phone interview and felt like I was talking to two old friends. It has been my #1 choice since the first day at ACPA/NASPA when I felt like I was floating after my first interview. It has been my #1 choice since the last day of ACPA/NASPA when they offered me an on campus interview. It has been my #1 choice since I went to their social and was greeted like I was already a member of their team.

Way back in September, I made a list of qualities that I would like in a position and institution. Some of the qualities I want are as follows:

-Close proximity to the beach (any beach...ocean, river, lake, reservoir, etc.)

-Close proximity to the amenities of a large city, but not located directly in an urban setting

-Great working environment with professionals who enjoy their work and are social outside of work hours

-Living in a fun place with lots of options for a new professional outside of work

-A supervisor who will mentor as well as supervise me

-A department that values personal balance as well as professional development

-A student body who is engaged in their environment and campus community

-An atmosphere of social justice and service in action

-Amenities such as a nice apartment, parking spot, meal plan, benefits, etc.

-An institution that has a clear values, goals, and a mission statement that is congruent with my own professional values

Dear readers, I have to say that THE school has met ALL of the aforementioned requirements. Therefore, I hope that the campus and students live up to what I have been building them up to be in my head for the past 5 months. I have been creating this new version of my life based on this job for so long that I honestly do not know what I would do if I #1 hated it or #2 loved it and didn't get an offer. Speaking of which, I had better go cross my fingers, avoid cracks in the sidewalk, and not let my cat walk in front of me.

I'll be sure to update as soon as I get back! Wish me luck!!!!

In medias Res #21.2- Talk amongst yourselves

2007-04-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am graduating in T-minus uh…soon. So I’m just going to throw some brief thoughts out there. Talk amongst yourselves.

-Looking for apartments is fun. For some reason I thought if I called a property manager they would take me around show me all the units their firm owns. I guess that’s more of a real estate agent thing, though? Like if I were buying a property? Admittedly I have only really leased two apartments in my life: one over the internet for grad school and the one I live in now through a friend of my boss. Otherwise I’ve always sublet. So this is relatively new to me. Fortunately my brother and my dad both work in real estate and so they are giving me a mini crash course on how to find the best place and get the best deal.

-I’ve been reading a lot of commentary about the response to the Virginia Tech shootings. An interesting strain of criticism seems to be that the response from higher ed institutions is insincere or disproportionate. Especially this situation at University of North Colorado which is just absurd. We’re having conversations at my institution, but I don’t see any sort of response in terms of critical consciousness regarding the issues at play (i.e. gender socialization, mental health, and critical discussions about violence). I see a lot of people acting and thinking out of pain which is really unproductive.

-How much of my work should I actually take with me? A lot of this stuff is digital and so I can bring it on a flash drive, but do people regret not taking more of the resources they produced in their assistantships? I have created a lot of paper output since I’ve been in grad school and the thought of hauling all that crap to the next job seems daunting.

Just some things to discuss. Begin the discourse dear reader!

In Medias Res #21- Something wicked (awesome) this way comes

2007-04-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

I’m going to avoid the melodrama. I got a job. And it is THE job. It’s exactly the area of the field I want to work in (and these jobs are few and far between) and it’s on the campus that I wanted. I’ve got a new city to explore, and an apartment to find, but damn I feel good.

So here’s what happened: I got an offer from my number two institution at the beginning of the week, so I called institution number one back and updated them on my search. They promised to get back to me soon. The next morning I slumped around the office, cranky and stressed. I hate waiting more than anything. That afternoon I got two offers at the same institution and I accepted THE job. I still need to negotiate salary and all that fun stuff (apparently there’s some online HR behavior inventory I need to take), but the job is mine! Its mine!

The really exciting thing about the position is I get to maintain and leverage a lot of professional acquaintances I have made in the last two years through networking. Although I was also looking at residence life I have made a lot more efforts in the last two years to expand my diversity education skill set through professional development. I have met a number of really great professionals and in my new capacity I will get to work with them a great deal more. I certainly could have continued that work in Residence Life, but for that to be my work is exciting.

I also get to shape and set the agenda for a completely new program. I'm not only using my skills and knowledge in this position, I'm using my vision.

Whatever the case I’m feeling good. The hunt is over, dear reader. No more shitty phone interviews with half interested people. No more long laborious on campus visits that feel more like a marathon than an interview. Sure I’m nervous about moving, making new friends, starting a brand new job. But the worst part is over. I think?

Pick Me-Choose Me-Pick Me #20- Pain

2007-04-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Pain, you just have to ride it out, hope it goes away on its own, hope the wound that caused it heals. There are no solutions, no easy answers, you just breath deep and wait for it to subside. Most of the time pain can be managed but sometimes the pain gets you where you least expect it. Hits way below the belt and doesn't let up. Pain, you just have to fight through, because the truth is you can't outrun it and life always makes more. ~Meredith Grey

One week ago the landscape of American colleges and universities changed forever. One week ago 32 members of the Virginia Tech community were senselessly murdered by a tortured soul with little regard for the dignity of the human spirit, including his own. One week ago today I felt a sense of overwhelming and indescribable pain that is still hard to comprehend.

Tonight, the community on my campus held a candlelight vigil to show support and solidarity with the Virginia Tech community. My institution has many similar qualities and characteristics of Tech, so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility for something like that to happen here. I was one of around 500 students, staff, and faculty members who gathered near our Student Union. I attended with three of my RAs and attempted to be strong for them and ride out my pain, but I think I failed miserably.

The symbolism of the candlelight was not lost on me tonight. It was fairly windy and the entire crowd was struggling to keep their candles lit. However, as the speaker read the names of the victims aloud, the wind completely stopped. For those few moments, I knew that something larger than myself was at work and I hoped that others in the crowd were feeling the same sense of peace that I was experiencing. As soon as the speaker was finished reading the names, a trumpeter played "Taps" and the light was immediately extinguished.

I couldn't help but be emotional during the vigil, especially when I was surrounded by my amazing RAs. When Ryan Clark's name was read, I absolutely lost it. Ryan Clark was an RA in West Ambler Johnston Hall and arrived when he heard a commotion in the room. He was the shooter's second victim. Ryan was literally just doing his job. He was confronting a loud room just like any other day. I immediately thought about how many times my staff members have done the same thing and how many times they have put themselves in harm's way for the sake of one of their residents. I let myself, for one brief moment, imagine my life if one of my RAs were hurt or worse in one of my halls. Then, I took a deep breathe, let the pain wash over me, gave thanks for their safety, and prayed like hell that I would be able to fight through this.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #19- Time

2007-04-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

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 Grey

I 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.

In Medias Res #19: Falling in Love is so Hard on the Knees

2007-04-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Wow. You know I’m tired and stressed when the only title I can think of is an Aerosmith lyric. Thanks early to mid 90s (and more specifically Alicia Silverstone).

My whirlwind tour is over, and at least for now I think I am done with campus interviews. At this point it is a waiting game. All the schools are supposed to get back to me sometime next week, and I am thankful for the serendipity. I am, however, deeply anxious over when and what they will say when they do get back.

I have a clear preference at this point. There is one school that I am just in love with. It’s a great fit, a great institution, wonderful people. I just really want to work there.

The interview? The interview was magic, dear readers. It was like a phenomenal first date (albeit a chaste non-sexual first date). Perhaps my confidence levels have just picked up and I feel more comfortable, but from the minute they picked me up at the airport until the minute I returned to the Continental Check-in line I felt a buzzy joy. I sensed an immediate camaraderie, and although people were maintaining that professional distance that is a compulsory element of the interview process I still really enjoyed myself.

They have a couple of openings in Res Life and I think mathematically my shot is about 50%. Those are quite good odds. When driving me back to the airport my host mentioned that people were really impressed with me, and I am just hoping that they come through with an offer.

Between the other institutions, one is a close runner up (it doesn’t have the fabulous city life and the facilities are not as astoundingly new) and the other is a distant, distant fourth (if there were the potential for a fourth place, they would be fourth). I think at #2 I would be very happy, and the major factor working in its favor is the phenomenal array and quality of Doctorate programs the institution offers. But at the moment it is running at second place in my heart if not my head.

Of course, the minute I got on campus and was away from my email a whole new round of schools wanted to talk to me “about gauging my interest in the position at Institution X”. I’ve been playing phone tag with these schools, and the whole thing just compounds my stress level. I do not technically have a job, so I can’t be declining every new admirer. That said, in the next two weeks I have assignments due, papers to grade, a final report to write, and…. Oh,yes, I have to graduate. So its not as if I have much free time to do campus interviews until the second week in May.

I have to say it seems like in general this is just a very late hiring season for people. Only a handful of my friends (at this institution and others) have a job. Almost all the people in my cohort who have accepted positions got them from OPE (which was in the beginning of March), and no one seems to have even been offered a position from NASPA/ACPA. Of course, lots of us did not even do placement and so the phone interviews and campus invites are trickling in slowly.

The biggest disappointment in all of this is that we probably won’t all be around to celebrate each other’s success. The end goal of graduate school at least here it seems is about the first job rather than the degree. As the summer drags on and those with positions move away (or those with May/June leases move back home) the kudos and camaraderie will happen over email instead of at our bar on Main Street. And that stinks.

In Medias Res #18-Barely There

2007-04-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

As I noted in my last post, I'm all over the country this week, so I don't have much time to blog. I did want to send out my condolences to everyone at Virginia Tech. I actually had a student pass away when I was a resident assistant in college, but that was nothing compared to the enormity of their situation.

(if I were a more crass person I would note it took George Bush how long to get to New Orleans, but the next DAY he is in Virginia? I know it's closer, but he's got his own plane. That's hardly an excuse.)

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #18- Complete Shock

2007-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, there was a shooting on Virginia Tech's campus early this morning. I have been following the story on CNN and the latest count was over 30 members of the community have passed away, including the shooter. The rampage began early this morning in a residence hall where one student was killed and then the shooter moved to an academic building where he opened fire in a classroom.

I am usually effected by these types of stories, but this one really hit home. My greatest fear in my professional career is a student death. I simply cannot wrap my head around what it would be like to be working as a student affairs professional at Virginia Tech today. I just saw them at Placement, sat beside them during orientation, and saw them throughout the Conference. It is very hard for me to put myself in their place, but my heart goes out to each and every one of the community members at VT.

It is incidences such as this that make every little thing that is stressing me out seem absolutely and totally trivial. What matters are students. Their physical and mental safety, their growth, their development. Period. End of story.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #17 Fear, Doubt, Etc.

2007-04-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

Whoever said "What you don't know can't hurt you" was a complete and total moron. Because ... for most people I know, not knowing is the worst feeling in the world. ~Meredith Grey

Remember when you were a kid and your biggest worry was if you'd get a bike for your birthday or if you'd get to eat cookies for breakfast. Being an adult? Totally overrated. I mean seriously, don't be fooled by all the hot shoes and the great sex and the no parents anymore telling you what to do. Adulthood is responsibility. ~Meredith Grey

Yes loyal readers, this entry necessitates two Grey's quotes. It may have something to do with the fact that I found my Season Two DVDs while cleaning and have been putting on my own mini-marathon, or it could be due to the fact that I am just a mess. From the outside looking in, I'm doing great. I have two on-campus interviews that I am really excited about lined up in the next few weeks, schoolwork is not at the level that it was earlier in the semester, and my staff is doing well. However, from the inside looking out, I am a disaster.

Although I am really excited about interviewing with one of my #1 schools in May and my #2 school on Wednesday I am super nervous and not very confident. You may notice that I have bumped up my #2 school from the rank of #6. I realized that it was really just one person that I didn't click with even though everything else about the position lined up with what I want. I guess I should thank grad school for teaching me great reflective thinking skills! Anyway, yes I am super excited to be on campus and meet students and potential colleagues. However, for some reason my self-confidence has taken a total and complete nosedive. I don't think that I was ever full of myself or anything, but I think I have good experiences, great references, and I love to interview. Therefore, seeing as I have only heard from 4 schools out of 19 schools that I interviewed with, I am beginning to question myself. I have been having absolutely crazy dreams that correspond with a feeling of not being in control and I have to say that I feel totally out of control with this process. I don't like the sit-and-wait game! I just want to know already! If you don't like me, fine. I can deal with that. I CANNOT deal with not knowing and being in this perpetual state of self-questioning.

Additionally, as I was looking over the information from one of my other #1 schools, I realized that they require two years of professional experience. I do not understand how I have missed this the whole time. What is even more perplexing is that they never mentioned it during my two interviews. Therefore, since I haven't heard anything, they either really didn't like me or I am not qualified. Both options suck, but I would rather not be qualified than option #1. I am still waiting to hear from my final #1 school, but since I haven't heard anything so far, I am not holding out too much hope.

Even though I am not too confident, I am really and truly excited for my on-campus visit with my true #1 school in May. This was the institution that I fell in love with way back in December so it is very satisfying to be able to make it to this point in the process. Although I am really excited, the prospect of moving all of my stuff all the way across the country is not exciting whatsoever. Also, the idea of buying a car, paying taxes, getting insurance, paying loans, buying groceries, dealing with investments, renting a U-Haul, (which would be over $1600 plus gas, hotel, food, etc. for a cross-country trek) and packing are making this time very, very stressful. I can deal with professional responsibilities in my job, but personal responsibilities scare the crap out of me. My parents are the typical parents of Millennial children and although I appreciate their contributions to my lifestyle more than I will ever admit, I think the level of support they have given actually makes me less prepared to enter the world of adulthood. I have no clue about getting a loan, buying a car, shopping for insurance, and can barely balance my checkbook.

I don't know where that leaves me other than being totally and completely scared about this next phase of my life. I have come to realize that I can deal with change, just not with transition. I just want the change to happen miraculously overnight and then go from there. Wish me luck dear readers as I try to summon up the confidence to make a good impression for my on-campus interview. This is my first one so I'm sure I'll have lots to talk about when I return!

In Medias Res #17-Of Black Cats (Jinx)

2007-04-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

I was going to blog more extensively about the conference, but I think Pick me covered the advice aspect pretty well. The one thing I will say is go to the Drag Show. I almost didn’t because of an early flight, but I’m glad I did. It puts the insanity of everything else in healthy perspective.
So let’s move on dear readers! It is of course, on campus season. With the Joint Conference so much later this year, I feel like everyone’s in a bit of a time crunch to get candidates on campus while they can still meet students. My most recent on campus went relatively well (I didn’t completely nail the presentation, in large part from nerves). I liked the staff that I met, and I could seriously see myself at that institution for a while. Plus it’s within easy driving distance to a lot of friends, some family, and some great hiking (but it is most importantly in a CITY).
The interview itself was pretty uneventful. In fact, I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing until the phone calls started. For those of you who have been through the process you know what I’m talking about. Usually its family first and then friends, and then maybe the one person in grad school who doesn’t completely wish you well. They all want to know how you did. What did you think? And that is a tedious conversation. Not only because you end up repeating yourself four or five times (and In Medias Res, dear reader, is not a phone person). But also because you don’t want to relive it. You just got done with it. Let a bitch breathe, people!
The one question I dread is the first question my dad always asks: Did they give you some sort of indication? What he wants to know is “will they be making you an offer?” Now, maybe people are winking at me all day, but I’m not picking up on any sort of signs. This is especially galling coming from him because this man defines superstitious. On our last vacation he pulled over and made my brother drive because a black cat had run in front of the car. I’m not kidding, and this is the man who wants me to jinx things by saying out loud “Oh yeah, I’m going to get an offer”.
You may say to yourself, “In Medias, when did you become an irrational festering mess of emotions?” And I would say to you dear reader, “Have you not been reading this blog?” The waiting is what’s killing me. It’s making me superstitions and leery and a little bit cranky. Some of my cohort have gotten offers on campus. I know that’s an extreme example, and I also recognize that given the huge HR mechanisms I’ve been dealing with, that’s not going to happen at any of my schools. I am just bored with the process at this point.
Next week I have back to back to back interviews. I did not want to schedule things this way, but thanks to the Joint Conference crunch I was more or less backed into a corner. On the plus side the travel arrangements for two of the interviews were much much simpler (they just booked for me and paid for everything. How sweet is that?). Of course all the jobs at the top of my list are next week. I’ve been declining stuff lately just because between this week and next week, I’m really hoping to have an offer (and I don’t want any outstanding campus interviews to prevent me from taking one).
I’m not completely nuts. There are still a couple of jobs out there on the horizon if none of these interviews translate into positions. But c’mon! By next week I will have had six (!) on campuses. If somebody doesn’t make me an offer, I am obviously doing something profoundly wrong.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #16- Whirlwind Adventure!

2007-04-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? ~Grey's Anatomy

Hello again loyal readers. Once again, an apology is in order. I have seriously been slacking with the posting, but I have many updates for all of you. I also apologize for the random nature of this post, but I have a lot to write about this week!

First, a re-cap of ACPA/NASPA now that I am not in a state of total and complete exhaustion. I will use this as a space to give some more advice, post general ramblings, and basically attempt to process the six craziest days of my life. For any future job searchers out there, the advice has been italicized and bolded for your convenience so you don't have to sort through all of my other stuff throughout the blog.

I think the most important item I can share with you is that it is vitally important to surround yourself with people who do not stress you out. I can not stress this point enough. I chose not to cram 500 people in a room because I knew that the stress of multiple sleep schedules, bathroom time, and lack of hot water would put me in a really bad mood. Instead, I shared a room with one of my best friends in the hotel where Placement was taking place. Although I really could not afford this luxury, it was totally and completely worth it! I didn't have to worry about paying for parking, renting a car, getting up super early to arrive to Placement, or hanging around if the people in my caravan had interviews that were later than mine. This arrangement allowed for a lot more autonomy and was a great way to manage your environment.

Additionally, be aware of who you surround yourself with in terms of your colleagues or cohort members during the breaks at Placement. One person in my cohort went on and on about how they were "so over Res. Life" and were really qualified for mid-level positions due to previous professional experience. Not only did this make me mad, but it also demeaned the entry-level, Res. Life positions that I was interviewing for throughout the day. I know that they did not mean for this to be the case, but it really got under my skin and by the third day I knew when to go over to the break table and when not to.

Another observation that I came across is actually due to my days as a sorority woman. All of you sorority women out there know how Recruitment techniques are drilled into your head as an undergrad and I soon found myself slipping into "sorority girl" mode at the socials. I think the whole Placement experience can make direct links to Recruitment since they are just snippets of your personality, you dress up for each other, you know what questions to ask to seem interested and intrigued, etc.... but the Recruitment analogy is never more apparent than at the social functions. Personally, I just think these are awkward. I can think of nothing more contrived that setting a specific day, time, and place to "be yourself" and "get to know" the people you could potentially be working with in the upcoming year. I don't care what people say about being yourself because this really is the second round of interviews many schools. Therefore, I found myself plastering on the smile and engaging in surface conversations when all I wanted to do was sit down in the corner, check my e-mail, and ask the people what it is really like to work at their school.

However, socials do serve their purpose. I remember my sorority advisor telling me that it is so much more important to observe how members treat each other instead of how the members treat you as a perspective member. These people know how to treat perspective employees. They know how to be gracious and really attempt to get to know you. I am not saying that this is not genuine by any means, but you have to look at these socials objectively. They are recruiting you as much as you are checking them out by this point in the game. Therefore, I found that when I observed how coworkers were treating each other I was able to gauge just how well they work together and know each other in a social context. It is very important for me to have collegial relationships so this was helpful for me. One institution basically bombarded me with questions and introduced me to everyone, but my host for the night couldn't remember the last name of one of their colleagues or where they worked. This was a red flag for me! However, at another institution I felt like I was a part on an ongoing conversation between coworkers and they really knew each other. This is something that I was looking for in a potential position. This leads me to my next set of ramblings...

I know that some of you were concerned about the number of interviews that I had set up prior to the conference. However, having multiple interviews worked for me. It allowed me to put multiple top choices in perspective and compare the benefits and drawbacks in a much easier way since I had more options. Also, I think the pace actually helped me keep up my energy and stamina instead of draining me. I was usually booked from 9 or 10 in the morning until 4 or 5 at night with either 30 or 60 minutes in between, but this really worked to my advantage. One day I had a rather sizable break between interviews, but the interviews I had after this break were probably some of my worst because I had allowed myself to relax, both physically and mentally and get out of the interviewing mode. Therefore, know your limits and don't let other people's expectations influence your Placement experience. A lot of people in my cohort had a few interviews set up before flying to Orlando and many of them did not have any and were just more aggressive once they arrived. Whether you have 0 or 44 interviews, you just need to do what you are comfortable with because that is what matters in the end. I wanted to have a better read on my options so I may have been on the heavy side, but it really worked out in the end.

I had hoped to leave Placement with a few good prospects and really be able to narrow down my options and values for a first position and I think I was very successful at this. Also, I have pretty exciting news. I have an on-campus interview set-up with one of my #1 schools! (For the record, three schools are tied for #1 at this point.) This was the institution that I fell in love with once they posted the description in December. I fell a little more in love during a phone interview, and I fell A LOT in love with them during the first round of interviewing at Placement. They asked me back for a second interview and I readily agreed. The night before I crammed in my hotel room and came up with about 10 seemingly intelligent and thoughtful questions to ask. When I sat down at the table they immediately said "Well, we have basically fallen in love with you as a candidate and want to extend you an offer for an on-campus interview." I'm sure I looked absolutely ridiculous and probably resembled a deer in the headlights. I had no idea that this was coming! Of course, I said yes on the spot and they immediately started rattling off dates, times, flight arrangements, and other details. I tried to write as quickly as possible, but my notes look like chicken scratch now! I am happy to report that they also invited me to their social later that evening and I think I fell in love with them a little more (if that was even possible) that night. This was the social where the people really knew each other and it just felt comfortable to be with them. We were laughing, joking, telling Res. Life stories and I realized half-way through that I didn't have to make an effort to be myself, but it was just coming naturally. I took this as a good sign!

As a re-cap if any of you are interested in the numbers game, during my four days at Placement I had 19 first round interviews, 6 second round interviews, got invited to 5 socials and went to 3 of them, interviewed with 43 different professionals, wrote countless thank you notes, and came back with around 40 pounds of folders stuffed with every possible publication from a variety of schools. I also left about 7 folders in the hotel room to make sure I didn't have to pay for super heavy luggage on the way back.

The waiting game has started for on-campus interviews. Before I left Orlando, I made a list of "yes," "no," and "maybe" schools. Then I ranked them from there to make sure the interviews were fresh in my mind. I have an on-campus with one of my #1 and I was offered an on-campus with my #6 and #16 today. I think I will go to the #6 school because I think a lot of my hesitations were due to campus culture which really can't be judged until I'm actually on campus.

However, I just decided that the #16 school really is not for me. I was talking with one of my friends who is also thinking about declining an on-campus interview and we said that it just seemed counterintuitive! We both realized that it would be silly to waste the money of an institution on hotel, food, transportation, etc. if we really couldn't see ourselves going there, but that is still so hard to be the person making rejection calls! In the back of my mind there is a little voice that says "What if this is the only other on-campus interview you get and you were dumb and picky and turned it down?" Deep down, I am scared of making a mistake that I won't be able to undo.

In Medias Res # 16- Ugh

2007-04-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

The above is a sentiment I subscribe to wholeheartedly. I am already not a fan of the month of April for a variety of reasons: the time crunch it means on campuses, the programming overload (we have to spend our budget), the student burnout, oncoming slate of assignments. The only saving grace of April is the weather. Usually, at least, the weather is a saving grace. Not today.
NASPA/ACPA? That’s probably what you want me to write about. I will write expansively either tomorrow or this weekend. For now, just some highlights.
The socials were better than OPE. Marriot and Gaylord have better caterers than the U-Wisconsin system. Who knew?
I heart schools that have socials in rooms named after their town. For example, UCLA in the Los Angeles room. Thank you for simplifying my life.
The President’s suite was pimp.
NASPA/ACPA runs a much better placement solely based on the fact that I did not have to run up and down stairs or between towers.
That conference was not accessible.
They found the one place in Orlando where there were no restaurants in walking distance.
Al Gore is funnier than Jay Leno. Poor Jay Leno.
The best thing that can happen to you is for the hotel to overbook and then bump you up to a suite. This did not happen to me.
Do not go out by the pool in your bathing suit if you are interviewing.
The Joint Conference was exhausting, I still have not fully recovered. That said I have a couple of strong leads on positions and I even got another on campus. So that’s exciting. Some of my colleagues had more firm offers when they departed, but I went in with some really strong prospects. The nice part of having stuff already scheduled was the confidence boost it gave me. I turned down a lot of second round interviews (and some offers for first rounds) because they really do not match my needs.
I just felt better going into these interviews for some reason. Perhaps because it was a larger conference the interviewers were more than willing to see my student service experience as translatable to residence life. Or maybe I just cared less if people were seeing the connection. At OPE I felt a lot of resistance from interviewers and at the Joint Conference, there were quite a few more schools how embraced me. More importantly there were some schools that I got really excited about.
I will admit, I have a new crush. It’s a large private, and just about everyone of the staff members I met was amazing, intelligent, and funny. You would think everyone I interviewed with would be personable, but that’s just not the case. But this school? We’re gonna get married. Hopefully. So obviously I didn’t get a job before NASPA/ACPA. That’s ok though. Because the jobs that I found there are really exciting. Next time: more about the joint conference, why interviewing there might have made me less excited for my scheduled on campuses, and why May is worse than April (preview: I’m unemployed).

Pick Me-Choose Me-Pick Me #15- Exhaustion

2007-04-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

We are tired, we are scared, denying it doesn't change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world. ~Grey's Anatomy

So it is almost midnight and I am writing this from my hotel room on the in-room computer which has made my life a LOT easier over the past few days. Just knowing that I am able to check my e-mail if I have to is pretty amazing. I could be doing research for the interviews that I have throughout tomorrow, but I decided that a little bit of reflection was in order after the whirlwind of placement.

If any of my dear readers will be going through the process next year, listen up. These are my words of wisdom for next year.

#1 You will be tired. It will not hit you until you allow yourself to relax, both physically and mentally. I was so used to being "on" that the first day I didn't realize how tired I was until I sat down on my hotel bed and tonight I didn't realize I was tired I was today until I had an extended break and was able to connect with some of the people in my program to compare notes. Be prepared for the "crash" and don't be afraid to tell friends or collegues that you don't want to go out to eat or drink or network. You need your rest!

#2 There is a fine balance between strangers who want to get to know you and strangers who are pumping you for information. During our candidate orientation, the people in charge told us there were going to be 18,000 interviews conducted and 1200 candidates present. You could feel a palpable change in the room once they told us that there were 1500 positions. It was like everyone made a mental shift from "these people are my competition" to "everyone will get a job and let's just get to know people!" With that being said, you still need to be conscious of what you are saying, around whom, and in what environment. I made the mistake of talking about a few Jesuit institutions that I had interviewed with and some woman from across the table jumped down my throat about my assumptions about a Jesuit college that I was privately sharing with a collegue. Make sure you are very aware of your surroundings!

#3 Be prepared for the magnitude and scope of the placement center. There are a TON of people and it can be quite overwhelming, especially when you look at all of the tables lined up in row after row after row in different sections of the placement center. The analogy of herds of cattle being lined up for sale is very appropriate because the employers come out to greet you so you are in a "waiting area" which is more like a holding pen for cattle. The employer comes out, usually with a sign, folder, pennant, dry erase board, foam finger, or mascot from the school and either flail it about or yell you name in conjunction with the flailing. My friend said that she felt like she was the kid in 1st grade who was waiting for their mom to pick them up while the rest of the kids had already left with their parents. I think this is a great analogy because when about 10 people get chosen you immediately re-check your information to make sure you are in the right place, right time, right holding pen, etc. My same friend decided that it would be great if she made a sign or pennant or foam finger with her name on it to show the employers instead!

#4 Placement CAN and WILL BE fun if you allow it to be. You don't realize how many people you know or what great support you really have until you go through Placement. I have gotten so many hugs and words of encouragement, plus some great notes from friends, cohort members, and former collegues in my mail which have made the days a lot easier to handle. Don't forget to laugh and joke to break the tension and get out of the center as well! Schedule in breaks and times for lunch and dinner!

I'm sure I'll have more words of wisdom as the interviewing progresses. So far I have had 13 1st round interviews and have two 2nd round interviews for tomorrow, two 1st round and two 2nd round interviews for Tuesday, plus four invitations for social functions of various institutions. I am pretty happy with where I stand now and I can't wait to see what happens by the time I leave Orlando! More posting sooner rather than later for me!!!

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #14- Frantic

2007-03-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

No time for a Grey's quote for this post. Why? Because it is 1:30am the night before I fly out for ACPA/NASPA and I still haven't packed. Whoops...

Just wanted to let everyone know that I PASSED COMPS! With distinction too, I might add! Much more to come from the conference. I am staying in the conference hotel which has a computer in every room so I will be able to give all of you day-by-day updates about interviews and whatnot.

Also, if you have any last minute tips, suggestions, or unusual questions that threw you off during an interview, feel free to e-mail me at pickmechoosemehireme@yahoo.com. I'll be sure to post for everyone else's benefit too!

Wish me luck!!!

In Medias Res # 15-That thing I promised

2007-03-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I was surprised people actually emailed me. Actually emailed me! It wasn’t a tidal wave, but the three I got were funny. To return the spotlight to me for a moment though: What is it about me that makes me keep taking phone interviews? I basically got dressed down yesterday for not tailoring my resume enough to the job. Admittedly this was a specialist position, but I see all my skills as transferable and I didn’t think it was that hard to read the version I sent out and see me in the position. I really don’t need to be doing phone interviews. I have two more on campuses already scheduled! I am the shit! (in a good way)

That said, I have one more phone interview today-well tonight actually.

Here’s the horror stories. And they are all horror stories, trust me.

The first time I went to a conference for placement (this wasn’t NASPA or ACPA) the airline lost my luggage. This wasn’t a total catastrophe as they promised to have it to me the next day, except the next day was Sunday so they didn’t get it to me until Monday. I went with one of my best friends though, and we’re basically the same size so she lent me an outfit. Except I’m a little chestier (Editor’s note: I don’t think chesty is a word. Just saying) than her. All through my first interview I thought the guy was staring at my chest (they were sort of popping out), and I was getting angrier even though I kept talking. Finally he interrupted me and pointed at my cleavage. I had a bloody nose and it was running down my chest at this point. I was beyond embarrassed. Of course, I had back to back interviews that day so I had to walk around with my tight blood red dress shirt on. I did get a job though.

The first time I went to NASPA was to job search, and I scheduled myself an interview for every slot the first two days. My first interview ran late, and so every interview after that I was playing catch up. I was trying to answer as quickly as possible to get these done with on time, but that never worked. By the end of the day I had missed two interviews and lunch. I was so exhausted I went up to my room, skipped dinner, and proceeded to sleep through my alarm. I missed all my morning interviews the next day, and I was so groggy by the afternoon from hunger that I was basically incoherent. Fortunately my first interview went really well, they asked me for a second round, invited me to campus, and I got the job. Since then, though, I keep a small grocer’s pantry in my bag when I interview. (And I give myself thirty minutes between each.)

Ok, I will be keeping a kit-kat in my messenger bag. This one is my favorite. Short, sweet, to the point, and kind of dirty.

The Grey’s Anatomy fans will appreciate this, but here’s a tip: No matter how tired and stressed you are, or how early you go out don’t pick someone up in the hotel bar. You will end up interviewing with them the next day. And possibly? Working for them for four years.

Phew. Ok, hopefully my experience will reflect the other end of the spectrum. See you all after the conference! (That’s right punks. In Medias Res does not liveblog).

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #13- Shoes

2007-03-25T17:51:00.001-07:00

"I am an evil mistress." ~Meredith Grey
"But still... you look nice." ~George O'Malley

First, a quick job related update. I have indeed taken the advice of many of our dear readers and have cancelled some interviews. I have also declined interviews at a few schools that I would have readily accepted at only a few short weeks ago. Also, after re-reading some comments, I went back through my spreadsheet and have decided to contact an additional five schools that I am not super passionate about after some more reflection. Thank you to various readers who shook me violently back into reality! Second, my comprehensive exams were yesterday. It was quite possibly the worst way to spend a Saturday, but they are over and I will find out before I leave for ACPA/NASPA if I passed. Let's just hope I pass because I don't know how I will cope with the idea of re-doing things hanging over my head while I am interviewing for jobs. I could write an entire post about the stupid test, but that just allows me to dwell on them and I do NOT want to do that because I'll go nuts! Moving on...

I spent today shopping for the conference, or as my RAs have been calling it "The Big Joint." (The funny factor of the word "joint" has apparently not outgrown these college students...and I love them for it!) Now, for some of you, the idea of shopping may put a big smile on your face. Strolling through isle after isle of consumerism, soaking up the commercialization of America does not put a big smile on my face. Well, let me correct myself. I do not like being forced to go shopping. I like to think of it as more of an organic experience. You know, I'm more of a gatherer as opposed to a hunter type of gal so being surrounded by 100's of people who are after the next big deal while I'm just trying to find a cute shirt does not appeal to me.

Therefore, I was not looking forward to today. I knew I had to get dress shoes, a few new shirts for underneath suits, and some random other things to be able to survive in Orlando for less than a week. I decided to start looking for shirts first. The entire time I was shopping, I kept hearing all of the Career Center presentations on ways to "Dress for Success" running through my mind, however I could not remember for the life of me if stripes/patterns were okay for underneath a suit. I think the problem could be due to conflicting presentations.I decided to bounce the idea off of my friends in the program so the first person I called was my friend who works in the Career Center. Sadly, she didn't pick up so I left her a semi-frantic voicemail that is probably unintelligible except for sporadic words such as "stripes," "confused," "hireable," or "credible."

Next up on my speed dial was my best friend who has already been through a professional job search. She suggested that if I choose stripes or pattern, try to pick one that is very demure and don't go crazy with jewelry. Therefore, I picked up the white shirt with black and pink stripes that I had been hesitantly eyeing for the past 20 minutes and a plain black necklace to match. I also picked up the standard white Oxford (which was only $4.00!!!) just to cover myself in case I go to the first day of placement and observe a sea of black suits and white Oxfords. I am fully prepared to conform to the environmental press and not feel guilty about it what-so-ever.

Next up was searching for interview appropriate shoes, which I like to call the search for the ugliest shoes on Earth. If I have learned nothing from the advice that I received last year, it was to wear comfortable shoes, no matter how tempted you are to pick up the cutest things on the shelf that will compliment your suit oh-so-nicely. I do remember having crazy tired feet last year at ACPA, but I also remember the convention center in Indy being about 1/2 mile from our hotel and I somehow chose sessions that were consistently on opposite ends of the seemingly endless concourse. *Sidenote to future conference planners* Ask Segway to co-sponsor the conference so none of us have to walk. I would pay exorbitant conference fees to see George Kuh, Vivienne Cass, or Arthur Chickering go flying past me, latte firmly placed in the convenient cup holder, wind flowing through their thinning hair. Just a thought...

Anyway, I was on a mission to find the cutest, most comfortable, closed toe shoes in the immediate area. If they existed, I was going to find them. However, I have big feet that are hard to fit. I've made my peace with it, but that doesn't mean it is any easier to find shoes. Also, I have been influenced by years and years of gender-oppressive media that tells me to "pick the cute shoes, pick the cute shoes" so today was tough. I ended up with really ugly brown shoes that feel like I am walking on a cloud and really cute, semi- to fairly comfortable black shoes. I gave in when I realized that I could wear these shoes with both my black pants suit and with my black suit with matching skirt. However, I also bought some Dr. Scholl's inserts so if you hear someone next week go on and on about how "I am so totally gellin" while in a black suit with shoes that look very cute and semi-comfortable, then it is probably me.

So the moral of the story is that I found shoes, a daring shirt, a conservative shirt, and a bunch of other stuff. However, as I was looking for ugly shoes, I started to think about whether shoes would really change the outcome of a job offer for me. Given the fact that every, single job presentation has made me believe the interviewers only care about the condition of your nails and what shoes you are wearing, I was worried. When I realized this, I soon scanned the isles for cuter (is that a word?) shoes, ones that would really sell me as a candidate. Then, after my 7 seconds of insanity, I embraced the whole "inner beauty" thing and decided that if I didn't get a job based on my ugly brown shoes then I probably didn't really want to work for the institution in the first place. However, after my moment of clarity I began wonder if I had the perfect suit, shoes, hair, make-up, and almost perfect answers if that would trump an okay suit, shoes, hair, make-up, and perfect answers. Is it really about the total package or would an evil mistress who looks nice get a job over a poorly put-together fairy godmother?

PS If any of you out there think I do nothing but complain, this is not a true reflection of my personality. I was a little peeved about the whole ugly shoes afternoon, but my mood was immediately lifted when I drove into my parking spot and saw four of my residents flying kites on the front lawn of our building. It was a beautiful day, a great image, and a fabulous reminder of why I want to go step into the world of Student Affairs, even if I do it in ugly shoes.

In Medias Res # 13: Push the Button

2007-03-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know everyone else is all psyched about the Final Four, but my bracket petered out quick this year. So I have a new obsession. Last year The Believer magazine published a long essay about the author’s obsession with the 2005 contest, and while I was always aware of Eurovision (I study abroad for about 30 seconds in a winning country) I never followed it. Mainly cause how the hell was I going to follow it? But thanks to the magic of Youtube and friends living in places where this is a big deal, I can! The 2007 contest is going to be in Helsinki (a simultaneously amazing and depressing city), and I how I wish they would broadcast it here. It somehow manages to be even more tragic and campy than American Idol (would this be the place to mention I have a horrible secret crush on Blake Lewis? Probably not).

Anyway, my favorite song right now is the Israeli entry: Push the Button. It is a weird Pop ditty that seems to incorporate Eastern European musical influences (Klezmer anybody? KLEZMER!), and the lyrics are in French, English, and Hebrew (the Hebrew is actually a rap interlude). Most importantly the whole thing seems to be about either provoking or preventing nuclear war with Iran. The whole thing reminds me of a less angry Gogol Bordello, which is to say, “Not as good.” It will be interesting to see how the song and the band does though. There are some notoriously anti-Semitic countries in the voting block (Turkey, anyone?), although honestly after reading three different descriptions of how the voting is done I still have no idea.

Watch the video and tell me that the accordion player does not think he’s the biggest pimp in the world.

Ok and even though the song bores the crap out of me, it appears the Danish are stealing a page from the Israeli’s playbook (Dana International? Yes). She truly is a drama queen.

Wow. Is this not beautiful people? I am blogging from my porch! Aside from the awesome fact that I have a porch, it is a gorgeous temperate sunny day in In Media Res-Land©. I would imagine most of you are expecting to write about my last on campus, but honestly haven’t we had enough of that?

Taking a cue from the final arrival of Spring I spent the weekend cleaning my apartment, and it is amazing what some good weather and an orderly space can do for your mental health. I spent a decent amount of time prepping for NASPA/ACPA, but I’m trying not to spend too much time worrying about it. My interviews are hovering around the high single digits, and I don’t really want to add too many more than that. One of this week’s phone interviews invited me on campus (it was the one I knew I nailed) and so I’m maintaining my strict criteria.

There are two things I’m concerned about:

NASPA/ACPA is a lot longer than OPE and I’m hoping for some tips on how to shore up my energy. My initial interviews are pretty spread out, but I know that the socials can go to a pretty late hour (if memory from last year serves). Should I be scheduling power naps? Or is that an even worse idea since I might sleep through an interview?
How many campus interviews are too many? I remember my friends last year only going on one or two, but I’m well past that (and I of course don’t have a job offer yet). I recognize that I started the timeline a little earlier, but with this most recent offer my schedule is getting congested. I have missed a lot of work, and a considerable amount of one of my classes. My supervisor is amazing and supportive about the process, but even when I am told to go I worry about how very little I am working this semester. After March I don’t have a lot of vacation time left to collect on, and there are only so many hours in the week when I am not in class that I am actually available to work. I have already turned down one school, but I’m thinking anymore campus interviews I need to think hard about whether I really want the position.

This weekend I did have the pleasure of doing something I hadn’t done in forever: going out to dinner with friends. I haven’t blogged much about my personal life and that’s in large part because I have not had a personal life for the last month. I’ve been a candidate (did I mention that I’m now single? Such is the toll of the job search, and such is the grace of the job search that I’ve had this massive diversion). So we went to this little hole in the wall Italian place and it was nice. The food was good, we had some wine (I should say they did, In Medias Res isn’t much of a drinker), and we talked. Since we’re all grad students in the same program obviously we talked about the job search. I have no doubt that we will all get fabulous jobs. We cycled through the job search stuff pretty fast though (it does get old after a while), and after that we returned to the usual topics: how much class sucks, how much work sucks, how much we will miss each other, how exciting it is to be almost done. We went on sort of a wild goose chase on our way to the bar (where I did actually drink a beer) and I remembered how much fun these people are when you strip away all of the student affairs BS. I know I can’t take all of them to my next job (unless we managed to find the most understaffed institution in North America, and who wants to work there).

Oh and I successfully defended or as a friend put it, “I won!” Which means job or not I will graduate.

So for the next post (and to make me laugh) I want triumphs, horror stories, wacky anecdotes, and whatever else you want to share about your NASPA & ACPA experiences. Y’know what? Let’s make it all professional conferences! I’ll post them right before I leave (either Wednesday or Thursday) so the cut off will Wednesday at Noon EST just to standardize stuff. You can send them to In-Medias@hotmail.com. Let me know whether it’s okay to include your info or if you want me to give you an alias (and an alias if you want to provide one). Hopefully people will actually respond to this, so I don’t have to blog next week.

In Medias Res # 13- Hardly Starving

2007-03-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

I know I just posted, but I am trying to think about something other than my upcoming defense, and I need to stop looking at apartments in towns that i don't have a job in yet. So I figured I would blog.

I had three (!) phone interviews yesterday and I have a couple more scheduled for next week. I know when I blow a phone interview, and yesterday I think I just hit a wall. Two of the schools I know I did a good job of expressing my strengths and weaknesses. In fact one of the interviews I have to say was my best so far, because I’ve finally started to relax. I was honest, upfront, and frank. I think they really liked me.

The first interview I did yesterday though? Bad news. This was a school that a couple of weeks ago I was really excited about, but as my situation has changed, and I start to feel the exhaustion of running around the country kick in, this position just seems less appealing. Of course, they asked me all the same questions that everyone asks. Of course, I put on that stupid cruise director’s voice and said things that only marginally represented my strengths and skills as a professional. Two days ago when I was looking at my schedule for the week I really just wanted to cancel the damn thing, but I am not secure enough in my knowledge that a job is forthcoming that I was ready to do that.

I find that the more I do these campus visits the less I prepare for them. A part of this is time: they are falling on top of each other and I don’t have the hours to while away reading websites. A bigger part of this is energy. If I don’t get some time to myself before the Joint Conference I worry about what I’m going to draw on to get through three or four days of interviews. I don’t have nearly as much on my plate as Pick Me (good luck with that! My informal advice: tell them the parameters of your search have changed and you don’t want to waste their time).

On a slightly related note: I declined an on campus interview yesterday. I know, it surprised me to, but at this point I’m not just accepting interviews because they are offered. The travel, preparation, and interviewing involved is so draining that I can’t just go. I need a compelling reason, an exciting position, a good institutional fit to get my ass on another airplane. Hopefully I won’t regret these decisions later, but right now it seems like the most sensible decision I could make.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #12-Mistakes or Poor Planning?

2007-03-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. ~Grey's Anatomy

Well, my comprehensive exams are looming in the distance. I don't want to entertain the possibility of failing in my mind, so I refuse to discuss them at all in this post. Therefore, I shall divert your attention to the newest dilemma in my job search process. Too many interviews. Now I know what you are thinking. "Oh, poor 'Pick Me...' too many interviews. Wow, that must really suck. I don't know how you handle it!" I understand the sentiment and would probably be rolling my eyes in disgust if I was reading this post too, however, this is real life for me and I don't know what I should do. Therefore, dear readers, please offer any suggestions you may have.

The situation here is that I was desperate for interviews the first couple of weeks after I put out my applications. I started over Winter Break and so far I have applied to a total of 31 schools and have 21 lined up for ACPA/NASPA. I now realize how absurd I have been. Although I only have one time where I have back-to-back interviews without at least a half-hour break, I know that I accepted some offers for interviews with schools that I was only marginally interested in, but I was flattered and, admittedly, a little desperate. I feel like there is unspoken competition, even if it is only in my head to get interviews. Therefore, any time a school e-mailed me and asked for an interview, I was excited and flattered. Granted, as the time went on and my schedule began to fill up, I began declining offers due to the job description or location of the schools, however, I still accepted four interview offers that, in retrospect, do not in any way line up with what I want out of my first position. However, we have been told to seize the day, he who hesitates is lost, and all of that other crap that just feeds our addiction of validation.

All of this leads me to my dilemma. Since some of my top-choice schools have been a little slower in terms of their process, I have let the schools that have simply fed my need for validation as a competent emerging professional occupy my increasingly precious time slots. Do I e-mail them and tell them "Hey, I know I actively sought you out at first, or readily accepted an invitation to interview with the gusto of a starving man who sees a hamburger for the first time, but now that better offers have come my way, I realize that there is no way I would be happy at your institution and rebuke your offer to interview" ? Clearly, I am being semi-dramatic, but is there really a way to say "thanks, but no thanks" after you were so clearly starving for validation and acceptance a few short weeks ago? Plus, the whole "there are two degrees of separation in student affairs" mantra has been floating through my head at the same time. If I cancel an interview, is there a possibility that a person from that institution will know someone else from an institution that I could actually see myself at in a couple of months?

Ahhh! This is so aggravating! I feel like all of grad school has been leading up to this point of accumulating interview after interview after interview to give yourself the best possible chance of having multiple offers to choose from, instead of a single offer when you are so desperate to have a job that you simply accept because who knows if something better will come along. What happens when this state of existence could actually be hindering your chances of getting the alleged "dream job" that everyone talks about with misty looks in their eye with tones of reverence in their voices? Please, dear readers, help me out. Send me an e-mail if you don't want to add comments. You can find me at: pickmechoosemehireme@yahoo.com Sorry for the continued anonymity. You may be the person that is about to get a poorly worded, stumbling, bumbling version of my "thanks, but no thanks" e-mail!

In Medias Res # 12- Now we’re waiting, on the miracle, on the miracle to come.

2007-03-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Good lord I love me some Leonard Cohen.

I was trying to decide what to write about this week since it feels like I haven’t written in forever. Of course, I posted just last week, but I have also lived a lot in the last week (to crib a page from Christopher Isherwood). So let’s get on with it.

First things: this campus interview? Nothing like the last campus interview. I am starting to realize that my experience, dear reader, is slightly atypical. Most of my friends- if they are going on campus- are going starting this week. I have yet another on campus coming up, which means with ACPA/NASPA the week after that I will have spent more than 60% of the month of March away from my wonderful apartment. I miss my bed. I miss my couch. I miss my laptop. I miss sleep. It is a good thing I don’t have pets. Of course, my defense is also this week, and I will keep you updated on what happens there. If I fail to graduate then the whole premise of this blog is somewhat moot. Of course while I was out of town and unreachable lots of interviewers tried to get in touch with me to talk logistics, so I have lots of calls to return on Monday.

But back to the interview. I got to the campus with little to no trouble and indulged myself in some sushi (which is apparently my pre-interview ritual now). I figured out where I would be interviewing the next day, and headed back for some sleep. Airports suck, and traveling for whatever reason is just completely draining. I got to the interview site, and the onslaught begins: one conversation after another, questions get repeated, people get reintroduced. I would almost say that the highlight again was meeting with the student search committee, but really this time the best part was talking to my potential supervisor.

I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I will say that the conversation we had was powerful. We touched on a lot of aspects of theory, practice, and experience, and I got asked very intelligent and pointed questions. Not that the previous supervisor I interviewed with didn’t do the same, but there was something about the frankness of the conversation this time; the clear ability I was being afforded to be transparent and honest that really struck me. I knew that if I chose to work with this person I could learn a great deal.

Again, I did not walk away for the interview knowing I had this job. Has anyone ever done that? There were certainly interviews at OPE where I knew I was on fire, and there were moments through out the day where I sensed that I was connecting with people. I will say that should I not get an offer from either campus I will be deeply disappointed (Have I not typed that out like fifty times? At least). If I get an offer from both I will not only be shocked, but it will be very very difficult for me to make a decision.

The rest of spring break was uneventful despite some travel bumps that prevented me from getting any downtime before I return to work. As such the rest of this week I am really rushed with school, work, and preparing for the next interview. Right after I return it is the big gear up for the Joint Conference and around that time I should find out where I stand with these two jobs. So the next post might be elated or depressing, or patiently expectant.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #11: Thinking

2007-03-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

"My head is full." ~Patient
"It's called thinking. Go with it." ~Meredith Grey

First, an apology is in order for my dear readers. Yes, I realize that it has been almost two weeks since my last update. Yes, I realize that this is unacceptable. Yes, I am deeply apologetic. However, I have a very good reason for being a slacker:

I ACCEPTED A JOB OFFER!!!

Did you fall for it? Sorry, I couldn't help it! No, I have not accepted a job offer, however I have been super busy with other things in my life. First, I agree with Media Res. that job searching could be a full-time job. However, for some reason, I really enjoy pretty much every single thing about the process. I love checking higheredjobs.com, studentaffairs.com, and the ACPA/NASPA website for new job postings. I love looking at job descriptions, love going to institution's websites, love distilling the job description down into neat and an orderly Excel spreadsheet, love going on weather.com to see what the weather is like now (as well as during winter times), love seeing what type of town/city the institution is located and what kinds of things there are to do, love telling my friends about an exciting new prospect, and love writing cover letters (yes, I realize I'm a dork). Basically, I love crafting a new life for myself in an hour or less based solely on a page or two job description.

I think that my semi-obsessive love of job searching has paid off. I now have 17 interviews which is simultaneously exciting and super scary/intimidating. I was talking with some of my friends who have a healthy amount and once again, the guilt crept into my mind. However, I did start the job search over Winter Break and have applied to over 30 schools. Ridiculous, I realize. To put it in perspective, one of my mentors INTERVIEWED for 40 different positions at ACPA and went on TWELVE site visits. He says that people still talk about him with reverance with a misty look in their eye. I told him that he was being dramatic, but there is a part of me that has that number in the back of my mind. I realized this about half-way through my search and slowed down a little bit, but it is tempting to apply for everything that sounds remotely interesting, especially since I'm doing a semi-national search. However, I just went through my spreadsheet to double-check my motivations, and I am happy to say that any of the jobs that I have interviews with I would accept positions for if on-campus interviews went smoothly and felt congruence with the environment.

That last sentence leads me into my next topic. My comprehensive exam for my graduate program is fast approaching. It is next weekend (t-minus 12 days) and I already feel like my head is full. Last week was our Spring Break and I spent the entire week studying with some of my friends who decided to stay on campus. Let's just say that I am slightly peeved that my last Spring Break as a student was spent holed up in a computer lab discussing Chickering ad nauseum. I am not necessarily mad to have to show my professors that I have actually been awake and learning for the past 18 months, but I am more mad that we have to take a test. A test! You would think that for a field that goes on and on about the wonders of experiential learning, learning styles, and the evils of standardized testing a more appropriate form of assessment would be in order! Enough venting...

I guess the whole point of this post was to make the point that I now feel like a have three-full time jobs. Let's be honest, Res. Life for a grad is basically full-time, I am studying whenever I have a break in my day, and whenever I don't have work, class, or am studying, I am doing job searching. I feel like my head is truly full! I have so many projects, theories, and prospects floating through my consciousness that it is hard to be productive on any one thing at one time. I find myself smushing everything together like today when I managed to say the following to one of my RA's during a 1:1. "So, if I find a job in California, I feel like I will probably experience a major life transition like Nancy Schlossberg talked about in her theory of transition, but if I'm at a school where the Res. Life is aligned with my own personal values and skills, then I think I'll be okay." Who says that? Seriously! I am going crazy! I just need to take this test, dump out all of that theory, and move on with my life. Until next time!

In Medias Res # 11: We make money like Fred Astaire

2007-03-12T14:30:00.001-07:00

Ok, that title has nothing to do with anything. I've just been listening to a lot of Interpol lately.

This post was originally titled, “Bad things happen in threes” because there was a series of upcoming events that I wanted to address and they were all sort of grouped in threes. But this morning I scheduled two more phone interviews and two more ACPA/NASPA interviews so that title is no longer apropos. That said, let’s just get on with the updates.

I can not even pretend that I really feel like a student anymore. Especially with the reduced class load, and the fact that I have missed one course twice already for job interviews, school is the last thing on my mind. This is probably bad because I have my defense coming up, but I do feel as if I could sleep walk through that at this point. No, dear reader, I now feel like I’m job searching full time and school/work are hobbies I fit in around that. This is in large part because starting last week, and basically through the end of March I am traveling. OPE, three (!) campus interviews, and then the Joint Conference have come down the pipeline in rapid succession. The nice young man at the dry cleaner’s knows my face and my favorite blue suit very well. One of the main reasons I am hoping for an offer before NASPA/ACPA would be to cancel my interviews and use that time in Orlando as a freaking vacation! I’m going to need it.

The campus interviews have really slowed down my progress on the initial application front. I admit I will be very disappointed if one of these three interviews does not turn into a position. Some of the OPE schools have made it clear that they are pursuing my candidacy, while others I think are on a slower time table because of NASPA/ACPA. One school had the courtesy (discourtesy?) to contact me directly to let me know I would not be getting a campus interview. Thanks?

Ever since I got invited to the first campus I have been trying to tell only a limited number of people about my interviews. This became difficult since I had to miss class, and since grad school has that small hermetic hot house atmosphere where word travels fast. I wasn’t telling people because to a certain extant I think I will be embarrassed if I don’t get any of these jobs. As the date approached though, my excitement couldn’t be contained. I told lots of people and now I can very easily see myself doing damage control in three weeks when I have no job and few prospects.

The first on-campus was a whirlwind. Interview after interview, and by the end of the day I just felt like I had nothing relevant left to say. Have you ever been on a campus interview? Did you feel the need to constantly be ‘on’? There were certainly some instances where I found myself saying what I thought people wanted to hear. This wasn’t so much me being dishonest as me, y’know trying to get a job. I did really enjoy meeting with the students and getting an idea of how the school worked (I am getting a degree in higher education after all. I should be a little bit interested). At the end of it all as I packed up my luggage and thought back on the day I could not really get a sense of perspective. Had I done well? Was I ingratiating? Could they see me in the position?

I won’t know the answer to those questions for a couple of weeks. They have some more candidates to meet with, and I have another interview to go on this week. Everyone keeps asking me, “In Medias Res, what would you choose if all three positions get offered to you?” When people ask that I say two things in response: 1) I won’t know until I’ve been to each campus. 2) There’s a snowball’s chance in hell that’s gonna happen. So stop asking that question.

Rereading this post I know it sounds more self loathing then I mean it to. I’m actually feeling pretty good. There’s a good possibility that I might have a job soon. All of the leads are at schools that I would be proud and excited to work at. After my first on-campus I know I’m at least competent and marketable, and honestly the possibility that this is the home stretch? That’s damn exciting!

Briefly, I’m going to get on a soapbox: one of the other bloggers took the time out to inform prospective graduate students that they should respond to all emails they get from potential employers. I’m not sure if her remarks included just general solicitation emails or some more specific form of communication. It never occurred to me especially when I was getting the deluge of OPE requests to look at your school that you expected me to reply. Especially when you don’t address the email to me, or make the message in anyway stand out from a mass email. I don’t usually respond to spam (I know it’s probably a horrible thing to compare being contacted by a school to spam, but in a lot of cases that’s what it felt like. And that’s the edgy sort of commentary you come here for.) So here’s a thought: I do read the email-if you would like to me indicate my interest either way put that in the email. And I will gladly reply. Alright dear readers! I’m off on another world wind adventure. I will update you at my earliest convenience, which is unfortunate as nothing about my future appears convenient.

In Medias Res #10- OPE is a beast that will not die

2007-03-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

Whoa-Joey Lawrence, on TV’s Blossom

I figured I’d steal a page from my co-blogger’s play book and use a classic TV moment to frame my discussion. Seriously, after Oshkosh that’s exactly how I feel. Have any of you, dear readers, been through the gauntlet before? It is alternately maddening, frightening, energizing, fun, and ridiculous. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about OPE is a placement exchange that happens every year in Oshkosh, Wisconsin primarily for Residence Life departments. There are other regional placements, but OPE is supposedly the biggest and it is truly a national exchange.
I had a decent number of interviews going in, and just as I was told would happen schools offered me more once I got there. I found myself being picky, however, and so I only added one interview (and it was with a school that I contacted after reading their materials). Now, a day out and miles and miles away I sort of appreciate how much fun the whole thing was. It was great to connect with lots of people passionate about Student Affairs away from a traditional conference setting. Most of my interviews I really enjoyed, some I didn’t care for at all, but the process certainly helped me hone my message for future interviews. I also feel much more comfortable about transitioning back into Residence Life, and I have a much clearer set of expectations for what I want in a position/institution.
Three interviews went gangbusters, and one of those schools I really expect to turn into an on campus. That might not sound like a lot, but it only takes one offer. Similarly there were lots of campuses that I met with who were just not the right fit, and I’m glad that I know that now!
So for those of you who will be making the pilgrimage next year (or for curious employers or other candidates) here’s a breakdown of OPE from my perspective:

The Good Stuff:
· Everybody at OPE wants you to succeed
· Employers are actually excited to talk to you
· All the socials have food. Yay free food for broke grad students!
· Unlike ACPA/NASPA you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything by being in interviews all day.
· You get lots of surprises, gifts, and candy in your mailbox. Yay free stuff for broke graduate students!
· Overwhelmingly people are extroverts and they want to make you comfortable.
· You get to wear a tie (ok, that’s my own personal preference).
· People will always talk to you in the waiting rooms. You can learn a lot about the field just by chatting with your neighbor. Sometimes people will even clap as you head into your interview.
· Free food, clothes, bags, jump drives, fans (anything you can slap a logo on). Sorry, but the free stuff was pretty phenomenal.
· You will be a professional interviewer by the end. You will also be deeply flattered.

The Bad Stuff:
· The days are long.
· The tempo can be hectic. I tried to schedule myself breaks, but as the interview requests piled up I found myself doing a lot of running around.
· The weather was horrible (although that’s nobody’s fault).
· The tension of competition is inevitable.
· OPP-Other people’s problems (anxiety can kind of float around the wrong waiting room like a virus)
· If you are an introvert (or let’s just say not an extreme housing style extrovert) the socials will be a challenge
· Dress shoes. (When is it going to become ok for anyone but Justin Timberlake to wear a tie and sneakers and look formal?)

The Stuff you need:
· Stamina, although you need that for Res Life anyways
· Prepared answers
· Thank you notes! (Safe equation: 3X the number of interviews you have pre-arranged)
· A reason why you are interested in the school. “You contacted me” is not an appropriate response.
· Patience. Interviewers get backed up. People get lost or confused. The nervous people in the waiting room get loud and process externally.
· Headphones, a book, or something to help you get your head out of OPE for a minute.
· Good Friends! If I had had to do OPE by myself I would have crashed within the first day.

Without people to process, support, and encourage you the whole process would have been much scarier. If it’s at all possible to take people you like with you do it! Aside from splitting the cost of a hotel room, having a shoulder to lean on and someone to fix your tie/collar/hair makes the whole thing less painful.
On the whole, if you’re searching in Residence Life next year I strongly recommend it. Going in I got mixed messages from people, but the process is flexible enough that it is what you make of it. Taken solely as a chance to get insight and network though, OPE is invaluable. I can’t wait till next year, when I’m dying to be on the other side of the table asking candidates: “Tell me a little bit about yourself. Something that’s not on the resume. Oh, and spin this plate on your nose as you do it.”

On a related note: I have two on campuses and another employer just called to check my references. I really need to get to cracking on setting up some ACPA/NASPA stuff. I only have two interviews!

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

2007-02-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

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.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #9- Priorities

2007-02-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

If you knew this was your last day on Earth, how would you wanna spend it? ~Grey's Anatomy

It has been (simultaneously) a great and horrific week for me. There was an incident on campus that I somehow found myself to be in the middle of, even though it really didn't have anything to do with me or my position. It made me clarify many of my professional values which, I suppose, is a good thing, but it isn't exactly a fun process. The whole thing was just very draining. Thankfully, the situation worked itself out and in turn, I have been absolutely amazed and in awe of many students in my professional world. They mobilized themselves in ways that I have never seen before and the end result was something that I didn't really think was possible. In turn, my faith in the profession has been restored.

On a much lighter note, I think I've realized that I actually do want to go into Residence Life. As I was reading the last entry by Media Res, I realized that I actually like the unexpected aspects to Residence Life. While I am a hard-core MBTI "J" I like not ever having a typical day at work. A perfect example of this was a blog by Makenzie, one of my new RAs:

"At one point this evening, I was eating a warm chocolate chip cookie and wandering around the back room wearing a plastic police vest and attempting to pronounce the warnings written in foreign languages on a shredder box. So were Riley and our supervisor. Just another day in the life of an Res. Life staff member. Who knew a job could be so fun?"

Riley's recent Xanga post:

"I finally let a little bit of it sink in and I just started to cry...these people have become my family, this building my home. I started thinking how we warned all the new people, etc. that once training is over we never see as much of each other, and while that may be true for a few staff members, for the majority of us, the opposite of that has occurred. We're ALWAYS down in the back room, we've all become so comfortable with each other. Tonight after a Taco Bell run, when I was just chatting it up with two of the guy RAs about random stuff, I realized how much they have become like brothers to me. I am going to miss everyone so much. Uhhhh I can't even fathom not being here! I mean I know I will still see a lot of these people, but it won't be the same, and some won't even be in the state anymore!"

The combination of these two posts pretty much sum up how I feel about Residence Life. I love the random, unexpected nature of this job. Additionally, the bonds that are created and the feeling of becoming a family is (in my opinion) unrivaled in other functional areas of Student Affairs. I think there is an unspoken bond that occurs within staff members in a residence hall and it is something that I want to continue to be a part of as I grow as a professional. In short, if I knew this was my last day on Earth, I would want to be surrounded by the people that I love and the people that I consider to be my family. I would want to be surrounded by my staff.

PS I have my first phone interview this week with my dream school! Scary/exciting/thrilling/nerve racking!

In Medias Res #9: Culinary school was not an option

2007-02-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

One of the things I really love to do that tends to get way laid in the process of getting a masters degree is cooking. Since the last few weeks have been an utter marathon, and the next few weeks seem to be more of the same, I decided to carve out a little bit of time for myself and mess around in the kitchen this weekend. I did this because I have some solid job prospects, OPE is right around the corner, and my final comp is more or less done. I need something to simultaneously reward and distract myself.

I grew up in a house with lots of picky eaters. So while both of my parents were pretty good cooks it was a lot of the same. When I got out on my own and had my own kitchen I liked to be a little more adventurous. In college, because I lived so close to a farmer’s market, I would take cookbooks out of the library and make fun exotic stuff. As far as Grad school goes it’s a little bit harder to come by some of the more esoteric ingredients (hell, it’s hard to come by fresh ginger) so I tend to cook a little more traditionalist.

Last week I found a recipe for General Tso’s chicken on the web, and I knew that this was what I was going to make this weekend. I love Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian flavors…anything from the Asian continent I’m pretty much a fan of. General Tso’s is my absolute favorite though, and especially where I live now it’s hard to come by a good iteration. (We actually have some decent food in town. The Chinese restaurants seem for some reason to really slack on this dish. The breading is neither crunchy nor sticky. It basically just falls of the chicken, and the sauce is loaded with sugar).

I mention all this because as I’m cooking I reflect. I cook alone, without music or the TV, and so I’m basically left with my thoughts. One of the things that has been bugging me a lot lately was whether I really want to go into residence life. When I have lived and worked in the halls I loved it, but I worry that it’s one of those jobs that consumes too much of your life. I know that in Student Affairs I’m never going to work strictly 9 to 5, but I would like to have a life post-graduate school. Last night I went out with a bunch of Hall Directors and although they are a happy and lively bunch I think that evening was sort of atypical for them. There were no emergency calls. There was no need to rush back to the building. Most of the concerns that I’m mulling are being raised by people who were Res Lifers and got out. For whatever reason the job burned through them, and now they are

When I started looking I was almost exclusively interested in Residence Life. Now that I’m a candidate for these two other positions the prospect of moving back in is less exciting. I suppose this is a natural part of the process, at least for individuals like myself who are not completely tied to one aspect of student affairs. I didn’t figure out what I wanted, but I did make some fabulous General Tso’s. Here’s the recipe for those of you who cook:

Ingredients for the sauce:
1 tablespoon double-concentrate tomato paste, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon potato starch (corn starch can be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
11/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons chicken stock or water

Ingredients for the chicken:
12 ounces (about 4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons potato starch (corn starch can be substituted)
1 quart peanut oil, more as needed, for frying
6 to 10 dried red chile peppers
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Scallions, sliced thinly, for garnish.

Procedure
1. Make the sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.

2. Make the chicken: Unfold the chicken thighs; lay on a cutting board. Remove as much of the sinew as possible. (If some parts are very thick, cut in half horizontally.) Slice a few shallow crosshatches into the meat; cut each thigh into roughly 1/4-inch slices, and place in a large bowl. Add the soy sauces and egg yolk; mix well. Stir in the potato starch and 2 teaspoons peanut oil; set aside.

3. Using scissors, snip the chile peppers into 1/4-inch pieces, discarding seeds. Set aside.

4. Pour 3 1/2 cups peanut oil into a large wok or deep saucepan or enough oil to rise 1 1/2 inches from the bottom. Set over high heat until oil reaches 350 to 400 degrees. Add half the chicken; fry until crisp and deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate. Repeat with second batch of chicken. Pour oil into a heatproof container, and wipe the wok or saucepan clean.

5. Place wok or saucepan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil. When hot, add chile peppers and stir-fry for a few seconds, until they just begin to change color. Add the ginger and garlic; stir-fry for a few seconds longer, until fragrant. Add the sauce, stirring as it thickens. Return chicken to wok, and stir vigorously to coat. Remove from heat; stir in the sesame oil, and top with scallions. Serve with rice.

It’s incredibly easy and almost certainly is one of the best things I’ve ever made. And don’t take this to mean I have a secret longing to be a chef. For anyone who has ever worked in a kitchen, you know the pace is about 400x faster than what a slow methodical cook like myself enjoys. Next time I post will probably be with updates from OPE.

In Medias Res# 8.5: Good news for people who love good news

2007-02-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

Some thoughts:
The programming intensity is mostly over. Just jobs and school from here on out.

When it rains it pours: I have a phone interview tomorrow that I just set up and the other day I got invited to come out for a campus interview.

Yet, so far: only one ACPA/NASPA interview.

In Medias Res # 8: The 2008 Student Affairs Job Hunt and other things I want to avoid

2007-02-19T12:55:00.001-08:00

This weekend I threw a bunch of students in a van and drove for a couple hours to a conference. I mention this because it was my first time supervising students outside of a campus context. It was also really fun. It was also really boring.
“What now?”, you say to me. How can I have fun and be bored? Well this is the subtle and complex nature of one such as myself, In Medias Res. It was fun to watch the students become engaged, empowered, make connections, discover resources, and generally be filled with lots of new ideas. It was boring because there were maybe two sessions for advisors (one of which I missed), and on the whole I was not the target audience. But I had a good time, and the students had a GREAT time which made it all worthwhile.
One of the things I did get to do at the conference was facilitate a discussion regarding spirituality development. That process really reinforced for me the desire to being doing that sort of work, and although I keep getting politely declined when I apply for those sorts of jobs I’m going to keep at it. I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
Of course, despite my being out of town the job search didn’t really stop. My OPE schedule is pretty full (I’m not nearly as scheduled as some of my friends, but I can simultaneously be choosier-I don’t have to find a job near a partner- and coy-I have a pretty clear idea of what I want- so I’m not racking up 14 schools). I am excited about placement even though its sneaking up on me faster than I would like.
NASPA/ACPA is a whole other matter (as are the jobs I’ve applied for that aren’t attending a placement). No one seems in a hurry to set up interviews, at least not with me. Lots of the jobs I want I can’t even apply for yet, because they aren’t up on HR sites. It will be interesting to see how that plays out, if it will be a rush to schedule interview the week before.
The one main thing I got done for the search this week was an involved application. I had to have people submit multiple letters of recommendation, the coordination of which was a major pain in the ass. I mean, I’m still technically entry level. How serious can this process be?
The nice thing about going away this weekend was I got to spend time with a practitioner who I really respect and admire. This person is the sort of student affairs pro that I want to be when I grow up. They are confident, knowledgeable, compassionate, and engaged (despite being in the field for quite some time). It was great to pick their brain regarding ideas and concerns about the job search.
The next two weeks I’m focusing on getting more and more apps out for NASPA/ACPA. I would like to have three to four really solid prospects set up going into OPE to keep the desperation level down. I also really need to sit down and start researching programs. Some of these schools I applied to based on reputation alone, and so I don’t really know why I want to work there (other than that someone has told me I would).
A last thought: a good friend of mine got his dream job last year, and after 10 months in the position he’s job searching again. This bothers me for a couple of reasons (among them is the fact that we will now be competing for the same jobs). I look at the resources that were available to him though, and what he did and did not take advantage of and I can see why he might have one foot out the door. It is always hard to move to a new place, to make new friends, and start a new(er) life. There are, though, things that can make that easier. Like getting involved in community organizations outside of the campus. His experience has really highlighted for me the need to do my due diligence on future jobs so that I know it’s possible to have a life outside of work. Because good lord, I don’t want to be doing this again next year.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #8 Life is Good!

2007-02-18T19:25:00.001-08:00

Today is the day people, today is the day when Dark and Twisty Meredith disappears forever, and Bright and Shiny Meredith takes her place! You're probably not gonna want to be friends with me anymore, because the sheer intensity of my happiness will make your teeth hurt, but that's OK, because life is good. Life is good. ~Meredith Grey

I am happy! Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy! First, my staff is absolutely amazing. I was recently talking with one of my RAs (who will most likely be going into CSP) about getting a "real job." Her response was "Whatever, when I'm a Hall Director it won't really be a real job. You are surrounded by college students 24/7! You get snow days and summers off and random stuff all day and night. I don't know any 'real job' where you could be awoken at 3am to the sounds of a 4 piece male acapella group practicing in the hallway." I have to say that I agree!

While my staff is amazing, there have been other developments in my life that have led to my ridiculous amount of happiness. This week I set up a phone interview with my dream school! Okay, I know everyone has their "dream school," but this really does fit EVERY category that I could ever think of for a school. It is my dream location, dream size, dream residence life department, dream job description, dream salary, and it would allow me to experience a different type of institution.

Although my dream school has asked for a phone interview, I find it extraordinarily ironic that, of the five schools that have requested to speak with me further about my qualifications, my dream school was the only one who requested a phone interview. All of the other schools have gone straight to interviews at ACPA/NASPA. Hopefully, I can woo them with my wit and intellect in order to woo them even further in Orlando! Wish me luck!

Life, is indeed, good!

PS Another reason for my extreme happiness is that I've received my first response post from a loyal reader! Thanks for the sympathies about being single!!!

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #7- Too Much

2007-02-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

How do you know when how much is too much? Too much too soon. Too much information. Too much fun. Too much love. Too much to ask... And when is it all just too much to bear? ~Meredith Grey

Since my co-blogger has logged four posts after my last one, I've decided that it was time to update the world (or the 400 people who have read this...yay!) on what has happened in approximately a week and a half.

First, I now have a total of FOUR interviews set up for ACPA. I have no idea if this is good, weak, or somewhere in the middle. I just know that they are all with schools that I am actually interested in and I could see myself working at in the future, so by my standards, I'm kicking butt and taking names.

Second, there has been a true-to-life blizzard, and I can't remember the last time I have had more fun with students! We have been buried the last few days and my institution actually cancelled classes for a day, which as you know is basically unheard of in higher ed! I have been sledding, made an attempt at a snowman, declared war in a snowball fight, made snow art with spray paint and some artistic residents, and warmed myself up with a cozy residence hall lounge and some steaming hot chocolate. It is days like this when I think I could be okay working in colder climates!

Third, and finally, in case you weren't aware, today is Valentine's/Singles Awareness Day. Yes that's right, I will let the world know that I am indeed single. I have been for awhile and after reading some of Media Res' posts as well as the Dual Job Search blog, I have to say that I think this is probably a good time to be single. No one else to think about. No reason not to be selfish. No one else that is depending on you to make a good decision not only for yourself, but also for a relationship. Although all of this makes perfect logical sense, I have to say that I wish I was in a relationship now more than ever. Yes, a dual job search would be rough, but at least you wouldn't be alone. You would have someone to confide in, scream at after a botched interview, or simply sit in silence with after getting a rejection letter. I'm sure it would make my life more complicated, but aren't life's complications what makes it so fun and interesting? When is it all too much to bear?

In Medias Res #7: Over and over and over and over. Like a Monkey with a miniature cymbal

2007-02-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

5 points to the first person who can identify the blog title. I'll give you a hint: Its a British band.

Whoo. Another phone interview behind me. This one was for the dream job. At the dream school. It went better than the last one. I was happier with my answers this time around, although of course there’s still stuff I’d change. It seems no matter what there is always a question that just trips me up. I think a lot of it is nerves and a lot of it is a desire to sound intelligent, rather than to just say something worthwhile. I hear myself during these interviews and sometimes with my word choices I just cringe.

The timeline for this job is pretty fast. They are looking to do campus interview in the next couple of weeks, which means on the off chance they want to bring me to campus I will have to squeeze it in around class and Oshkosh. That’s’ sort of a nightmare in itself, but honestly I want this job so bad I’d do cartwheels onto the plane if they asked me.

I spent the weekend getting caught up on stuff, but the applications have really suffered. I went on the website for the joint conference today and I have 40 positions saved on my profile. I think I’ve applied to maybe five. When am I supposed to find the time to fill out forty applications? And why do I think it’s a good idea to have forty applications out there? Do I want to do forty interviews? I don’t think so. One of my goals for tonight is to pick the fifteen that I want the most and get those done, and then I’ll see where I am with the other twenty five.

In Medias Res #6: Like a bolt of lightning

2007-02-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Last night I was sort of manic over the slow progress of my search. This morning I got two more interviews. One of which is with one of my dream schools in my dream job that I applied for just as a fluke. Honestly, never anticipated that I'd get a call back, let alone an interview. So I am feeling good.

Despite the fact that I need to work on my final comp, that I have programs every night this week and next, and that I'm taking students to a conference next weekend (and somewhere in there I have to take my boyfriend out for valentine's day). In fact, the convergence of all these things is reminding me why I love student affairs!

Given that, the posts are probably going to slow down for the next 2+ weeks. Something's gotta give dear reader. Ok, I have interviews to prepare for.

In Medias Rex #5: Half measures

2007-02-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Not quite up to snuff
So the phone interview was okay. Not great. Not burn the sky with your brilliance. Not awecollent ™. Just okay.
This is sort of disappointing. Granted I had never considered the school before they contacted me, but after quite a bit of internet research I really started to envision myself there. I think it would be a great place to work. I think I would be really happy there.
Now, my hopes are not completely dashed. I still haven’t even spoken with my two dream schools yet (those interviews are in the offing). I also feel like having gone through the gauntlet once, I am much better prepared for next time.
Last year, when I was doing phone interviews it took me three or four of them before I hit my stride. About midway through the interviews I really started to understand what people wanted. I became much more confident and comfortable having hour long conversations over the phone with multiple people, and I had thoughtful answers (because going through the other interviews made me think about them).
I prepared for this interview, don’t get me wrong. I looked over practice interviews. I did background research on the school (and found a couple of really cool programs). But there is something about the anxiety and build up of the first interview. I was completely off my game. I think at one point I even said, “This is my first interview. So be gentle.”
When people ask you questions in an interview, they are looking for a specific answer. You can disagree with me reader, but you would be wrong. Interviewers are looking to hire someone who reflects the mission and values of their institution. And they should! Later, on the bus I realized what the interviewers really wanted to hear (or what they needed to hear, I suppose) and regretted some of the answers I provided. It’s not that I gave the wrong answer, but that I gave an insubstantial answer. There are so many things I would do differently.
And in the next interview I will. Hopefully I redeemed myself later in the interview when I really started to feel confident about the interaction. The interviewers were really kind, and so maybe they’ll give me a little bit of leeway when they make their recommendations.
Alright. There’s still five more interviews I have lined up at various placements as well as all the jobs I haven’t even applied for yet.

In Medias Res #4.75: The gauntlet is thrown!

2007-02-05T16:03:00.001-08:00

Had my first phone interview this morning. Still decompressing from all of the adrenaline I burned through in the interview and the anxiety I built up waiting for the call, so I can’t really say anything interesting about it. But that feeling of anticipation is over. Oh yeah it’s here. And I am wiped out.

Pick Me-Choose Me-Hire Me #6-

2007-02-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

I just need something to happen, I need a sign that things are going to change. I need a reason to go on. I need some hope! ~Meredith Grey

Two words:

DUKE INTERVIEW

And that's all I have to say about that!

(PS In my previous post, I refered to my best friend's alias as Clarissa, but he/she quickly reminded me this morning that he/she wanted his/her moniker to be Chloe. My apologies. Chloe is soooooo much cooler than Clarissa.)

Pick Me! Choose Me! Hire Me! #5- Secrets

2007-02-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna leak all the wrong secrets. I'm a bad liar. I can't even lie about talking to myself. ~George O'Malley

Well, somebody knows that I write this thing. I have NEVER been able to keep secrets, so I don't know why I thought this would be any different. I was told that the only people who would know my identity would be the people that I chose to tell. (The cat's out the bag, loose lips sink ships, a bad case of word vomit, and all of those other secret-telling analogies will fit perfectly here.) While I decided to tell him/her about this blog, it was more out of hope that I would be able to connect my fear, anguish, apprehension, and frustration with another person in my life. While I love Media Res.' additions, I have no clue where they live, what program they are in, or anything else about them. I think by telling "Clarissa" (it was his/her idea for a fake name, not mine. Trust me, I would have not chosen Clarissa. I would have gone for something sassier like Natasha...or Borat.) this whole job search process became real and exponetially scarier.

Before I dwell on the scary factor of the job search, I need to vent. I decided to devote tonight to the job search process. I figured I could spend some time adding to my Excel spreadsheet of positions, do some online applications, and of course, revise some cover letters. Little did I know that it would take over an HOUR to fill out one online application!!! This thing was ridiculous!!! I understand that the Human Resources department needs to know certain information, but was is it really necessary to do a personal credit check as part of the application process! At one point I really thought they were going to ask for a blood sample. Could you imagine the instructions?

"As part of Generic University's application process, we ask that each application prick their finger, press it to the box on the screen, and then hope that you have a specialized biomedical computer screen that can check for genetic abnormalities that would make you an unsuitable candidate for the position of Residence Hall Director. We seek out diverse candidates, but not if we know you are going to drop dead in the next 1-3 years."

Ridiculous.

I still love life. I just don't love crazy applications.

In Medias Res # 4.5: Briefs

2007-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Two of my dream schools have gotten back to me, and so now all I can think about is how amazing it would be to work there. Is this possible? Could I actually get what I want?
Some of the other schools I wasn’t even considering have become more attractive through exploration. I could very easily see myself moving, buying a bike, and exploring trails in my newfound free time. I come from a bike family. We can’t park our cars in the garage because of all the bikes (and there’s only four of us).
I have my first phone interview on Monday. Wish me luck!

Pick Me! Choose Me! Hire Me! #4- Are You Happy Now?

2007-02-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

Gratitude, appreciation, giving thanks. No matter what words you use, they all mean the same thing. Happy. We're supposed to be happy. Grateful for friends, family. Happy just to be alive. Whether we like it or not. ~Meredith Gray

I would like all of my loyal readers (all 2 of you) that I have made a momentous decision in my life. I've decided to be happy. Sure, it doesn't sound like a big deal, but I can feel my happiness and gratefulness slowly being sucked away from me in the craziness of the job search. I recently received an e-mail over my program's listproc that my semi-mortal enemy of the program had gotten his dream job. My immediate reaction wasn't happiness or excitement for him and his new life with a great new job. My reaction was jealously. Where in the HELL did that emotion come from? That's simply not me! That is not who I am! I am a happy person dammit, and I don't like that my first reaction was one of judgment and jealously instead of happiness.

After that startling revelation, I started to think about how I came to this point in my life. I have decided that my program is to blame. Sure, I've probably fed into the beast a little bit, but this program truly breeds competition. We are an entire field of leaders. We are used to being the best at everything and leading everything as well. This become problematic when dozens of these personalities are put in the same classrooms, assistantships, and are constantly in competition for grades, attention from professors, and everything else under the sun. In turn, this environment has turned me into someone that I don't like very much.

With that being said, I am going to fully embrace one of my favorite tenets of the FISH Philosophy which is "Choose Your Attitude." I always tell my RAs that they need to choose their attitude and make the best of any situation, so it is about time that I start following my advice.

In Medias Res #4: Three Variations on a theme-Stress

2007-01-30T16:01:00.000-08:00

It seemed as if my last couple of posts were too cheery. In honor of Blue Monday (1/22/07) here's a meditation on some things that are causing me stress. (Click the link for a classic new wave track to cheer you up afterwards)

1: Motivation, or In Search of Lost Time

The last two weekends I have been intensely focused on the application process. This has been a good thing for my job search. I’ve at least got enough pokers in the fire that if half of my resumes get responses I’ll be in a good position. However, it’s been a bad thing for my academic life. The last two weekends I was supposed to be working on a couple of major projects that come due soon. I literally set aside blocks of time on Saturday and Sunday (and two Mondays past, since it was a holiday) to get ahead, and instead I did resumes and then rewarded myself for doing resumes by relaxing.

I’m not a procrastinator, so this whole lack of academic motivation has been a little weird for me. I don’t feel like I’m procrastinating though. Everything I’ve done has been productive: applications, cleaning the apartment, laundry, uhm…applications. In fact, there’s always something better to do than homework.

Now it’s not as if I’m behind on any of these assignments or my reading. But I do know that the longer I wait to get started the more that these responsibilities will bump up against my work responsibilities and my job search. And this will result in stress. And I know that I’m going to be stressed out either way. So why compound it?

By not working, I’m also giving myself more time to just sort of ruminate on the transition I’m going through.

Here’s the thing about the job search: your grad school friends get it and they’re willing to listen to you complain and they are just as happy not to talk about it. Everybody else though? It’s all they can ask about. Every time my parents call the first thing they ask: “So what’s happening with the job search?” My brother: “Anything cool?” My partner: “Anything close?” Despite the fact that I’m willing to blog about it on a weekly basis, I don’t really need a constant reminder that nothing’s going on.

I did catch up with some friends over the phone this weekend, and it was nice to hear other people complain about work, relationships, and apartments. One friend’s supervisor just got arrested under suspicion of homicide, and the prospect certainly got me out of my head space for a bit.

2: Limited search; or My partner? My ball and chain!

I have been dating someone for the last five months. When we started dating I made it clear that I was graduating in January, and while I have loved going to grad school at my current institution I don’t want to work here. Mostly I just want to start my professional life with a clean slate. At the time it didn’t seem like a big deal. But then things progressed quickly: exclusivity, monogamy, becoming a “we”.

Now I don’t want to take my partner with me anywhere. There are a lot of reasons for this: My partner is in the midst of his own educational program and he won’t be done for sometime. I also really want a fresh start.

So how do you manage this relationship, how do you behave in a way so that no one gets hurt? That last caveat is seemingly impossible from my current vantage point. I do not see a way this can end cordially. In fact, I think the situation will resolve itself in one of three ways:

1) I will move to a new town, start at a new school, and have a partner until one of us gets bored/distracted/interested in someone else. Cue teary phone break up.

2) I break things off before I leave, and I have to walk around campus trying to avoid someone very angry at me.

3) I plunge myself into work so much I fail to realize that I’m not really part of a relationship anymore. This can go on indefinitely.

If I was smart (and oh, if I had a penny for every time I typed that) I would not have gotten myself involved in the first place. I would have backed off earlier. I wouldn’t have capitulated to commitment so easily. So I get to add this extra stressor into the mix of job search, school, and the potential of moving.

3. Someone else’s #@$* up

So yesterday I set up an interview with one of my dream schools (aside: I wrote out a list at the beginning of my job search of places I would love to work in a perfect world. This school was in the top five). While I should have been celebrating, in short order I found out that the reservations for two of my hotel rooms had been screwed up, one of my flights was cancelled, and oh yes, apparently my gas bill was twice its normal size (especially galling considering how long I was home for in December and that my gas was SHUT OFF during that time). This morning I got calls from the hotels and the airline rectifying the problem (and admitting that the error was theirs, not mine. Not surprising since I have the extensive documentation to prove it. Go Js!) But needless to say it pretty much rained on my parade. The next time an airline goes bankrupt I may have to gloat a little. (I know it sucks when people lose their jobs, just give me this one moment of venality dear reader).

Pick Me! Choose Me! Hire Me! #3- Expectations, Schemexpectations...

2007-01-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes the expected simply pales in comparison to the unexpected. You got to wonder why we cling to our expectations, because the expected is just what keeps us steady. Standing. Still, the expected's just the beginning, the unexpected is what changes our lives." ~Meredith Grey

So apparently the unexpected is what will change my life. How do I deal with that when I'm a freakin' 100% MBTI "J". Yep, I'm a Judger. I'm also a Kousez and Posner Encourage the Heart-er and a True Colors Blue. Sometimes I feel stifled by these expectations. The people in my cohort throw around these terms and judge each by the categories on a daily basis. Sometimes I feel forced to make a decision just because people know that I'm a J. Sometimes I just want to embrace my P-ness! (Insert obvious joke here.)

What does this have to do with the job search? Sometimes I wonder myself. I think there are so many expectations for me to succeed, to find the perfect job, to be extraordinarily happy that I just want to scream and tell everyone to back off! AHHHHH! (I feel surprisingly better after that cyber-shout. Thanks for bearing with me.)

First, before another rant takes its toll on me, let me give you a little update on the nuances of my job search. I have applied to three schools and set up an ACPA interview with one of them. The schools run the gamut in terms of my interest level. The first school was not in my geographic region what-so-ever, but they sought me out so I thought I would check out the website. In turn, I semi-fell in love with the department and school. I know, I know, it could just be a glossed over version of reality, but I found myself smiling, laughing, and nodding along with their mission/vision/values statement. The second school was my co#1 choice for my ACUHO-I internship last summer, but the dates wouldn't work with my schedule. I had an amazing connection with the professionals on the other side of the phone, the man in charge of the search is an alum of my grad program, and he was super-psyched when I applied. Plus, the school is in one of my top geographic regions! Hooray for that! Finally, I was also contacted and soon applied to one of the early front-runner schools. Perfect size, super perfect location, and overall great. I have yet to hear if they would like to interview me.

Okay, there's the boring stuff. I was expected to make this somewhat juicy, so here is what I think about the job search:

IT SUCKS

I know, it is not even close to being prolific, but that's what I think. Every single insecurity you have is placed in front of your face and you are asked to defend it. How do you answer the question "What is your worst quality/characteristic/trait?" I usually reach for the standard "Well, I think I am somewhat overcommitted to my job. I usually work more than what is asked of me and often find myself at the office later than I need to be, just to make sure everything is perfect for the next day," when all I really want to say is "I think I'm too emotional, too attached to the students that I work with, sometimes defensive, I judge ignorant and non-accepting people, I really think students are getting increasingly stupid, sometimes I think theory is all a crazy scheme concocted to make me fail Comps, and I have had visions of strangling meddling parents." The problem is that nobody really wants to hear the truth during a job interview. It is a little dance that we play in order to make each other feel good. I make the people feel like they are getting a quality candidate and they make me feel like I have fulfilled their expectations.

Speaking of expectations, let's talk about the fact that I still haven't figured out how to post this damn thing. I still have to go into my e-mail, search for "studentaffairs.com", find the e-mail, and follow the directions in split screen with blogger.com. If I can't even figure this out, then how will I be able to land and hold down a job? Clearly, it has been a rough week. More on this week at a later time. However, I do have to shout-out to my fellow blogger's sensitivity by not stealing my Grey's theme. I truly appreciate the sentiment and hope that your friends aren't too disappointed and still love you, which I'm sure is the case. Except for your friend who is like Cristina...I'm sure he/she is super pissed and already thinks he/she is better than you.

Okay, I have probably depressed all of you enough for one night. I promise that I am normally the "happy" one of my group of friends, but there is something cathartic about having a place that's free of judgement. Well, free of judgement until people start posting comments, which is not meant to deter you. It would actually be nice to know that someone reads this and my thoughts aren't just being put out there into the universe and not bouncing off of anyone.

The end.

In Medias Res #3- A not so brief riposte

2007-01-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

I’ve been trying to write these things in advance, so I don’t fall behind when stuff gets crazy. The problem with that is thing’s change so fast. I’ve scheduled interviews, been declined by schools, but the sentiment here is pretty consistent so I haven’t edited anything.

So even though this is an anonymous blog I already got outed by a friend. Not that I told her, she figured it out herself. There’s two nice things about this: 1) it means people are actually reading, 2) it means my friends know me well enough to pierce the admittedly thin veil I threw up. So kudos, cohort. Kudos.

As we were discussing the blog they decided they wanted their aliases to be Grey’s Anatomy characters in a sort of homage to my co-blogger. Admittedly I’m more of an Office/30 Rock man myself, but I do like to catch up with Seattle Grace when Steve Carell’s in reruns. But it seems like Pick Me is having a bad week, so I'm not going to twist the knife by stealing her shtick. This is gonna have to suffice as a shout out: HEY PUNKS. They did want me to post the following. We were asked the other day to come up with a metaphor for the job search experience:
Learning to ride a bike/Running a race/On the diving block at a swim meet (there were two swim meets actually)/Moving up to the big kid’s table at Christmas/Being a soldier/Wanting a pink Huffy (the women in the room apparently got this one)/Jumping out of a basement window and you’re dying and..(somebody was a little overtired I think, but I still love ya SO)/ Going from the clarinet to the oboe/Getting shot in the butt on the way in and on the way out (also, AA was tired)/ A ship that left port without a navigator/ Bungee jumping & experiencing doubt halfway down/Your spin on Wheel of Fortune/ Like a rollercoaster/ In the carpool lane, picking an exit.

So what does this tell us about SA professionals? We suck at metaphors and the job search is stressful. Very revealing, I know.

One of my favorite critics, Nathan Rabin, is writing about a year of flops/fiascoes over at The Onion. He started with a survey of Elizabethtown which was the last time I can remember a bunch of my friends getting together to go to a movie. We were mixed on the result. Rabin calls it a fiasco, but I really remember enjoying it. He takes his definition for a fiasco from the film:

As somebody once said: There’s a difference between a failure and a fiasco. A failure is simply the non-presence of success. Any fool can accomplish failure. But a fee-ass-scoe, a fiasco is a disaster of mythic proportions. A fiasco is a folk tale told to others that makes other people feel more alive because. It. Didn’t. Happen. To. Them.

I liked Elizabethtown because it was slow and meditative and I am enchanted with the idea of going on the sort of road trip that ends the film. I got to do one just like it this past summer on the way to my internship. I found in the process of driving, and in reading Rabin’s description of Elizabethtown I was reminded of this, that I am a slower and more meditative person than I give myself credit for. I think this can only help me in the job search, as the process is long and (in many ways) methodical. There are stages, and critical questions to be asked, and it is a great deal more cerebral than physical. To that extant I have been unconsciously collecting tales of other people’s job hunt fiascos and while I don’t have the space or time to recount them, the one thing they all have in common: recounted in hindsight they actually sound a lot like fun. There’s a book I love about a fiasco of a romantic relationship (but I’ll withhold the title, to maintain the slightest shred of anonymity-I talk about this book that much and it’s that obscure) that closes with the narrator wondering if given the chance would he repeat his decisions. On seeing his younger self, on the precipice of entering into a long drawn out soul draining process, he ends the book simply with, “Of course. It’s exhilarating. Even bad things can be exhilarating. I’m looking forward to it.” Although I’m seriously hoping that my job search doesn’t end with the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, I am ready for the actual hunt part to begin. I thought I would feel that way after I got some apps out or after I scheduled some interviews, but it doesn’t. I want things to start. I’m looking forward to it.

Pick Me! Choose Me! Hire Me! #2 Pure and Total Exhaustion

2007-01-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

I get angry when I go without sleep. ~Dr. Christina Yang on Grey's Anatomy

There are 99 days until graduation.

I don' t have a job.

I don't know where I'm living.

I haven't started studying for Comps.

Everyone in the program is making me mad for one reason or another.

I feel like I may fall asleep and never wake up again which sounds fairly appealing at this point.

In Medias Res #2-"After me comes the flood"

2007-01-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

I feel as if I just left a path of destruction in my wake. Friday afternoon I came into the office to help cover the phones because the rest of the staff was out working an event. Mind you, Friday is my day off and I am so kind and committed I came in anyway. One of the benefits of coming in was a completely distraction free workspace. So I booted up my office computer and my personal laptop and I became ‘Jobman’. Decimating resumes, applications, and cover letters as I steamrolled through the Oshkosh listings I got eight (8!) applications out in the span of a few hours. Obviously the steamroller effort resulted in a few mistakes: I forgot to attach a cover letter to one email (a situation I quickly remedied) and I determinedly typed out OshKosh in the first three letters until someone explained to me that’s the company and not the town. [1] All in all though I feel good. Only one school has gotten back to me so far, but I do have an interview scheduled. So I’m batting one for two, (or one yes, one no, out of nine applications) although I’m not counting the first disinvite because they changed the qualifications on me. But I have at least one job interview scheduled!

I was going through old files this weekend, trying to back things up and I found an old email I had from a friend complaining about his job search last year. I had saved it because it was funny, and as I read it so much of what he complained about were things I was making myself neurotic about. Should I even bother with 10 month positions (what would I do over the summer)? Are the schools that invite me to apply worth looking at if they’re in a part of the country I’d never consider? I can’t expect that Southern Indiana would impress me that much in the interview that they’d completely disabuse me of my preconceived notions. Now that I’ve hit up all the dream schools on the list, it’s time to get down to the practical schools. I’ve broken schools up as such in my job search notebook, and although I think I have a really solid shot at the dreams schools, I figured if I’m spending the money to go out and do placement I should at least put out as many feelers as possible. This doesn’t mean I’m going to accept interviews from everyone, but in case all the dream schools balk at my paltry resume at least I’ll have something to fall back on assuming the schools I’m considering practicals don’t balk too. The system is pretty arbitrary. And then of course there’s the Joint Conference to consider which is only a couple of weeks after OPE and has way way more jobs. So although I’m feeling pretty damn good about getting those resumes out, I know I’ve only scratched the surface (or something equally cliché).

On a completely unrelated note the snow storms that seem to be blanketing fly over country (where I now live) are making me appreciate cold weather more and more. Lots of my grad school friends talk about going back to some place warm. I grew up pretty close to a beach and I can tell you: seasons are a pretty amazing thing. I love walking out of my house at night and seeing falling leaves, or stars, or snow clouds. Things change here and that doesn’t happen so much back home, and the longer I live in cold places the more I start to appreciate how things change.

Finally, a last unrelated note: I just wanted to comment on my co-bloggers last post (we share this blog right?) Kudos to the allies who refuse to work at programs without domestic partnership benefits. I have some friends in heterosexual couples who are experiencing the short end of the Residence Life stick because of outdated and outmoded policies, in addition to all the dedicated LGBT staff members who run into opposition in programs throughout the country because of how closely their life intersects with their jobs (and how uncomfortable people can be with who you choose to live with). I hope lots of candidates are saying the same when they look at schools with regressive or exclusionary policies.
[1] Insteresting side note. Aside from making adorable kids clothes, apparently they used to make a lot of trains in Oshkosh. I like trains.

In Medias Res: Howdy Stranger

2007-01-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

Full disclosure: I posted most of this yesterday and was perfectly happy with it. Then I woke up this morning and figured I'd reread it while I killed time waiting for the bus. In the light of morning like the insecure teenager who lives in my head, I loathed some of what I'd wrote and by exstention loathe myself. So this is the revised version. A second chance at a first impression.
How to begin? How do you provide background to people when you’re supposed to be writing anonymous?I’ve been mulling over how to start this blog. How much background information to give? How much context to lay out? And then I figured, screw it. I’ll just jump in the middle, and let the survivors sort it out.
I will let you in on this[1]: I am a Grad Student. I am almost done, and it is a nice feeling. While I was home during the break, my friends marveled at the prospect that I would have a masters degree soon. Some of my friends have still put off college, so they don’t necessarily understand what student affairs is. I’ve explained it three or four times, but they continue to insist I’m a guidance counselor. Which is only half true. (I like to think I counsel, but I find I provide very little guidance)
Grad school has been its own unique frustrating maddening can’t wait for it to be over version of fun, of course.. I am ready for the next stage of my life, though.
My job search really began back in September when I started to make a list of possible schools, locations for searches, and things I wanted in a job. I did the same thing for grad school, and for my first post-college job (and for college for that matter) and it has always served me well. The list has been through multiple revisions since then and the binder it sits in (yes, I’m a little neurotic) is starting to fill up with position descriptions, placement info, and resume revisions. I should note that in college I was forced to take a business writing course that ingrained the need to do all this in me. This is not instinctive. I sort of have to force myself to do it.
I am not particularly worried about getting a job at this point. More I find I’m concerned with the type of job I can get. I never really had senioritis in college or high school, but if there is a Grad School equivalent, I have it bad. Very very bad. I’ve managed to stay on top of my work, but I find where last year I was pouring over theory books this semester I’m much more concerned about updating my I-pod so I have a soundtrack for the bus ride to campus. Certainly I look forward to discussing Knowing and Reasoning in College, but I look forward to it more if I can pump myself up with some TV on the Radio[2] en route.
The senioritis[3] is playing itself out in the job search too. My list of dream school has grown to forty (I have lots of dreams, apparently), and I have about three, four (depends on your Enron style accounting) versions of my resume. That said, I haven’t really completed any applications. I’ve sent out two resumes to jobs that seemed like they had January start dates, but weren’t explicit (Note to employers-if you’re hiring for January, save us all a lot of frustration and make that clear in your posting. Thanks).
So what am I dreaming about? A school in a decent sized city. This could be Los Angeles or Ann Arbor. I’m looking for a critical mass. I would like a place with diversity; sexual diversity, ethnic diversity, spiritual diversity, diversity of thought. I’d like to work at a place that’s as concerned with my professional development as my ability to execute tasks. I’d like a place what I can experiment (and to fail a little bit). Ideally I’m looking at Residence Life or some form of Social Justice work (although the latter jobs are few and far between). Admittedly I have a soft spot for assessment, but I don’t think I know anyone right out of their grad program who got a job in assessment. However, if you have such a job, leave your info in the comments section, and I will pester you from now to May.
Well, that’s assuming I get over my application anxiety.
This anxiety over sending out resumes has one primary source (and a number of smaller neurotic tributaries, such as “Did I put the right things in my cover letter? Was my cover letter too wordy? Did I order the information correctly in my resume? Did I remove too much relevant experience? Is it too early in the process to be sending out applications? Will they think I’m an over achiever if I send it out this early? Will I be lost in the deluge if I wait? Will I be lost in the deluge if I don’t wait?”
The main reason though, to return to my point, is to begin the job search process is to take it out of the realm of fantasy. Once I start applying to my dream schools and find that they either don’t have openings or I’m under qualified my dreams start to die. Now admittedly I could afford to have a decent number of dreams die. I would say about 36. About 36 of my dreams could die and I’d still be on solid ground. The only reason I got the first two apps out were the solid deadline listed in the posting. I don't want to be the guy that sends things in right before the deadline. I'd like to get ahead a bit (not ahead of the other applicants, but more ahead of my own schedule).
My experiences with job searches have been dispiriting and frustrating. Last year as I was preparing for internship interviews I got unduly excited over schools that didn’t even bother to politely decline me. They just left me hanging. I invested way too much emotional energy in what should have been an exciting process. This time I’m going to keep a distance. Enough to be excited about a job, but only if the employer’s giving me reason to be excited. Admittedly this is a difficult task to set for oneself. I read the Joint Meeting listings and it’s hard not to imagine moving into my two bedroom apartment in the Big City for my dream job.
I want all the possibilities to come true. I want the embarrassment of riches laid at my feet, and I want to pick and choose. “I’ll have a little small public and a tiny slice of that large public. Not too much though. Bureaucracies are bad for my digestion.”
At some point I’m going to have to get over this. Most likely it will be this upcoming long weekend, when I will celebrate Dr. King’s dream by beginning to extinguish some of my own.
Man that was maudlin. Better to end on an upnote: Woo hoo University of Florida! (In Medias Res is not currently nor has he ever been associated with UF. He just likes the colors. Orange and blue compliment his coloring. He is a winter).
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[1] And so as we attempt to establish trust reader, I immediately go back on my commitments.
[2] Or Nelly Furtado, depending on how the spirit takes me.
[3] Let’s just call it that for argument’s sake, unless anyone has a better name? In fact, let’s make that the first In Medias Res contest! In the comments section offer your diagnosis. Best winner gets featured in my next post and a signed headshot.

Pick Me! Choose Me! Hire Me!

2007-01-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

We're adults. When did that happen? And how do we make it stop? ~Grey’s Anatomy

Hello and welcome (soon to be) loyal readers! I have been asked to give you a glimpse into my job search process from researching potential jobs, phone interviews, the ACPA/NASPA meat market experience, on site interviews, and hopefully the big day of accepting a position which seems so far away. I am also going to attempt to make this whole thing enjoyable and entertaining. Some of this is for you, but I see this as a way to keep my sanity through the next six months.

You may have noticed the quote from Grey’s Anatomy at the top of the blog. I am a huge fan of the show and have been from the beginning. I’m not one of those people who jumped on the band wagon half-way through the second season. Therefore, most of my posts will have some sort of Grey’s themes or quotes so if you haven’t started watching, rent the first two seasons and start watching immediately. I promise that you won’t be disappointed! Someone recently told me that grad school for student affairs was very similar to being a surgical intern like Meredith, George, Izzie, Christina, and Karev. We work together, study together, live together, and (sometimes) sleep together. We are each other’s source of support, stress relief, but are also each other’s biggest competitions. I would do anything for the people in my cohort, but when it comes down to it, I going to do everything I can to beat them out of a job if I want it too.

Here’s the thing about me. I’m in Res. Life. I had three years of undergrad experience, I’m currently a Graduate Hall Director, and I spent my summer internship at a great housing department on the other side of the country. I’m not worried about finding a job. Everyone I know says that there are thousands of Res. Life jobs out there and to just calm down. The problem for me is more about finding the right job.

Basically, I’m picky. I have been since I’ve been little, you can ask my mom. She says I’m picky, but I prefer the term “particular.” I just don’t want the right job, I want the perfect job. What does the perfect job look like for me? My priorities are (in no particular order)

-I want a great working environment. Too vague? Okay, I mean that I want to be able to drive to the beach in no more than 30 minutes, work with interesting, diverse, and engaged students, and be part of a department that is full of fun, hardworking, dedicated, and hilarious people.

-I want to live in a fun place. This means more restaurant choices than McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and the local pizza place. I want a cool atmosphere, a good martini bar, and if I want to go to a museum or see a show (preferably Wicked, my new favorite musical) then getting there shouldn’t mimic the migratory patterns of a flock of birds who travel for hours and hours just to get to their destination.

-I want to be able to bring my cat with me and then get a dog so my live-in accommodations will need to be pet-friendly.

-I want my department to offer same-sex partner benefits. While I identify as straight, I’m also an ally so I don’t want to work at a place where there isn’t housing equality.

-I want my supervisor to not just supervise me, but also be a mentor. Does this make me high maintenance?

-I want a place that values personal and professional balance. Oh wait, I’m in student affairs, the profession of Blackberry’s, 4,000 e-mails a day, text messaging, 24-hour cell phone coverage, instant messages, and people who take classes, have a family, workout, volunteer, serve on committees, go to conferences, mentor students, plus the whole full-time job thing. Maybe this is too much to ask for in a first job.

-I want a nice apartment. Call me vain, but I want an apartment that is comparable to what I would get “on the outside,” but for free! Speaking of free, I want a meal plan too. I’ve been dependent on campus food for going on six years and I don’t plan on learning how to cook anytime soon. I also want a parking spot (I’m lazy) and laundry (because I’m also cheap).

I’m sure there are other things on my list too. Such as a diverse student and professional population, inviting campus environment, a place where I can “put theory to practice” as well as have opportunities to learn, develop, and grow, but those aren’t fun to think about.

I can’t decide if I’m being delusional or just “particular.” I hope this fantasy job really is out there, because the pressure is already on. My advisor told all of us not to even look at job descriptions until after Thanksgiving, but that went out the window the first day of class. I literally came back from my first class of the year to an IM from one of my friends who had found the “perfect” job for her, but it had a January 1st start date. I freaked out!!! Why were members of my cohort already looking at job descriptions? We are only half way through our program! We still have to graduate in order to even be considered for these jobs!

Then it dawned on me. Although my cohort (and the profession in general, in my ever so humble grad student opinion) is supportive and friendly, it is also filled with competition. Sure, we’ll send you an e-card or give you a hug when we see you, but there is a secret place in everyone’s mind, a place that nobody likes to talk about at parties, that really wishes the accomplishment was for them. Maybe I’m being cynical. However, it is hard not to be when I just e-mailed a job description to one of my friends who then said he was mad at me because it was “his perfect job” and he couldn’t believe I would even consider applying for it even though it was fairly close to “my perfect job.” The last thing I have time to deal with is inter-cohort drama!

In closing, I am excited, terrified, anxious, and nervous about the impending job search. I think the only thing that will get me through it is my weekly therapy sessions with Dr. Meredith Grey and all of her doctor friends at Seattle Grace. However, it’s group therapy with people who will be my competition for jobs, so where does that leave me?

Until Next Time,

Pick Me! Choose Me! Hire Me!