Thank you for your consideration #14

I DID IT!

I got the job offer (from the deluxe place mentioned in TYFYC #12). woohoo! I won't have to move into my in-laws basement afterall. And, I am so relieved that my hard work, in both school and job hunting, has paid off.

Its at a 501c3...so I'm back to my non-profit roots after 2 years of working in academia at the university. I'm exicted to work at a place where money is not the bottom line, where their mission is to help people, and where their employees are respected and treated well. AND I will be able to use some of my training from grad school =)  The only downside, thus far, is that it is quite a commute. So, 3 hours a day I will be in a car, and with gas prices that will hurt. But I will glady drive for a job. And it has  full benefits, they even pay the insurance premiums (be still my heart!), so thats an okay trade off.

I admit that I was thrown for a loop during the job offer phone call, though. They did not offer me the job that I applied for, its the next step up. While this is great for my resume and my paycheck, I'm a little nervous at this new role. In addition to the duties that I thought I'd be doing, I will be creating job descriptions and hiring a number of staff to work under me - this is a new step in a direction that I did not necessarily see myself going. But new challenges are good, they keep you growing and learning. And now that school is over in May, it will be good to keep the brain active and stay challenged.

Best of luck to my fellow job-seekers!

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 11

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

The post wherein Epix does his best to remember what ACPA was like…

Hi all!

So, the last week has been…stressful, to say the least.  After getting rid of my caffeine addiction, it’s now back in full force.  Headaches, mood swings, you name it, I’ve got it…  *sigh*

Anywho, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I will most likely not have a job offer by graduation.  Very few (I think only one?) folks in my program have job offers, or anything near equivalent to that.  I know that when I walk across that stage, I do it walking into…nothing, probably not a job, probably not anything.  Just a summer off…which, actually, is okay by me! :P

I feel like this is going to be the reality.  As professionals take longer to decide on whether or not to leave their current jobs/institutions, due to there being so few jobs available, the potential for new professionals to have multiple offers dwindles and dwindles….ah well.

So, in thinking about ACPA and other conferences, here are some things you, as a future job searcher, should keep in mind:

1.  You are overheard everywhere you go. 

I thought this was just some bs concocted by the overly happy people that were volunteering.  It’s really not.  Do not, under any circumstances, badmouth your school, your colleagues, an interviewer, or any institution in any place that is not your hotel room with the door bolted (thin walls may also be an issue-check this out).  Everywhere you go, there are other Student Affairs professionals…at the bars, at the restaurants, at Baltimore’s aquarium…everywhere.  And they dress down.  So, what look like townies, are actually your potential colleagues.  Watch out for this.

2. Get some sleep.

Seriously folks, I cannot emphasize this enough.  I went to bed almost every night by 10 or 11pm.  I rarely went to bars, rarely socialized, rarely did anything.  It sucked, but when you’ve got 9:00am interviews, you quickly realize what’s most important, and where your energies should be spent.  Sure, some folks will proudly say that they got sh*t-faced, or majorly bombed before an interview…good for them.  I wasn’t going to risk a job offer just for one night of partying, no matter how socially deprived I’ve become.  Get some sleep, eat breakfast, take breaks, etc etc etc…

3. Schedule interviews in advance.

Almost all of my interviews, save the second round ones, were scheduled in advance.  It made things a hell of a lot less stressful, knowing where I’d be and when.  Also, keep your later days open for possible 2^nd or 3^rd round interviews…those are important!  Give yourself a half hour to hour break between interviews.  Yes, this will limit the amount of interviews you can get, BUT you’ll have more time for last minute reviews and research!  Do it, people!

4. Leave the convention center as often as possible.

Go walk around the city/immediate area!  Go to different places to eat, enjoy the sun, get outside!  The convent center basement was nice and all, but you NEED fresh air!  Walking around will help wake you up as well!

5. Go on the pre-tour they offer.

Seriously, it helps give you a good rundown of what to expect.  The interview area was GINORMOUS and intimidating.  The lights themselves looked like stars…it’d almost be a wonderful sight, if your job future weren’t hanging in the balance.

6.  Have a sense of humour.

It’ll impress interviewers that you are taking the day in stride.  You might use the same joke again and again.  So what?  They haven’t heard it before…just pretend like it came to you on the spot.  This is where your background in theatre will come in handy!  What, you don’t have any?  Get on that, asap!

7.  Meet new people.

It’s nice that you have friends here.  If you see them in classes all week, you don’t need to see them at a conference.  Yes, you would probably love to de-stress and hang out with them…but don’t do it.  Meet new people, talk to those at schools you’re interested in, get out there!   I don’t recommend too much volunteering if you have a heavy interview schedule, but still, meet people!  Go to the socials at night, both school-related and the ones for specific identity groups.  I met a lot of great people there that I hope to see again next year (when I’ve got more time to socialize and say hello).  Use your classmates as a resource, yes, but don’t rely on them to be your one and only source of interaction.  It shows others watching that you can’t meet new people that easily, and that you are probably too deeply attached (Just my two cents!).

8. Find downtime where you don’t need to smile and be “on.”

The volunteers advise everyone to smile and be “on” as often as possible.  I’m going to have to disagree…

You are human, you have limited supplies of energy, don’t waste them when you don’t need them.  Get away from the convention center and cool it down a bit.  Sure, always look approachable, but know that you can turn it down a notch or two…or five.  While waiting for an interview, it’s okay to slump back and take a breather.  Just be conscious of the interviewers that are coming to pick you up.  Get ready to snap back when you need to! 

Honestly, if you take anything away from what I’m saying, realize that you need to take care of yourself.  You can’t be on 24/7 and live to tell the tale.

And, now, the days are getting longer and longer…and graduation and the end of my contract are getting closer and closer.  As I said, I probably won’t have a job by graduation, but I will have freedom…or at least the ability to sleep, undisturbed for 19 hours if I need to. 

Here’s to future rounds of amazingly restful sleep!

-Epix

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 10

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

Dear blogosphere,

Epix is back!

As much as I wanted to get this entry out as fast as possible, I knew that I needed time to sleep and recuperate so that I could function as a student and an interviewer.

Thus, this is my moment of apology/selfishness. 

However, ACPA was a blast!   I am still completely dumbfounded by what a small field Higher Ed really is…My supervisor and other colleagues told me that we all know someone who knows someone who knows someone…but, I didn’t realize how true this would be until I got there.

I mean, DAMN!  Everywhere I looked, someone knew someone at my current or former institution…it was nuts!

I definitely did not get to go to as many sessions as I would have liked, as the job search took priority.

Now, the interviews themselves… We all stayed in a small location where we used our laptops to do last minute-research on the schools, then were corralled into a smaller waiting room while we sat and waited for someone to come and call our name and lead us to our doom…err…salvation…err…something?  Each school had some sort of swag, some sort of identifier.  I appreciated that.  It was a nice personal touch and just, well, fun, in an otherwise stress-packed day.  Each institution had similar questions, and only a few stuck out.  Unfortunately, I am so wiped and mentally gone from this time, that I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME remember these questions!  L

I was definitely “me” throughout, and sold myself as a person deeply vested in, and attuned to, the needs and interests of those from underrepresented populations.  That said, I know I scared some schools off, but they wouldn’t be a good fit in the long run.

I’m happy with how it turned out.  Now, there’s just an impossibly long waiting period…Will I get a lot of on-campus interviews?!?!?  Will those “anticipated” positions open up???!?!  Who do I need to kill to make them open up?!?!  Wait, er, scratch that…who do I NEED TO FIND ANOTHER JOB FOR so that those positions open up?!??!  Much better.  J

Stay tuned for my next post on the advice I have for others doing the conference thing when job searching!

 -Epix

Thank you for your consideration #13

“Secret-secret, I’ve got a secret….My heart is human, my blood is boiling. My brain, IMB."                  – Styx.

No, I’m not Killroy. But I’m starting to relate.

Nearly every other day, I see a Facebook post from an acquaintance about themselves or their partner getting laid off, or unable to find a job after graduation. Two in my cohort can’t seem to get an interview.  Another friend has been working for 5 five years at a big box retail store post-graduation.  So, I feel guilty over some recent job hunt success.

I’m reluctant to share job hunt at all on Facebook.  It’s a fine line of sharing nowadays.  I certainly don’t want to make any one feel bad, or sound like I am rubbing it in…but isn’t FB for sharing the weekly news and good things that happen? I’m excited about an interview; I should be able to share with my friends and family en masse.  However, I have one friend that shares about every job rejection, and I confess it’s a bit awkward. And that’s making me rethink sharing anything job related at all.

To you, my (mostly) silent anonymous readers, I will relish in telling my ‘secret’;  Over the past five weeks, I’ve been offered four in-person interviews.  And I turned two of them down.

One seemed like an unpleasant place to work and paid about half of what I am currently making as a grad research assistant at the university. Part of me felt like should fully explore EVERY opportunity. But, honestly, it’d probably just be a waste of my time.  And theirs.  The other offer just had incredibly poor timing (the week they were interviewing, I absolutely could not make it - I’d be recovering from a medical procedure that week and couldn’t drive and would look ‘a little worse for the wear’ and be goofy from pain meds.).  But I am incredibility jazzed over the last one.  Ring phone, ring!

*cue robot arms*   Domo-Domo.

Thank you for your consideration #12

Interview #2

First off, this place is DEE-luxe. Driving up I saw the large glass green-technology building, then parked in the heated garage. For a girl coming from the social services and used to working with donated computers and mis-matched office furniture, this place made my jaw drop. And made me extra jumpy at the thought of executives in suits.

Nervously, I flip my hair to change the part, and decide to put on my glasses to help conceal  my facial piercing. Clip-clip-clip go my high heels on the tile.

The first thing they had me do was meet with an HR rep for a half hour to go over the benefits in a round glass room that they referred to as 'The Fishbowl'.  This threw me off. Not the room, the benefits talk.  I mean, it was great they were educating me about the benefits package and options, but I hadn't even interviewed yet! And there wasn't a phone interview, just an 'are you still interested?' type of conversation via phone. So, I was a bit taken back that they would potentially waste time on someone who they might not see as a top candidate...because at this point all they have is a one page resume from me. But, maybe it's their HR policy to do things this way, who am I to question? This corporate world is new to me.

After the drool-worthy benefit package discussion (during which I tried to remain calm and poker faced), I was lead upstairs.  The interview was nearly the complete opposite of my last one. Only one person. And hardly ANY questions ! No crazy 'give me an example of a time you solved a problem', or 'what is your biggest weakness'. Huzzah.  It was mostly a time for ME to ask questions, which was fantastic. I admit, I asked some questions that I already knew the answers to, just to keep the conversation going and appear to be actively thinking while I was freaking out on the inside.

However, about 15  minutes into the interview, my interviewer didn't seem to have much else to say. I had the distinct feeling that his mind was mind up already. But I wasn't sure which way!  Was he done with me? Did my cover letter and resume really do all my work for me in showing my potential as a employee??  Was this just a obligatory interview of on outside candidate to meet some HR standard when they were really just planning on hiring on inside candidate?

I kept asking questions and trying to get in more face time for another 10 minutes, and then let things wind up and let him close the interview.

Afterwards, I met my mother for lunch. Of course, her immediate question was "How did it go, was it good?" Not sure. My overall impression was thath it was more weird than good, but nothing was bad.

Thank you for your consideration #11

Split decison.

Okay, well I've made a decision. Kinda.
Since I have no other offers after 50+ resumes sent - I feel foolish turning this down. With this job I will get in the field, and not have to relocate my husband and I.  I called back and accepted the position while making it clear and being honest that I was really looking for a fulltime position however I liked their school and it was a great opportunity to get experience.  They have to know that not offering benefits means that their employees won't stay long, right? I made it clear that insurance was a concern for me. Hopefully, they will 'earmark' me for an upgrade in hours or position in the near future.

All hope at a FT job is not lost, though. While hemming and hawing over the offer, I got another callback! I have a job interview for next week! Its actually less hours than the 39 hour PT job I've been talking about, as its only 37.5 hours a week, but thats FT at their company. So, you know what that means....Full benefits, baby!! I'm psyched.

So, my decision is pretty much to extend the decision, by telling them yes. (For now). I hate doing this. I feel  dishonest, but I don't want to tell them no and burn that bridge and risk not having anything.  But at this point I have to  look out for myself and my family and not limit myself to the first offer that I get. And this girl needs some insurance!   After all, when it comes down to it, business is business, right? And no one else is looking out for my business.

Update: Through the wonders of Facebook, I found out that a friend of mine has a friend that used to work at the community college (the PT offer place). I emailed her, and upon hearing of my offer, she warned me that their HR processes takes forever. While this is usually bad for most people (if they are unemployed and waiting to start working) this is GREAT for me, as it will buy me more time to apply to more places and hopefully get more offers.

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 9

  

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

This has been an INCREDIBLY exhausting week (will I get my work done in time?!??! Will I have enough time for upcoming interviews???), there’s also been a lot of good.

I had my first phone interview this weekend.  I could barely sleep the night before, and essentially made myself sick through worrying the morning of.  I took some tummy medicine, thinking “oh no, this will knock me out…I won’t make a good impression…my life is over.”

I’m pretty positive, dont’cha think?

Anyway, I think it went well.  More than well…really REALLY good.  So good in fact that I got a second interview at ACPA.

This school is very VERY high up on my list…intro res-life, as are the rest of my job prospects, but a school that I KNOW I could be happy at.  Great students, great departmental support, great location…*sigh* I’m hoping for the best.

And to top it all off, I have 6 total (including the aforementioned spot) interviews ALREADY scheduled at ACPA.  I know I’ll get more!

I’m just…regularly astounded that I’ve been able to get all this squared away.  I had help from friends (namely the boyfriend) in fine-tuning my cover letters, as verbal interviews are more my thing, I’ve spent late nights researching the schools that I will interview with, and even later nights losing sleep.

I’m as prepped as can be… And, now what?  A week to go before I go through the most challenging interviews of my life…? A week to go before I get a better idea of where I’ll be in 3 months (or, perhaps I’ll be even more nervous…?)…

In short, I’m nervous as hell, and there’s not much I can do about it, save staying confident that I’ve got some great schools wanting to interview me…

In short, a week of worrying and cramming copious amounts of school work before the interviews start is what’s in store for me.  AHHH FUN!  Erm…not really.  *Nervous*

Thank you for your consideration #10

Mixed emotions.

The good, elated, proud, excited - I was offered a job with the college that I interviewed with last week.
The frustrated, let-down, unsure - It was not the job that I applied for and it's not full-time.

Here's the scoop:  I got a call back and was offered the job 'below' the position that I interviewed for. The dude explained that he'd like to have me on board but with the economy and all, there were a ton of applicants okay with lateral moves or down-ward moves just to stay in the field (and basically, I was a new grad looking to move up). So, there were people who interview for the position that I applied for that already have been doing the same job at other schools for years and had a good track record and years of experience doing the exact thing that the job entailed. Whereas, this job would be a step-up for me. He offered me an assistant job to the position that I wanted. It's a bit of a blow to the ego, but any offer is a good offer, right?? Especially one in a department in my field, and that could actually take advantage of my recent graduate training. However, most of the people in this position were typical still in school at the time. And I have my degree, I have work experience, and I'm in my 30s. I feel like I would be struck back down to the level of grad-school kid after working so hard to get my degree and move on and upward.

However, ego aside, there was a bigger issue. The job was 39 hour a week. And they deem 39 hours as part time (!). It's clear that if they are asking for 39 hours, that they really need a full-time person. PT means no benefits. No sick time. No paid holidays. And, no health insurance. No sick time would suck, but no insurance might be a deal breaker. I asked the dude if I could get back to him on Monday with my decision, so I have a few days to scramble and figure out what to do.  With 39 hours, it would be hard to work a second PT job (i.e. barista-ing somewhere to get benefits).

In addition to the dash to my ego this seems unfair, and kinda unethical, and just....bogus.

I know it would be good to get my foot in the door and I would learn a lot. And hopefully, be able to prove myself and move into my desired position. IF it became available.

What do I do....Take this as a opportunity or a gamble? If I do, will I feel like I am settling? Will the unsteady paycheck and lack of health insurance cause undue stress on my marriage? But, my job is soon coming to an end and some work is always better than no work. help.

Decisions, decisions.

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 8

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

So, I’m definitely becoming partial to schools with working online applications.  It’s 2011, folks, put your stuff online already!   Not "fax this over," not "please print out and sign," and NOT "please retype everything in your References page into this odd little online thing."  NO NO NO!  *grumbles* 

I’ve got 4 interviews lined up-3 at ACPA and 1 phone interview.  Definitely excited about this, feeling good, etc etc…  Still anxious about those that I haven’t heard from, but I’m happy with what I’ve got thus far.  Here’s to hoping for more!  Out of 13 (and most were recent), I think I’ve got good odds thus far…

On that note…thirteen?  Could I really have chosen a more unlucky number to begin my job search?  Really, Epix??!!?  Eh, I like to play with fate…and fire.  Let’s hope it doesn’t bite me in the butt later on, shall we?

Sleeping is still difficult, but that’s to be expected…

I’m going to rattle off the websites I’ve been using for job searching.  They are as follows:

NASPA’s Career website

ACPA’s Career website

Chronicle of Higher Education

Studentaffairs.com

Higheredjobs.com

Indeed.com

Diverseeducation.com

And others for odds and ends.

The above have really been working for me, and I’ve found a lot of great job openings just from using those 7.  Any others that folks would like to recommend?

The other major thing happening as of late is the dynamic change/shift that I have seen happen amongst colleagues and friends in the midst of the job hunt.  I will say, upfront, that I am fortunate to be one of few going into Res Life/Housing, and almost unique in the area I’m looking for.  Therefore, when people see jobs, they automatically send them to me to help me out without an ounce of envy or worry. 

I’m not stealing jobs from them, nor are they from me.

It’s a great feeling.

I see so many others putting on fake plastered-on smiles to say that “no, of course not, why would I be unhappy that you’re also applying for the same job…?  Share my research? Oh, sure, what are friends for…?”  The icy glare that follows  could easily freeze over most countries that lie along the equator.

Yeah, I’m happy to be away from all that.

Speaking of cold…really, Midwest, really?!?!?  STOP SNOWING! It’s mid-March, this is not okay!  It’s definitely become a challenge to wear dress clothing and dress shoes and do my best not to slip on my butt everywhere I go.  I’m interviewing soon, and I have to make sure that butt fits into my suit.  Thus, less padding when I fall.  

Sad day indeed.

-Epix.

Thank you for your consideration #9

Interview DONE!

Well, I'm glad I did my homework, I was able to use all those bits of research that I did.  After feeling tongue-tied and nervous during sections of the interview, having things to say (that were my independent thought, and that showed my interest) really made me feel like I came across as more confident and allowed me to shine a bit (and hopefully separate myself from the rest of the candidate wolf pack).

I was nervous about taking public transit to a new part of the city, and that coupled with my last minute clothing/hair/shoes crisis, made me leave later that I wanted to, so I elected to drive so that I would feel more in control of my commute. (And that I'd be kept busy while driving, and hence distracted from worrying...and I could warm up my 'morning voice' by singing in the car.  Glad I drove, barely made it on time. But parking was $25....crap, job searching isn't cheap.

It was a maze finding the right place on their campus, but I did.  First thing, they had me meet with the Assistant Vice Chancellor.  He mostly just told be about the job, and then asked me for details of the jobs I had listed on my resume. Turns out, he was hiring for FIVE new positions. And it quickly became clear that I wasn't necessarily being considered for the job that I applied for!!  I was asked if I would consider part time. Though, I applied for a full-time salaried position. Yeah, I'd consider it a disappointment.  However, a part of a job is better than NO job and this would be in my field, so I didn't want them to count me out and shove me out the door if I said that I wouldn't do PT. So, despite my sinking heart, I tried my best not to let my face change too much and stated that I was looking for full-time, however since I liked their school SO much I'd consider part-time. I didn't really like the school especially, but this seemed like a way to keep my options open and decide for myself AFTER the interview if I could really take  a part-time job.  It became clear by the duties and time committment that they really did need a full-time person, but either politics or employee benefit costs were not allowing them to make this a full-time position.

An hour later, I was on to stage two of the interview. Three other staff members in the department I'd (presumably) be working in came to interview me, en masse. Let me be clear, it was not a group discussion, or 'let's meet the team and see if you can see yourself here'. It was the three of them sitting directly across from me at a long table, DRILLING me with HR 101 questions. Not fun. I gave my practiced answers for what my strengths/weakness/goals/biggest accomplishments were.  I was most happy with my answer to "what would you change here?" by responding that I thought it was important to get to know the people and process and there culture first, so that I wouldn't undo what is already working (i.e. throwing out the baby with the bath water) but mentioned some new buzz-worthy trends in the field that I'd learned in school that I'd bring to the plate.

I still think the Asst. Vice Chan. liked me, but I'm wary about this part-time nonsense. Even if it paid well, and I took a second job to make up the hours, I still really need benefits and health insurance.We'll see what happens...

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 7

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

So, updates for everyone.

I’ve now applied to FIVE jobs-app’s are in, complete, and waiting.

I’ve now heard back from one of them thus far, and have an interview scheduled at ACPA. Ahh, it's just weeks away!!!

I feel so excited about it. This school could be a really great fit, and I know that I would be very happy there.

Now, just to continue the waiting game. I have ELEVEN more app’s almost done, and am planning on getting FIVE to TEN completed this week. It’s all a rush. It’s hard to keep track of everything, and difficult to keep my head screwed on enough to get through each day without freaking out about what the future may hold.

I realize that the next two months will be a constant stream of stress. I have trouble sleeping, as I can’t stop anticipating what’s in store, and I know that my eating habits have been less than stellar.

Thus, I decided to do something about it.  I joined Weight Watchers.

I was shocked at this, as I could always manage my weight well enough before with portion control and calorie counting, but there’s too much going on right now to really keep everything straight. It’s been really useful, as I hadn’t realized just how bad my snacking was becoming, and Interview Season is coming up… (I’ll stop there so as to not look like I’m getting paid by Weight Watchers).

A colleague in Student Affairs told me that it doesn’t matter what you look like at interviews, because in Student Affairs we only care about “what’s inside.”

K.

Well, I’m not going to argue for or against that point, but I will offer the viewpoint that my suit jacket needs to close regardless of how nice my insides look.  So, healthy eating it is!

I’m also working on a new system of applying where I keep my information search under 15 minutes a school, thereby maximizing the time I have to write cover letters, netting me more opportunities at different schools.  I’m rationalizing that I’ll do more research with a school AFTER I hear back from them.  I think it will be a better use of time, amongst other things. 

Does anyone have a similar system?  What say you, fellow grads/those who remember their first job search?

Stay tuned for next time when I discuss how vicious GA’s can turn when jobs are on the line! *cue dramatic music*

Lovingly (but actually not hungry!),

-Epix

Thank you for your consideration #8

An unexpected morning.

I am not a morning person. People close to me know not to have important conversations with me in the AM, or at least not to expect me to remember it, or expect a (sensical) reply.

Earlier this week, I was unusually awake and motivated at 8am. I was out of pet food and needed to run to the local fruit and veggie market for my bunnies' breakfast before running to campus to start my day. As I pulled into the parking lot, my cell phone rang. I hastily pulled into a spot and answered my phone. It was an admin assistant for a head honcho at the local community college.  "Was I still interested in the position? YES!" ..."see you on Friday."   It was an interview for a  job that would take advantage of my new degree and training! Holla.

It was in the higher education field, but was a little different sort of environnment that I anticipated working in being a community college. (But to follow up on my last blog, I'm searching far and wide!). The location was not totally ideal,  but the job description and duties were intriguing (as far as most job descriptions usually go).

Now, to do my research and prep for the interview. In addition to looking over their mission statement and the department's objectives, in a news article I found out that they were launching a new intiative to revamp and rebrand the school.  I took notes on the step they had outlined (yes, i'm a dork, and a bit of an eager-beaver sometimes). As a googled this to find more, I found a youtube video of the school's new chancelor talking about this plan. And for my final touch, I even have a personal story up my sleeve (in case they ask me why I want to work there). It just so happens that my husband took a few classes there about 10 years ago, and he still talks about his math teacher. Granted, he talks about him because we saw him on a local cable access dancing show....but I think I'll leave that part out. I'm uncomfortable with being a total kiss-up, but I think that making a personal connection is one of those things that can bring you from candidate to potential hire.  I'll let you know how it works out. Wish me luck!

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 6

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

So, as the job search continues, my sanity diminishes, and my stressload increases to epic proportions…I find myself still captivated by blogs and internet news sites. Event with HUGE deadlines looming, I’m still keeping up with what’s going on in the world.

And, I wonder…how do I stop from doing this???  I know I need better focus on my workload, and getting more job app’s in, yet I can’t break myself from the habit of spending hours a day researching what goes on in the world.

But, while I deal with this addiction, I thought I’d present you all with at least something positive to come from my nutsiness…

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

As I ponder where I’m at (23-almost 24, about to graduate, etc etc etc…), I realize that so few others are going through what I am going through.  Many of my peers that graduated with me/before me/right after me are having MAJOR issues with the job market.  Most still live at home, are struggling with jobs that they absolutely hate, or don’t even have jobs.

I am both happy to be where I am, and also vaguely wondering how things have become so different amongst my peer group.  Look at that article, folks…I think it expresses so much of what I have been trying to understand and comprehend lately.  I’m one of VERY FEW people in my social circle that is doing grad school, and probably contemplating further education down the road.  And I wonder…why?  Friends of mine are smarter, better writers, more knowledgeable in their fields…yet, not everyone is ready to buckle down for a degree.

We’re all so close in age, yet in such different places.  I have so much of my life planned and mapped out, while others do not.  And neither party sees any major issue with his/her decisions.  And while that’s really friggin cool, it becomes problematic when folks decide to lump us all together in one group.

Needless to say, if I’m having this internal monologue just concerning my friends, what’s the implication for how we will have to adapt to the huge variety of students that will be coming our way within the next few years?

…better figure out what to do now before things change too drastically.

What this has to do with a job search, I have no idea, BUT I’m going to do everything I can show those interviewers that blog-addiction is a good thing.  ;)

-Epix

Thank you for your consideration #7

A compromised position.

Given the economical climate and all, I’m sure I am not the only one deviating from their original game plan.  It’s a crappy reality that graduates are not all going to be able to get jobs, and even less a full-time job, and even LESS a job in their field. I accept this.  

For the second time, I begrudgingly accept this.*shakes fist at sky*  The first time when I was looking for my first real full-time job straight out of college and was starting to get interviews, but then 9/11 occurred.  Not only was the nation in shock, but business was not always conducted as normal (no flights, new concerns, new priorities) and the global stock market dropped sharply effecting the US economy and hence many employers. The national budget changed and poured money into military and defense. And funding for non-profits was shakier than usual. However, I ended up landing a job. I made 21,500 for a high stress, high demand job (I was on call over 300 hours a month assisting victims of violent crime). I quit after 8 months. That’s when I went on to work a series of odd jobs between bouts of unemployment. During this time I consider nearly any job. I applied and was rejected by Jamba Juice (it still stings...I love their smoothies, and I’m sure I could operate a blender!). 

Now again, I find myself newly-degreed (well, come this May, Lord willing!) and in a shaky economy. I am throwing my job searching hunt far and wide. Am I still looking for my original vision of an ideal position? Yes.  But, I am also applying for jobs that are not the type of position that I want but ARE in type of environment that I’d like to be in. The goal with this is to get a foot in a door, work my way to where I belong, or at least have a relevant item to list on my resume. And, I am also applying to jobs in places that kind of sicken me (I never saw myself as the corporate type) but that have a position where I could at least utilize SOME of the skills or knowledge that I’ve accrued while pursuing my degree.  These are my new (albeit, lowered) standards.

I’m sure my 19 year old self would consider me a sell-out for this realism and compromise.  I can’t think about that too hard. Sticking hard and fast to my original vision of a career when I entered grad school doesn’t seem wise.  Steadfest? Okay, sure. Persistent? Yes. Stubborn? Yes. Wise? No.  Time to do what my liberal arts training taught me to do; Consider different points of view and get creative.  

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 5

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

So…

I applied for my first job.  I buckled down this weekend, received advise from everyone and their mother, and got my resume and references finalized.  I also did a Cover Letter for a school that looks REALLY promising.  *fingers crossed*

Now, for those not “in the know,” using asterisks around a phrase is the online way of saying you’re doing something.  Such as *typing this blog entry out,* or *suffering due to a non-working heater in my office,* or even *waiting to graduate.*

See how it works?  J

Anywho…I know a lot of folks at this institution, and I was prodded, by someone there, into applying in the most subtle way possible.  “Epix, apply.”

 I think I got the memo.

So, the cover letter’s done…everything was sent in, I’m all nervous, and I keep checking my e-mail like it owes me money.  *GIMME A JOB ALREADY!*

Yes, it’s early.  Yes, yelling (typing like I’m yelling-see above examples) won’t accomplish anything.  But I just want it to be May already!  I do want to go through this process and experience the ups, the downs, the everything’s…I just don’t want to deal with the sleepless nights and work overload from being in my last semester in grad school.

In short, anyone wanna hire me?  J

-Epix

Thank you for your consideration #6

The thrill of the hunt.

When I read a job description for a job I think I’d like (and am qualified for), I get a small (albeit short lived) high. Even if the job is in an undesirable location, just knowing that jobs like that are out there gives me hope. Hope among the endless repetitive job descriptions that I’m either under- or over-qualified for. 

As I’ve been intensely job searching, many of my friends and coworker are aware of my search. They hear every bit of news whenever I got a response, they urge me to apply for jobs that I don’t feel that I’m 100% qualified for, and they cheer when I get a callback.  As a consequence of pouring my energy into job searching and letting others know that I’m on the market, I’ve become the source for all things job search related. I have people emailing me resumes to review, cover letters to edit, asking how I find all these jobs to apply to…. I’m thinking that if I can’t find a job in my field perhaps I should make a fulltime job out of job-hunting services! (I do love editing cover letters). Anyways, I was surprised that some of my fellow job seekers did not know about my ULTIMATE, FAVORITE JOB SEARCH WEBSITE:

http://www.indeed.com/  

It’s a big, comprehensive job search site like Careerbuilder or Monster, but less of a….err, monster. Its google-esque and very intuitive and user friendly. You can also search using Boolean terms (i.e. x AND y NOT z).  I have two favorite features about this site.

1)    It remembers which jobs you looked at and marks them in a different color text. This is a simple but awesome feature and keeps me from reading the same ads over again. I can’t tell you how many times I start reading a job description’s details only to realize that I’ve already read it a few days ago, or even already applied to it. Similarly (providing that you allow cookies on your computer) the home page will show your recent search (so you don’t have to retype or try to remember all the different titles that your dream job goes by!) AND it will show how many new jobs have met your search criteria since you last checked in!! This makes finding the newly announced jobs so much easier and is a huge time saver.

2)    It goes beyond searching job title and city. You can just as easily search by job duties, skills, or description. For example, say there is a certain skill that you offer, but the accompanying matching jobs have vast and varied titles…making searching by job title difficult because nearly every employers calls this position something different. Frustrating, oh yes.  With Indeed, instead of searching by job title (which may or may not be the same title of the actual jobs that I really want to find), I typed in an industry specific computer program that I had extensive training and experience with. Boom. Indeed pulled up a list of jobs that had this program as part of the job requirements or desired skills. And this search, too, is saved and updated when new matches are added. =)

2.25) Side note:  you can easily pull up ALL job postings from a specific employer….allowing you to see which departments they have been hiring in and do some extra research on them.

Sign up for a their job agent alert. Take the work out of job hunting through endless advertisements. Save your elbow grease for landing that interview. Job searching, simplified.

Thank you for your consideration #5

You can call if you want.

 ...but there ain't no one home. I wish they didn't do the telephone (interview). Sing it, Gaga! "Stop telephonin' me!"

Phone interviews. My prediction: another soon-to-be relic, much like the hard copy resume printed carefully on thick off-white paper, signed in ink, and mailed in a hand addressed envelope. Sure, phone interviews might stick around in certain fields or professions. And granted, they are practical for screening candidates who live states or countries away. But, in my personal experience, telephone interviews are going by the way-side. Good riddance, I say.

My last two in-persons interviews skipped right over the phone interview step. I had someone called me, ask if I was still interested and scheduled a date and time to interview me. Why can't it always be like that?

I felt confident about the two in-person interviews I've been on these last 3 months. However, my last phone interview was horrible.  Even compared to the first in-person interview that I had....which was over two hours of being grilled and drilled with questions from one executive and then a group of 3 other staff members. It was rough, but other than a few stutters and two sweating hands, I think I handled it beautifully.

On the flip side the last phone interview was BAD. My words were all jumbled together. Once I got so flustered that I asked if I could start my answer over (and immediately felt juvenile). Some of the questions were ridiculous...”Do you believe you are in the top 5% of employees?”  Seriously, is this a trick question?!? Psychology tells us that most people have a cognitive bias about themselves, and as a result overestimate their abilities relative to other people. In other words, most people think they are in the top 50%, but that’s impossible for everyone to be above average. And this woman is asking me if I’m in the top FIVE? Even if I thought it was, I think it would be erroneous to say so. So, I didn't.  Other questions asked included..."Should a supervisor pay more attention to an under-achieving employee compared to a high achieving one?" and "Should productivity be rewarded monetarily?” Um, what? I was not applying to a supervisory job in corporate America.  I answered the questions honestly yet somewhat reservedly. Even as I spoke I knew my answers were not what they wanted to hear.

To no surprise I got the "we are pursuing other candidates that more closely meet our needs" email.

So, gotta burn off some steam and move onto the next application. Tomorrow. For now, I think I need to take a breather, or in other words, " I'm not takin' no calls, 'cause I'll be dancin'!

Thank you for your consideration #4

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." -Batman in Batman Begins, 2005.

The dreaded question while unemployed and job hunting… So, what do you do?  Between Fall 2002 and Fall 2003, I was unemployed. I underwent the rite of passage for Gen-Xers of moving to my parents’ basement after having a full-time adult job and my own place. While job hunting, I took on a variety of jobs. Odd jobs. Odd terms of both inconsistent and just strange.

During this time, I dreaded that question. What do you do? It was inevitably the follow-up question after names were exchanged. I took this question seriously. Does my employment define me? If so, then I REALLY needed to refine my potential career path.  I am not a cog in the wheel, a mindless drone. But nearly every job (perhaps other than a doctor in a 3^rd world country, a missionary, a fine artist, or caregiver for special needs orphans) seemed like giving in to ‘the man’ and losing oneself to the machine of modern life in a capitalist society. What’s a good-hearted idealist to do??  As a life-long volunteer, I didn’t have a problem with grunt work or physical labor.  However, I did resent a (often sickeningly) low price put on my precious hours of life, energy, and effort.  One hour of my sweat, sore muscles, and deadening of my mind and creative capacities was really worth 5.35/hour? Even at $50 an hour, that seemed like prostituting myself. To do things I see no worth in, in hopes of maybe making  a near-living wage…this was no way to live.

What do you do?  Among my jobs as an over-qualified 20-something? While I submitted applications I worked as a receptionist at a lumber company, various data entry and filing jobs thru a Temp Agency, a dancer at an entertainment company, a picker/packer at a fashion designer’s warehouse, Life Portrait Model at an art league, Standardized test grader (I never thought that actual people had to grade the show-your-work math sections and writing section) and any house/dog/baby-sitting gigs that I could find.  Another day, another half-dollar.

My answer?  Whatever it takes.

For those who are disheartened at a society that judges people based on their job, I leave you with this quote: “I see the strongest and the smartest men who have ever lived... and these men are pumping gas and waiting tables.”  -Chuck Palahniuk, 1996. Fight Club, Chapter 19. 

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 4

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

Hello folks!
Epix here, apologies for being so MIA this past week. Definitely been swamped, and have had the pleasant misfortune of frying (yet another) hard drive. Seems like Epix and technology will never have a happy marriage, so much so that my boyfriend has officially banned me from touching any of his electronic things. :(
That said, not having a laptop at the moment sure is making this job search difficult. Luckily, I could sense impending disaster as my computer got slower and slower, and backed up all my files on an external hard drive. I can access everything, thank Jeebus, but I have no computer easily at my fingertips should a stroke of inspiration come to me at 2am some random weekday night.
Thus, Epix is thinking of getting an iPad…and wishing Gen 2 would just come out already! *insert geek rant here*
Alrighty then, back to Student Affairs.
I find it strange that this semester seems less stressful…yet, I know I am struggling with time management, both academically and in making sure that my job search materials are finished and ready to send out. Classwork gets in the way, duty calls get in the way…hell, even this vicious snowstorm makes life difficult (when, due to budget cuts, grounds-folk don’t shovel sidewalks, Epix is likely to fall down and hobble around for the following days).

I’m working on my first cover letter as we speak. It’s….well…I’ll be honest…
My first draft 100% absolutely, completely, and utterly sucks.
It’s pretty terrible.
But, it’s done. Now it’s just a matter of going back through it and finding the hidden gems and polishing them to utter brilliance (I totally had some “diamond in the rough” Disney Aladdin imagery going on there. You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s that scene where Jafar, the villain, is explaining that he needs Aladdin to open the Cave of Wonders for him and…well, nevermind…).
Anyway, I’ll check back in when this puppy is finished and ready to go.
Happy February to you all!
I’m excited to see what sorts of program begin popping up this month to honor Black History month, yet always get a bit sad when I realize that many RA’s never want to go further than a generic bulletin board. Alas, exhaustion strikes us all.

-Epix

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 3

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

Resume II: The Sequel.

So, the next difficult resume step came in choosing a font. What, Times New Roman just isn’t good enough for you? It hasn’t served you well throughout your 6+ years of undergrad and grad?!?!?!?
No, boys and girls, it just won’t cut it. I was crushed to hear that Calibri, an old favorite, was just too close to TNR. Then, as I am looking at some Arts schools for employment, I went in the opposite direction and was told that I would probably give my reviewer a seizure…and that seizures aren’t likely to guarantee me a job, unfortunately. Who knew…?
So, I settled on Nyala. It sticks out, but still looks professional. Eye-catching, yet readable. Durable, yet dependable…or something like that. Anyway, the font just felt right. It made me happy. And others liked it too!
So, folks, I leave you with this: Spend some time deciding on the font that really tells the interviewer who you are and will help set you apart from other applicants. It’s a small thing, but definitely important in the long run!
And, finally, don’t steal my font. I worked hard to find one that screams me, and I’d be pretty disappointed to find out that I was in a stack of 40 applications and that everyone used Nyala. I might just have to track you down and shred your resume and accompanying files. I mean, after all, all’s fair in the job market, right? ;)

Thoughtfully yours,
Epix.

Thank you for your consideration #3

The job search is a job in itself.

I’ve spent countless evenings in front of the computer, scanning through search engine results and job boards. It's easy to get sucked in for HOURS clicking link upon link. Carefully crafting cover letters specific to each organization. Tracking several versions of my resume, each slightly different in focus – deliberately omitting or emphasizing features of previous jobs. Add to this filling out 8 page online applications, making calls, seeking references, researching employers, driving to interviews, updating the LinkedIn account, privatizing my Facebook account, emailing old colleagues, contacting professors, googling myself for any incriminating evidence from my youth, flip-flopping my existing job schedule for a last minute telephone interview – it’s WORK.

After a solid 3 months of focused job searching, I have my search techniques down. I’ve learned to search smarter, not harder. I’ve considered making yet another spreadsheet for this task of finding job opportunities but, this seems too OCD, even for me. I signed up for a bunch of those job alert agents…and then quickly deleted my email off of half of them because they consistently were not worth the time it took to skim and promptly delete the email. I found the sites that I tend to have the most luck with – in terms of finding jobs that I qualify for, are in my desired location, and in my area of specialization. A few smaller sites don’t offer job alerts and don’t have many listings but have unique listings, I check these about weekly. And I signed up for list-serves with a few professional groups. This way, I am job searching everyday when I check my email – without getting lost in the interwebs.

I like that it’s a game. A treasure hunt. A timed treasure hunt. As soon as I see that job description, I look at the date it was posted and pounce. 4 months ago? Ugh, probably filled and an old listing. But, if it sounds like a dream job, I email them to see if it’s still available. But posted 2 hours ago? Let’s go-go-go! Now, do I hurry to be one of the first to hit their email box (and increase my chances of my resume actually being seen) or take the time to carefully write a winning cover letter?? If it’s a new posting, I apply at whiplash speeds. I use one of my existing resumes and cut and paste from a previous cover letter. Yeah, yeah, I know it should be tailored to that specific employer,…but with 300+ applicants applying for a job within a week, I’ll hedge my bets and go with being one the first 50 to apply with a weak cover letter than the 429th with a stellar cover letter that never gets read. If I was applying to be a novelist or copy editor, I’d probably change my tune.

My experiences have taught me that sometimes it’s the early bird that gets the worm, not the sweetest singing bird, nor the bird that necessarily excels in worm eating. Often, it’s all about timing. Strike when it’s hot, and strike quick.

Update: Careerbuilder.com just emailed me with job recommendations. First on the list? Cashier at Aldi. It said I was "an excellent match". Doh!

Let the search continue.

ECTMSRHOPHM Volume 2

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!


So, what’s the one thing that EVERY job search requires, and everyone freaks out about?
Did you say resume? If you didn’t, well, I’m sorry, no Final Jeopardy for you. So sad.
ANYWAY…that resume thing drove me up the wall.

I remember the day I first looked at what I’d been using, with a job search gleam in my eye, a month or two back. I sat my supervisor down in our weekly 1-on-1, and calmly asked if he would be so gracious enough to help me with finalizing my resume and helping me make it the best it could be.
However, I probably sounded something like this “CouldYouPleaseHelpMeIAmSoNervousIDontKnowWhatToPutForAHallDirectorJobImNotSureIEvenKnowWhatIDoIMeanIKnowWhatIDoBecauseIDoItWellIMeanIReallyLikeAndRespectYouAndWantMyResumeToBeLikeYoursCouldYouPleaseHelpMe?!?!?!?OhIMightBeABitNervousAndExcitedRightNow.”

I’m sure I breathed somewhere in there, but I don’t remember it. We went through 4 or 5 drafts before I was satisfied. I struggled with what to cut….wasn’t my undergrad experience useful?!?!? Don’t I want to show what I did there too? The difficulty I faced was that a lot of my “Diversity” experience was shown through my undergraduate years, as my grad career was a combination of the school not having the resources I was looking for, and me knowing that it would be best to branch out. So, I had to strike a really strange balance between showing future employers that, yes, despite the students I’ve been working with now, I do a damn fine job of working with non-majority ones too…perhaps even better than the normal, run-of-the-mill folks. Hey, we’ve all got our own strengths and interests, right? Heck, I struggle to understand the difference between a freethrow and a goal. There’s a birdie and linebackers involved somewhere in there, right? Yeah, exactly.

I’m currently trying to figure out whether the two page limit is canon, or just highly recommended…Can I do 3 pages and still be marketable, or will I look wordy and unable to narrow things down? What say you, blogger-sphere?

Have others take a look at your resume…your boss, your colleagues, the Career Center on campus…everyone! I sent mine to two other colleagues with Career experience. And THANK THEM for what they do for you. I think my supervisor (and other references) is pretty much guaranteed a Starbucks gift card or two… It is the only crack that folks in our field condone…
Also, while this may seem somewhat elementary to some, I’m hoping that it can be a reminder/refresher for those needing some guidance along the way as well. :)
Caffeinated (and slightly addicted to Starbucks),
Epix

Thank you for your consideration #2

I am huge on non-verbal communication. I need my face and hands to convey what my mouth has trouble spitting out. I need to see others’ eyes and facial expressions for affirmation and approval. Needless to say, I hate phone interviews. They make my hands sweat. Tell you about myself in words?? How do I see myself in 5 years??I’d much rather express these answers in interpretive dance (insert not-so-graceful leap followed by crawling across floor a la modern dance).Honest.

I’ve heard other colleagues talk about their phone interview preparation. I haven’t shared mine before, but I offer you, my virtual comrades, a sneak peek into my pre-phone interview ritual:

1) Print: job description, my resume, and the cover letter that won the phone interview. Next, I go thru and circle the key skills that I think are my strengths or duties that I have experience in. This typically boosts my esteem that I am qualified for the job, allows me to mentally rehearse the answer to “why are you interested in this position?”, and to provide key buzz words, or at least have some intelligent words in front of me in case I get tongue-tied or experience a mental freeze-up.

2) Agency Research. I look at the employer’s mission, any new strategic planning, and the department which I am applying to. If I am particularly psyched about this employer or find something I think I could comment on, I might take notes.

3) Interviewer Research. I take 5 minutes to do some cyber research on who is interviewing me. Searching thru LinkedIn, Facebook, and Googling usually suffices. If I don’t know their full name I will search thru the employer’s website to find it. (I’m not a cyber-stalker, I promise!) Even if I don’t find any mutual connections or other goodies, learning that my interviewer is about my age, enjoys PBR, or has a mini dachshund in a birthday hat as their Facebook profile pic makes them much less intimating.

4) Clothes. If I’m at home, I change from pajamas. But, don’t necessarily put on interview clothes… a good fitting pair of jeans so that I feel awake works (my last phone interview was at 8:30AM, ugh). Even more important than changing clothes is the next step, which I never skip.

5) Lipstick. Yes, I know they can’t see me. But it makes me feel more confident and in control…even if I have bed head and am still wearing the shirt that I slept in.

Once the phone rings (and I correspondingly jump in my seat), I try to answer by the second ring and smile myself through the phone. Given all one has in phone interview is voice and words, I figure you got to make sure your voice is as pleasant and warm as possible, without being fake. I worry about sounding too excited – I know my voice goes high when I’m excited or nervous…and I don’t want to sound like a kid. And I don’t want to sound too bubbly or cutesy. But I want to convey my excitement at the opportunity and give them a feeling of me as person, and not just be another set of skills that gets blurred with other candidates. So, lots of smiles. My thinking is…If I make them feel good, they will feel good about me. Let’s hope it works.

East Coast Transplant in the Midwest Seeks Repatriation to the Homeland; or, Please Hire Me!

Volume 1

Having been tasked with introducing myself, my viewpoint, and my blog for your viewing pleasure, I thought I’d give you all a bit of background…

I’m a second year grad student with a Res Life background. I came directly from undergrad with a major in the Humanities from a large Northeast urban school. I am currently workin’ my butt off at a medium/large Midwest school, and the culture clashes that come up are many, and usually quite amusing (I’ll make sure to include a few now and again!) My interests lie in the diversity/multicultural/underrepresented students field, and my job search will definitely reflect that in the schools I am looking at. I’m also a bit of a nerd, B-Horror movie buff, and a lover of Caramel Brulee latte’s at Starbucks (they do own all of our souls’, don’t they? I think my supervisor actually has a “satellite office” at the local one, at any rate…).

I’ve been told that I’m quick on my feet, unafraid to speak my mind, observant of office dynamics, and generally pretty open-minded. Save the last trait, I’ve been compared to a male version of a Real Housewife of New Jersey. I don’t think that was a compliment however… :/

Enough about me, however!

When thinking about what students might want to read this blog, I decided to make a list, here for your viewing/reading pleasure, and see if this sort of job is something that I could see myself doing.

The list with which your wonderfully anonymous blogger tracks what you all want to hear!

-Advice: What is everyone else doing? How can I do things better? Who else is getting job offers?!?! WHY IS NO ONE CONTACTING ME?!?!? Seriously, does cookie baking help?!?!?! I think many folks would like a baseline with which to compare themselves, see how they are doing, and just get a general feel for what the job search will be like when THEY start it, if they haven’t already (and trust me, you’ll KNOW when it starts…)

-Schadenfreude: Everyone wants to know how badly everyone else is feeling, so that they can feel better. Come on, folks, it’s the truth! It makes us feel a bit better knowing that others are also having a hard time, and that we’re not the only ones facing challenging times. Plus, it’s a fun song from the play, Avenue Q. Take a listen!

-Humour: People need to laugh. This is a stressful time that leads to baldness, break-ups, and general breakdowns. Having someone or something to laugh with/at is a nice break from reality. Plus, writing this allows me to vent my own frustrations and say some amusing things that can be said nowhere else. Also, note the spelling of *humour.* Yep, I can be uppity here all I like…so, THERE! J

Okay, so I ran out of steam with my list…which could be some perfect metaphor for every assignment I have ever done in grad school…hmm, I’m not touching that one.

Anywho, I think the above only scratches the ice. But, most of all, humor (fine, I’ll spell it the normal US way) is what everyone needs to get through these tough times. We’re all going to be facing one of the most difficult points in our lives, oftentimes with very few frames of reference with which to compare. Did you want to get that Hall Council position? Sahweeet! You go, girl! Did you want to get into your favorite sorority/fraternity? Congrats! Either you got into that one, or hopefully another that was also a good fit. Same goes for being an RA, a desk worker, etc etc etc… We all had positions that we wanted, and many of us got them.

But now, at a job search…we won’t know our competition. We don’t know everyone else’s history, their highs and lows….we have no idea who or what we are up against. The best we can do is to make ourselves as friggin amazing as we can, hope our shirt’s aren’t untucked, and smile more than we ever thought possible.

If you get a few wrinkles in the process, I’m sure that Botox is possible what with our incredibly well-paying Student Affairs Jobs…oh, wait… :/

WE DO IT FOR THE STUDENTS, REMEMBER THAT!

If the job search doesn’t work out, I’m sure you could find any retail or customer service job that should pay on par with what we’re all hoping to make….errr…j/k?

See, humor is a good thing!

It’s a whole new ball game, and there’s oftentimes only one person that the school is looking for. Sure, we may think we’re that perfect-OMG PICK ME I’M THE BEST!-fit, but that’s not always the reality.

So, how does one deal with this? Truth be told, I’m not so sure. I’ve always done pretty well with job searches, and got offered one of the best GA’s at my institution right off the bat…yet, this means little right now. I saw the folks at the GA day, and knew how to sell myself as someone different from the pack…I can’t do that in this round of job searching. Trial by fire, I say!

I just hope that in addition to making it out alive, I can offer you all an idea of what this whole job search thing is like, and remind everyone to laugh a bit each day. I’m sure of one thing…laughter keeps us young and happy. And quite possibly might keep us out of a padded room by the time this process comes to a close… If not, I wish you all a room with a view come June/July…

Here’s to a great search for all of us!

Your loving blogger,

Epix