Category Archives: Job Search

Apr 16 2013
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Admissions, EM, Job Search, Professional Development, Recruitment

What Motivates You?

A few months ago we announced that we’d like to start a “What motivates You?” series. We started off the next week with an awesome post from Ashley Scott and then we kind of fizzled off. I had intended on writing the second post and, well, here I am…a few months late!

I can tell you the moment I knew I wanted to work in enrollment management; although, at the time I only knew it as admissions. I toured Salisbury University on June 23, 2004. Yes, I know the date. I don’t know my tour guide’s name, but I know she had blonde hair and I quoted her introduction in my graduation commencement speech…”If I’m about to trip over something or fall while walking backwards, please let me know.” It became my tagline to make people laugh (so cliché), but also become a metaphor for my life. I wasn’t always sure where I was going and knew I would need help along the way.

I joined the admissions team during my sophomore year as a host. Elizabeth Coccia (CONNECT IF YOU HAVEN’T @ecoccia33) didn’t interview me, but she was the person who introduced me to the world of enrollment management. She provided the foundation for me to build my passion for helping other students find their right fit. She let me emcee during admitted student day, brought me along on counselor luncheons, and showed me what real passion for your job is about. She’s still doing it today, and I am so thankful that she somehow found #EMchat and realized that her wannabe protégé was one of the people behind it. I’m one of those people because of her.

I never took a position in admissions when I had the opportunity.  At the time in my life, it wasn’t right. I look back on that decision frequently. I’m happy to say that I don’t regret it. To be honest, if I had taken that job, I’m not sure that we would have #EMchat – although Jennielle and Jillian would probably still have rocked something out sans Alex.

I needed to keep abreast of trends and changes in the industry because I want to be an enrollment management consultant—my initial interest in the community was selfish, I’m comfortable with saying that now. But now…now I’m motivated each day by the conversations that take place in this community. I’m blown away. I’ve been fairly inactive the last few weeks because of work demands, but I follow the feed on a daily basis and am amazed at the dialogue that’s taking place. I’m in awe of the relationships that have been formed and those that form each day.

So, what motivates me? It’s changed over the years. We all have our true starting point (thanks, Elizabeth!), but we need motivation that takes us through each day and year. Thank you all for motivating me each and every day.

What motivates you? Let us know if you’d love to post on this topic!

Cheers.
Alex

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Feb 13 2013
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Job Search, Professional Development

Why Culture is Everything

“Culture is one thing and varnish is another” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I don’t typically like to start anything I write with a quote. I think it’s cliché and predictable and really just doesn’t fit well with my style of writing—it works quite well for others. But here I am, starting this post with a quote.

I’ve wanted to write a post on the importance of culture in the workplace for almost a year now. I know this isn’t directly related to a topic in higher ed, but there are so many members of the #EMchat community who are in the job hunt, and to be honest, I don’t think there is a more important thing to consider when looking for a position.

I started working when I was 13 as a bus boy in a local restaurant. I somehow conned the owner into letting me wait tables when I was 15. I started working in my university’s admissions office my freshman year, was an RA for a year, worked in the writing center from sophomore year on, was a grad assistant for institutional advancement, waited tables at a fine dining restaurant and then eventually a crab house at the beach during the summers (greatest. gig. ever.), and now I’m hanging out at the Senate as a contractor. So, while I’m not an expert on the job hunt, these opportunities have afforded me the chance to see how important culture is in ANY job and how it can make or break your experience as an employee.

Culture isn’t part of a company; culture IS a company. Our jobs are defined by the environments in which we work, the colleagues with whom we spend our time, and the experiences we have each day in our offices. Culture should be defined by leadership but should be practiced across the corporate spectrum. It should be embedded in work ethic, communications, and should be visible to those outside of the company (or institution).

I have been incredibly lucky in my life to have always worked with people with whom I am able to connect and I’m currently in a phenomenal position. I’m a serious extrovert, so that probably helps. For me, culture is about people and how employees are treated. Culture is about mentorship opportunities, opportunities to share and collaborate, and opportunities to be heard.

Looking for your first job out of college is intimidating. Heck, looking for any job is intimidating. It’s a daunting task with catered resumes and tons of cover letters. When you get to the interview the intimidation factor increases. But, when it’s your chance to ask the questions, make sure you ask about culture. Think about what culture means to you. If a company or institution doesn’t fit your definition, don’t waste your time.

I’ve left two positions in my life because the culture wasn’t a right fit. The varnish Emerson writes of was too shiny, too smooth. I don’t regret those experiences because I was still able to build meaningful relationships. I do regret not being able to see past the varnish. Companies and institutions want to find the right fit for them. Make sure that they’re the right fit for you.

Good luck on your journey!

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Jan 24 2013
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EM, Job Search, Tweet of the Night

#EMchat 58: Recruiting & Hiring the RIGHT Staff – #TOTN goes to @KarenAFull

Tonight we talked about recruiting and hiring the right staff person perfect for the EM world.  The conversation was informational, but fun too.  There was a lot of input on “good admission counselor traits” and some great input on the “best interview questions”.

Tonight’s Tweet of the Night goes to #EMchat veteran and contributor, Karen Full (@KarenAFull) for her tweet that answered the Q: What makes a good admissions counselor?:

 

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Honorable Mentions:

 

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Thank you to everyone who participated tonight!  See you next Thursday night at 8 pm CST! (9 pm EST).

 

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Jan 03 2013
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Admissions, EM, Job Search, Professional Development, Tweet of the Night

#EMchat 55: Emerging Admissions Pros – #TOTN goes to @jotamjota

Our first #EMchat of 2013 was about how emerging admissions professionals get their start, gain experience and advance in the field.  It was a great start to 2013 and it was so great to see so many new faces join in on the discussion.

Tweet of the Night

Our Tweet of the Night goes to Jay Jacobs (@jotamjota) for his simple and straight to the point tweet about working in the EM field:

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Honorable Mentions

Great tweet by one of our newbies, Kristina Aceto (@KristinaBryantU), telling us what the most rewarding part of her job is:

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We got a ton of great tweets in response to our question: What keeps you up at night?

Here’s one from Melanie Gottlieb (@melgott):

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Another great tweet from Adam Castro (@AdamCastroEDU) about how to stay motivated:

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And, we can’t forget this mind boggling tweet from Tim Dunning (@timdunning) who works with College App via Hobsons:

Thanks to everyone for joining us tonight and we hope you’ll be back next week for: Data Series I.

Dec 06 2012
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Admissions, EM, Job Search, Professional Development, Social Media, Tweet of the Night

#EMchat 53: Searching for Jobs in EM – #TOTN goes to @tracycollum

Our second to last #EMchat of 2012 focused on searching for jobs in enrollment management and we had an amazing chat! It was great to see many #EMchat “regulars” joined by lots of new faces. We managed to fill the hour with everything from social media to mentoring to insider tips and so much more. The transcript for tonight’s chat can be found here, but now it’s time for our Tweet of the Night (#TOTN)!

Tweet of the Night

As always, this task was incredibly challenging tonight, but @tracycollum is taking home the top honors for this tweet about the skills necessary to be successul in EM:

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We also have a special edition of #TOTN Honorable Mentions tonight featuring the amazingness of @JonBoeckenstedt. Jon was tweeting greatness all night, but here’s a couple of our favorites:

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Thanks to everyone for joining us tonight and we hope you’ll be back next week for our last chat of 2012: Retention: People or Processes? This is also the absolute last call to get in on #EMchat Gives Back, so donate today!

Aug 10 2012
2 Comments
Job Search, Professional Development

“Another #EMChat” or “One of Those Moments”

This post is reblogged from Patrick Warfield’s personal tumblr page. I thought it was an awesome post (and really appreciated all the shoutouts) and wanted to share it this morning. Happy Friday!

If anyone out there has been keeping track, I have been participating in several Twitter #tweetchats, including #EMchat, for a few months now. These are great ways to meet people via the Twitter, exchange ideas on one thing or another, and — not least score more followers or interesting people to follow.

Wait — did I just give social media engagement advice?! I vividly remember when I had 11 followers, and now I sit fairly comfortably at 300+.

I do have a particular fondness for #EMchat. Not unlike the other ones, it helps reinforce my values of community, relationship building, and… well I’ve always been a sucker for lively and engaging conversation. That being said, tonight’s Enrollment Management Chat (what the “EM” stands for), seemed tailor-made for me. It was about colleges and universities giving tours and attracting students.

Giving tours. Oh, no big deal. I only did it almost every day for the better part of 5 years.

It always seemed so corny to me before I did it — walking backwards, grinning at large crowds for no reason, moving your hand in any direction as if you were Vanna White. Yet, *my* tours were always a bit different. A bit a part from the norm. I could (especially with smaller groups) connect intimately, and really share a part of myself and why I was so committed to being a part of this particular institution. Why did I choose this school over any other, what were my hopes and dreams (slightly revised nowadays), and how did I think an education at *this* school would help make all that happen? I even tried to incorporate that into the larger tours — on the Open House days, the big school groups, etc., etc. I wanted to be the person to these students that I wanted to meet when I got to college. Someone to make things a little less scary, and a little more accessible. What was great was that I frequently found the support to do so from my colleagues and supervisors, and very often, the parents and prospective students themselves. That spirit seemed to propel me into interviews, and there I could not only share my story, but really hear the story of the applicant. Why are you here? What are you hoping to get out of this experience? What do you think you can add to this community? (My questions were much less traditional than those, btw…)

The world of higher education seemed daunting and intimidating while I was an applicant, and certainly as a student. And yet, also liberating. Here you are with the chance to do pretty much precisely what you want to do — with yourself, with your time, with your talents, with your resources, with your money. And how many moments in life are like that?

As I read through the thread of responses from the admissions, education marketing, advising, and enrollment management professionals who participated tonight, it really began to strike a chord. *This* is why I want to do what I want to do. This is it. Right here. Very simply put. I want to help people achieve successes through their higher education endeavors. That’s it. Anyone who’s been keeping track also knows that’s been a fairly long road getting back to this simple goal — what seemed so simple all through school, anyway, and yet got very complicated after school when “life” kicked in. Now, I’m back here. And of course in the #EMchat, I’ve referenced my little pet project The College Concern because it has helped reinforced my focus. I have been able to explore several — and varied — opportunities thanks to this blog, its Twitter page, and my presence in these chats. My goal of being of service to people as they live out their dreams through their college education seems more clear and more attainable than it probably ever has.

This post is a lot of things. It’s a thank-you to the #EMchat community and the people I’ve connected with, and it’s a reminder to myself of all that I have, and all that is to come. I am finally back where I belong, and I don’t plan to leave anytime soon.

(And if you know anyone hiring, it would really help me out.)

Jul 27 2012
2 Comments
Job Search, Student Affairs

Oh The Places You’ll Go

Wrapping up my thoughts on my job-searching journey.

Here we go….

I am beginning to think there is a secret pass code, decoder ring, or combination lock when securing a full time position in student affairs. If those items are in existence, please come forward now. I decided to attend graduate school for College Student Affairs because I love a college campus. I love the feeling that you get when you step onto that concrete slab with buildings and suddenly, you’re transported without warning into a land that has deep roots and traditions, laughter, music, shouting students showing their school spirit, banners advertising for the next SGA Club president, and friendly faces who want YOU to be apart of their team. The best part of this degree is you have thousands upon thousands of choices to choose your very own land to be transported to.

I am so thankful to those who check in daily via Facebook, email, twitter etc…. just to see where I am at in my job searching process. Words cannot express how truly grateful I am that you care. Not only does it keep me going on a daily basis, but it keeps reestablishing that there are fantastic professionals in our field that have a sense of class, professionalism, and a passion for making a college a better place. I look forward to staying in contact with you all in years to come.

Good News ……

Ever since graduating in May 2010 with my Masters in College Student Affairs from the University of South Florida, I have created every part time position I have had. I went and sought out opportunities to keep my resume alive for it was and is still important for me to be apart of student affairs in some way, shape, or form.

I have had the amazing opportunity to be interning with Valencia College Student Development Collegewide here in Orlando, Florida since January 2012. My supervisor, who is the Director of Student Development Collegewide, created a part time position for me starting in August that will allow me to continue to grow and develop as a professional in an organization.

The other day I was driving home from work and I suddenly had an “aha” moment. This internship turned part time position is the right fit for me at this point in time. I have fought so hard for two in half years for a full time position and have lost the battle. Now, I just need to SEE the opportunity right in front of me and be okay with it.

I am in the end very grateful for this battle to find a full time position in College Student Affairs because when the time comes to have my very own office space and I can hang that M.Ed. diploma on my very own wall, it will be that much sweeter. I have always been a late bloomer in the sense of finding my way in life and this is just another challenge I will over come. I mean, after all, I want to be the Dean of Students one day and I have to start somewhere!

I will find the decoder ring one day and when I do you’ll be the first to know.

Until then, I will keep you updated on my experiences as I try to find my way into a student affairs world that I CAN picture in my head and try to make it a reality.

Jun 12 2012
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Job Search, Professional Development, Student Affairs

Job Searching Strategies-Tips, Insights & Ideas

Job searching can be slightly different for anyone who is looking for that ‘perfect fit.’ I have to admit I was a tad bit naive during the beginning of my job search process. In time, though, I lost my ‘nervousness’ and ‘gooey eyes.’ I began to understand the process and begin to get down to business.

So, here is a Top Five List of Job Searching Strategies. These top five tips are the ‘ideas and insights’ that are helping me get through my current job searching. If you want to know the background story of who I am, please check out my first blog posting.

1. The Phone Interview

The art of a phone interview is one learned over time. It’s like a dance with many steps and with enough practice; the dance becomes fluid, natural, and ends with a great overture of applause at the end.

Conduct your phone interview in a quiet place with no distractions and preferably, a landline because let’s face it; drop calls are the norm these days.

Have the job description in front of you with notes about the department, university, and any other facts that will help you understand the university as a whole.

Your resume should be nearby as it will guide you through the interview and provide you with key words to highlight your experiences and help you answer their questions.

Above all, try to be yourself and see this as an opportunity to let your personality shine. I have had search committees conduct professional interviews and not so professional interviews. You really have to just have a go with the flow and truly expect all sorts of questions, but more importantly, always stay true to yourself.

Finally, it’s important to reflect with a family member, peer, or colleague after a phone interview so you know what strategies to keep for next time. Sometimes when I thought I did horrible during a phone interview, I was called for an on- campus interview. You just never know what the search committee interprets and what you interpret.

2. On-Campus Interview

Naturally, the on-campus interview is a great way for you to see the campus, the culture, the staff, faculty and community in living color.

Remember you’re on an interview from the time you step off that plane, car, bus, train until you leave to go back home.

Student Affairs is a very small world and you never know who will be listening or seeing you in person.

Also keep in mind, the entire time that you’re interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.Over the course of my three year job search, I have had eight on campus interviews. And I have had both unprofessional and professional on campus interviews given by universities. It just happens and we can’t pretend it doesn’t.

Still, in those unprofessional situations, you have to just remain yourself throughout the entire process and not blow off the interview just because you don’t like the environment. Organizations change all the time and you could end up working with a whole new group of people someday who used to work at that particular institution.

3. Networking

This piece of advice, believe it or not, has been the hardest part for me. I am a shy person by nature so at the beginning of my job search, I was very reluctant to network and ask for help. Soon I realized, though, that networking was the only way to get my name on peoples’ radar and to let them know that I am job searching.

I started with Twitter where I was introduced by a friend who, in-turn, introduced me to #sachat, weekly chat. This chat, #sachat weekly chat, invites student affair professionals from across the country to participate in a thought-provoking discussion guided by a series of questions. I have met a wonderful group of student affair professionals through twitter and I am very thankful to for their support.

I have also been a member or NASPA since 2010 and I have recently joined as a board member of a Knowledge Community to keep my membership active.

4. Mentoring

Mentoring is something that really keeps my sanity. When I have someone I can vent to and seek advice from, I can settle a lot of my fears about this job search. I have about four mentors who are at different stages of their student affairs career which gives me a very well-rounded viewpoint.

I am thankful for their encouraging, tweets, phone calls, emails and cheerleading attitude because it gets me by on a daily basis. It’s important to seek out at least one mentor who is a professional in our field that can be your guide and professional confidant.

5. Family

My entire family, have been really supportive through my job search. I currently reside with my parents and it’s not easy going back into the household after four years of living on your own during college. However, I am really glad to be able to have a place where I feel safe and secure.

It has been adventure for everyone who has continued to be my cheerleader and knows that one day the cycle will break. You just have to believe in your skill set and know that this journey will have ups and downs, a complete emotional roller coaster that you just have to accept.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these strategies may seem like a no- brainer, but I don’t think you can truly put these strategies to use and realize their potential benefit until you’re actively looking for a job.

Above all, I think it’s important to really ‘go with the flow during’ job interviews. We all get so caught up in ‘landing the job’ and trying to say everything during our interview that is ‘smart and witty’, that we tend to forget the reality of everyday living.

The reality is that your job search might be a long process, involving many bumps along the road.

I think it’s important to continue to be an advocate for YOU along the way. Find part time positions at a university and/or enroll in an internship at your local college.

I tend to give this advice to people who are new to the job search and the student affairs field in general. I usually, though, just get blank stares back in-return. They say things like “this will never happen to me. I will never get a part time position and/or an internship at a local college.” I say, don’t judge a situation until you can picture yourself in the shoes of someone, an employer and/or college administrator who needs help and/or has a new job in mind. You never know until you try….

I am currently a board member of the Student Leader Programs NASPA Knowledge Community and I am working at an internship. That is one of the reasons I am so happy to be a part of #emchat and the student affair twitter community. Even though I don’t have a full time job, my advocacy keeps me grounded and believing that something will break my way as I continue to search for a position in a field I enjoy so much – College Student Affairs.

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Apr 29 2012
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Job Search, Professional Development, Student Affairs

Introduction to My Job Searching Journey!

Hello Everyone! I first want to write a big “Thank You” to Jennielle Strother and Alex Williams for allowing me to be a contributor to the #EMchat blog. I have been participating in their weekly Thursday night Twitter chats for some time now and it feels great to be a part of the best team on twitter!

My name is Lauren Kaplan and I graduated from the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida with my Masters in College Student Affairs in May, 2010. I came to USF as a transfer student from Valencia College in Orlando, Florida. My time as an undergraduate and graduate student has allowed me to work in a variety of student and academic affairs departments.

Since graduating with my Masters in May, 2010, I have worked part time as an assistant to an Area Coordinator for the Housing and Residence Life Department at the University of Central Florida and as an Admissions Clearance Assistant for the Office of Student Conduct at the University of Central Florida. Currently, I am a Student Development Advisor-Intern at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida.

Upon graduating from my master’s program in May 2010, I have been on a job searching journey.My job searching journey began during my last semester (Spring, 2010) of graduate school when I attended The NASPA Placement Exchange in Chicago, Illinois with my cohort.

For those of you not familiar with The NASPA Placement Exchange (TPE), it is a conference that takes place before the annual conference of NASPA begins. The Placement Exchange takes place over a period of four days where current graduate students from various graduate student affair programs or student affair professionals have the opportunity to interview with employers from different institutions from across the country. You can pre-schedule interviews before you arrive at The Placement Exchange or you can schedule while you’re in attendance. Just because you send your resume and cover letter to an institution before you arrive does not guarantee, though, that you will receive an offer to interview at placement. You can find the position postings by registering with The Placement Exchange website.

While attending NASPA TPE in spring of 2010, I kept an open mind and heart the entire time. Prior to attending the NASPA TPE in Chicago I pre-scheduled interviews with various schools across the country. The positions were mostly for residence life as that tends to be the main positions posted on the TPE job posting website. As a graduate student, I looked at TPE at the time as a great course on how to interview for higher education positions. As a result of those interviews, I did not receive any on campus interviews. However, I was okay with the outcome because I knew that my first TPE was an opportunity to learn how to interview.

Since TPE 2010, I have had eight on campus interviews and dozens of phone interviews. I am always the candidate never the hired. It’s very humbling to be called for an on campus or phone interviews. I truly consider it an honor to be picked out of the 1,000’s of resumes. It just would be nice to be able to call an institution my home of employment.

This past March 2012, I decided to attend TPE in Phoenix, Arizona. This time around I knew what to expect and how to navigate my way through the interview process. I made it a point to network and connect with student affair professionals. I decided to stay for the NASPA conference; this would be my first NASPA conference so I took this opportunity to further put myself out into the world of student affairs and attend sessions on topics I wanted to know more about. Both TPE and NASPA conferences were a wonderful experience. I can’t wait to attend the NASPA conference in 2013 in my hometown of Orlando, Florida.

As a result of this job searching journey or marathon for short, I would like to help other graduate students or current student affair job seekers along in this process. It’s important that we stick together! My former College Student Affairs Professor, with each step in this process has always told me “Maybe it’s your turn” and that phrase has not only kept me motivated, but when the timing is right, it will be. I will write next month on “Job Searching Strategies”

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