Wow!  The whirlwind of  ACPA, Osh Kosh, NASPA and regional placements is over!  Many of you connected with employers at this year’s placement exchanges.  You may be hoping that your next email notification or cell phone ring is the dream employer calling you with an on-campus interview offer.

What happens between the conferences and the call?  You’ll have some hours of waiting and second-guessing your interview responses.  Instead, you may want to try some of the strategies below.    Second-guessing only helps if you learn from it, otherwise it becomes a rocking chair. (It gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere).

Try these:

1)   You will want to distill down which schools you ‘connected’ with during socials and the interviews.  Was there a table of interviewers that immediatelymade you comfortable?  Did you seem to connect with the themes of their questions?  Was there  a school that asked a question that you struggled with?  Why?  Were you invited and did you attend the school’s socials?  Did you feel like you were socializing with long-lost colleagues at the event?  Is there a particular mission or vision of a school or department that really spoke to you?

Contemplating some of these questions will help you preliminarily identify institutions that may be a “fit.”  Fit becomes important because you will want to work somewhere you feel like you will learn and grow from the school and people around you.

2)  Attending placements with a pre-determined “dream” school or position in mind is natural.  I know I did.  I went in thinking, I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t get X position at Y school.  Instead, I ended up connecting with an entirely different school and state – this is where I ended up working.

You want to have an open mind about the schools and positions you interviewed for during your time at the conference.  Even if you really wanted an orientation position, but you connected with a school with a RD position – you may want to give that serious consideration.

When you get your foot in the door at a school – you connect with is going to give you excellent experience, the opportunity to gain skills in other areas as well the ability to connect with other opportunities at the school that may be an orientation position or a step-up in housing in a few years.

3)  If a school calls you to offer an on campus interview, but you have absolutely no desire to work there.  You will want to consider points one and two above.

Remember, your time and the schools’ are very valuable.  If you do not think you would want to live or work there – be honest.  Thank them for their consideration, but right now you are considering other opportunities.

You may think because you are not be getting any other interview offers you should jump at the chance for an on-campus.  One of the hardest things to do is work at a school you do not connect with in a place where you do not want to live.  This is hard on you, as well as on the school and your colleagues.  You will want to factor this into your consideration.

If you accept the on campus offer, and then decide at the last minute that you do not want to go – you will need to do more than send an email to the search coordinator.  You may want to call the person you were working with to make your interview arrangements.  Thank them for all their time and consideration, and talk with them about your decision.  You and the employer will be happy that you did.   You both saved valuable time and resources.

4)  While it is important to follow up on your application, you should give schools some time to get back home, get their search committees together, review all the applicants they interviewed, do follow-up phone interviews… -basically, it will take time.  More time than you think it should – especially when you are on the other side waiting for the phone calls and emails to start rolling in.

Sometimes private schools can move faster in their search process than a state school.  Private schools do not have state guidelines mandating search committee processes and procedures.  They may be offering on-campus interviews more quickly, than their state counterparts.

It’s okay to drop an email to the people you met at the conference to let your interviewers  know you are still interested –  just make sure you are not overdoing it.  Before hitting ‘send’ on that 12th follow-up email, you may want get some advice from a colleague or mentor.

5)  Remember your job and/or grad school.  Communicate with your supervisors and/or professors if you are having to head out of town on an on-campus interview during work or class.  Reveal as much as you feel comfortable.

Enjoy the process!  Stay positive and work with mentors and friends as you experience the adventure!  You are writing a new chapter in your life – enjoy the moment.

Hollie Chessman is the Associate Director of Distributed Campus Projects at George Mason University.  She is a PhD in education student whose research interests include student affairs professionals, well-being and work life balance.

Photo courtesy of Tony Cachaca

I don’t know everything about transition (apparently I know four things). However my most reflective moments have hidden themselves underneath this strange urge to continue uprooting myself to seek out something that smells new and wreaks of struggle. I want to share just a sliver of the insights I have gained during the process.

1. Stay uncomfortable

Did you just move to a brand new city where you know few people? Yes? Then listen up.  The couch can be incredibly alluring when anything beyond it is foreign and unknown. It’s remarkably easy to find yourself watching reruns of Friends (been there) or watching terrible Will Smith movies (done that, and I stand by Wild Wild West as a four out of five).  The world is churning around you but you wouldn’t know it unless you peak out every now and then. Join a kickball league. Take a class. Sit at a bar, have a beer, and chat up whomever sits near you. You’ll never know what a new city can offer if you don’t meet it head on. It might be awful for a while. It could take a long time for anything to stick. But when it does… the whole city will open up before your eyes. Stay at it. Be awkward, uncomfortable, out of place. It only takes one encounter, one moment to lead you to the life you pictured before taking the leap. Remember, Edison did not fail at inventing the light bulb, he just found 2,000 ways not to make one.

2. Remain optimistic and naive

This goes hand in hand with #1. There are enough troubles in the world without having to add “Adjust to a city and make all new friends.” There’s a slippery slope that follows transition and at the basin lie self-doubt and depression.  Granted those are worst case scenarios but it comes in all different sizes and shapes so know that others have indeed faced those demons. Forcing yourself to stay uncomfortable is the only way to break into a new scene but if it takes a while to catch on then you must also stay hopelessly optimistic and naive. It’s easy to lose that and get down on yourself, so I’m here to say this: Stop it. Keep going.  Every happy hour, office outing, meet-up posted online, they should all be viewed as that potential “one moment” where you meet folks you connect with. You might go to dozens of these gatherings and not find exactly what you’re looking for. But guess what? It only takes one. I can’t press this enough. Keep trying. Always walk into a situation knowing it is your turn.

3. Your first impressions will be wrong

It’s almost like being dropped into the forest and you need to figure out your situation quickly or perish. You have to size up your surroundings. Except in a new job you don’t – and shouldn’t – size anyone up. Sadly our human nature pushes us to  place people into boxes so it can better understand. It’s a tough urge to fight. No matter where you place people or whatever first impressions you stumble upon they will be wrong. You might call a few characteristics correctly but whatever overall judgement you try to place will be off the mark – sometimes even severely. Don’t feel bad about it; remember it’s human nature for us to try understanding those around us in whatever way we can. The delineation comes when you choose actions based off the preconceived notions.  Know that people will continue to surprise you. Give people way too many chances to impress you.  More often then not they will.

4. You shouldn’t go through this alone

You might think you can – but you can’t. Theres honestly too much for you to process and reflect on to believe one brain, heart, and soul can understand it all. There is a time and place to use your friends and family to help and this is one of those times. Call in the reinforcements. Some people feel uncomfortable unloading problems but that is a fallacy. They are your friends and family because they care about you. Plain and simple. Use this flux to reconnect, listen to some of their struggles, and share a few of yours.

Everyone goes through transition in their own way. You might think you are alone, stranded on an island but you’re not. Look across the pond and you’ll see thousands of islands just like yours with thousands of people just like you trying to write HELP in the sand.

[One last tip: Find a great TV show to get into. It's better to be completely wrapped up in a TV series then sitting around during the down times with only you and your thoughts. 3 years ago it was Whose Line is it Anyway? this year I've moved on to West Wing. It all helps with patience.

Its hard to believe, but two years ago I wrote a post here on the SA Blog about some then outstanding Student Affairs Graduate Students.  Joe Ginese encouraged me to gather information and write a follow up to showcase where exactly those folks are now as working professionals.  Besides asking them what has happened over the last two years, I also asked them share their best advice for those who will be job searching this spring. I’m thrilled (and proud) to share their stories!

Constanza (Connie) Cabello

Student Affairs professionals like to talk about work-life balance. It seems elusive to so many. We present on it to packed rooms at conferences, in the office we set goals around it, we have Twitter chats exploring the topic, and many of us might say that we are constantly in search of the ever elusive magical balance or forever balancing on a tightrope.  Is it possible, though, to change how you perceive the balance of your life in order to stop searching and plant both feet solidly on the ground? Perhaps your life is in balance, it just doesn’t look like the balance you thought it might when you started in the profession. Maybe it doesn’t look like the balance your colleague demonstrates. Perchance, it is uncool to claim that your life is in balance when it seems everyone else is saying theirs is not.

Once, I was in a workshop where we were asked to draw slices of our lives inside a pie circle. As I drew my life, it occurred to me that I was not drawing even pie slices. I didn’t even want to draw balanced slices of my life on my worksheet pie. There are aspects of my life that take up more time and energy than others, which is exactly how I want it to be. Truthfully, I’m even okay with work taking up a larger slice of pie than some of my non-work slices. Work is where I have the opportunity to put my StrengthsQuest strengths to work in a way I am not currently afforded elsewhere. I enjoy my colleagues, my university, and the work we do. At work I have the opportunity to build relationships, to take advantage of professional development opportunities, and even to take care of my fitness needs. I also noticed that I put all aspects of my job-life into one pie slice, but everything outside of work was divided into more detailed slices which might contribute to life feeling like, or life looking out of balance for some. I wondered if I reassigned labels or grouped areas differently how my pie might slice. When we shared our pie pictures with the group, my pie was in balance for me, but it didn’t resemble the pies of those around me. This was a good reminder for me that balance for one doesn’t equal balance for all.

Although I’m fine with work taking up a larger pie slice, this does not mean that I abandon my non-work slices. I am committed to my volunteer work, my social life, my hobbies, and the base level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It ebbs and flows in a rhythm that fits for my life. It doesn’t look at all like the rhythm of my colleagues who may come in on the weekends or take work home or be working on a doctorate. But because it fits my life, it is balance for me. I think that sometimes we can get caught up in wanting others to demonstrate the kind of balance in their lives that we live out in our own. Because I wouldn’t come in to the office on the weekend, I’m confused by and a little judgmental of someone who would (if not required). But if it fits within the balance of their life, who am I to tell them their life is out of balance? I believe we are better served as a profession in supporting our colleagues in how they decide to slice their pie, rather than forcing them to slice it differently.

If you are going through the job search process right now, I encourage you to be mindful of how you prefer to slice your pie compared to any expectations your new supervisor may have for your time. It is better to have these conversations in the interview process rather than after your first day. A few questions you may want to ask are:
-          What are expectations for checking email/texts/voicemails while out of the office?
-          Does the university support mental health or comp days?
-          What professional development opportunities are available to me here?
-          How flexible are my work hours?
What other questions should job searchers ask in order to be prepared to meet the expectations of their supervisor and institution around work-life balance?

I believe we can move past judging others when their balance looks differently than ours which, in turn, will provide our colleagues the freedom to do balance as it best fits for their lives. As a Student Affairs professional, how can you encourage and support other professionals to claim the balance of their life, even if it doesn’t look like anyone else’s pie? What does your pie look like? I’d love to hear other people claim balance in their lives!

Karen Gibson is an associate director of residence life at St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas.

My first student affairs association conference was the 2006 NASPA held in Washington, D.C. I was graduating from my master’s program that spring, and several of us were heading East to participate in The Placement Exchange.

As graduate students, we had taken the time to figure out many cost saving measures. We flew into the cheaper airport, fit nine of us in a shuttle into downtown, and me and my three closest cohort friends shared a $99/night room in the Days Inn. (No, it was not one of the conference hotels.) The room was “non-smoking” yet we all had a slight stale smoke smell to our interview clothes, and I am still not sure if something of a questionable nature was rolled up in the carpet that sat at the end of the hall all week.

I forgot pajamas, packed uncomfortable shoes, and spent more time agonizing over what sessions I should go to instead of actually attending the sessions. I can honestly say, my conference experiences have only gotten better as I have spent more time in the field. As I started planning my conference season, I thought it would be useful to solicit advice from others in the profession to share with those attending their first conference this year. Thank you to all who shared, I think we have a great collection of wisdom to pass along. If you didn’t get a chance to share your tips, please feel free to add them to the list!

My own advice from the D.C. conference years ago? 1) If you are able to, splurge on a conference hotel. Being in a comfortable space really makes the conference more enjoyable, and being in the midst of all the happenings gives you a chance to make some great connections. 2) Pack snacks and bring a reusable water bottle. 3) Take some time to explore the city and sights around the conference location. It’s a good mental break, and a great way to find good restaurants and unique souvenirs. 4) Everyone around you may be a potential colleague or supervisor. Be kind, be courteous, and don’t get too crazy at the regional receptions.

I wish you all a successful and fulfilling conference season!

As someone whose experience is primarily in resident education, this summer I have learned how important it can be to take the time to learn what happens in the facilities side of the house.  It can be easy to think that you don’t have the time to learn someone else’s job, but, just like anything else, if you break it down into smaller tasks, it will be easier to find the time. Finding the time when the facilities person is available to help you understand their area will save you time in the long run if you find yourself in a situation where the facilities staff member is out of the office for an extended period and you have to fill in the gaps.  Here are a few of my suggestions on how to get started on your resident education – facilities cross training.

1. Build relationships with the Physical Plant staff. I did have an edge because I knew many of these staff members since I was a hall director at this institution. If you don’t have that advantage, you are going to have to be tactical and deliberate about getting to know the locksmith, the building maintenance supervisor, the custodial supervisor, and the administrator in the office who is your equivalent (office manager, associate, assistant or director –the person you will be calling directly when you need to make something happen).  These folks will be instrumental in helping you accomplish what you need as well as knowing what the history is for certain types of situations.
2. Learn the master key box. We have a master key box that houses our RA duty key sets, office keys, RD keys, and a whole slew of other keys that I am still learning. Ask the person in charge of the box to teach you his/her organization system within the box. If you do not already know, ask them to show you how the keys are numbered and tracked. Find out how the sign-out system works. Inquire after any peculiarities that currently only make sense to the person in charge of the box. Don’t wait until there is nobody to ask.
3. Learn the intricacies of whatever housing management system your office uses. You may not need it that often if your resident education job description does not require it. But there may come a day when you are faced with having to look up a student’s booking and accompanying correspondence to verify their claim of being given two different summer housing assignments. You do not want your first day in the housing management system to be in front of that student. Ask for tutorials from your facilities person so that you can navigate in the system with confidence.
4. Ask your facilities person what parts of their job they believe nobody knows they do or what parts go unnoticed/unappreciated. These will be the parts of the job that catch your office off- guard if this person is out for an extended period of time. Everyone will be thankful if you can say, “we need to remember to refelt the pool tables” or “we need to steam clean the common area furniture before opening” or whatever else may fall into the unnoticed category.

Certainly, these items can and should take place over the span of several months rather than crammed into two weeks before your facilities person is about to be out of the office for an extended period of time. Your retention and time management will be much better if you have time to plan out when and how you will tackle each of these items as well as anything else that pops up along the way. By taking the time in smaller bits throughout the year, when you know you have some downtime or a free afternoon, you can make the time to become better aware of what happens in the facilities side of the house.

If you are a facilities staff member, what else would you suggest that we take the time to learn? What other general tips on cross training do we have to best support our offices and colleagues?

Karen Gibson is an associate director of residence life at St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas.

The Pomodoro Technique™ was created by Francesco Cirillo in 1980s after a long search to improve his own study habits. While attending college in Rome, he had a difficult time staying focused and concentrating on his work. He grabbed the familiar kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato (a pomodoro in Italian) and used it to set short term deadlines for himself. Essentially, he would set the timer and work without interruption until it went off.

The Pomodoro Technique™ is deeper than just setting a timer and going to work. The whole purpose is to change your mindset about time and work. It’s not just a silly idea,
but it’s synthesis of concepts proposed by Steve McConnell, Tony Buzan, Hans-George Gademer and Tony Gilb in a variety of areas and disciplines.

It’s built around three basic assumptions:

First, that you will come to see time differently. It’s not the enemy. By changing your view of time from “becoming” (the abstract, dimensional use of time), you eliminate the
anxiety associated with working under a deadline.

Second, that better use of the mind results in a higher level of consciousness, clarity of thought, and more effective learning.

Finally, that using simple tool like a timer reduces the complexity of applying the technique and makes it more effective and efficient.

Of course, there is a website that explains it all. And, while there is a book, you can download it free.

You might think that it would be difficult to apply this in your own office, as it calls for working uninterrupted in 25 minute cycles. There are, however, ways to interrupt and to
keep track of those interruptions. And now — during the Summer when students are fewer and farther between — it might be a useful method of getting through that endless “To-Do” list we all face.

Thanks to everyone who participated in today’s #SAchat focusing on Social Justice in Student Affairs. This week, our numbers were down due to the crazy time of year many of our Student Affairs friends are in!  Today’s chats produced over 600 comments from over 50 student affairs professionals,  graduate students and undergraduates interested or working in the Student Affairs field!

In case you missed it, below is a quick recap. If you haven’t yet participated in an #sachat, learn more here.

Full Transcripts
(You’ll notice that I’ve changed the formatting of the Transcript.  Feel free to add your own comments if you missed the entire chat, a few questions, or comments today!)

DAYTIME:  View as a Google Document

EVENING:  View as a Google Document

Today’s Top Contributors

@jpkirch
@ChrisMacDen
@m_s_nelson
@MikeJHamilton
@NASPAtweets
@JGinese23
@BeccaFick
@reyjunco

Thanks to Stacy Oliver, we now also have Student Affairs links and resources related to the chats! Thanks Stacy!

Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity
A People’s History of the United States
Thinking Class: Sketches from a Cultural Worker
White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son
Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights
The Fire Next Time
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief
The Opening of the American Mind
Catholic Social Justice Teaching

Here’s to another successful set of #sachats!  What are some other topics you would like to see us cover?  Please let us know your ideas and feedback to keep #sachat growing strong.

Until we next week, (if you haven’t already done so) please make sure to join our growing Facebook Page, currently over 2,800 and adding new #studentaffairs friends every day!  Thanks for your continued support!

I’ve been holding back for a long time on writing this.  This is the first time, publicly, I’m sharing my perspective on the scandal that went down at Tufts University two+ years ago.  It’s very personal for me, but something that I wanted to do because I’m ready for closure and need your help in making an important decision.  So here goes.

November 14th, 2007 is a day that will forever be etched in my professional and personal life.  The ACUI Regional Conference was starting and my dear friend and colleague, Erin Morrell and I were waiting in the hotel lobby for our 30+ International Delegates from Ireland and the UK to arrive.  We had worked hard for months to pull together a fantastic program for them and it was just about to start.

Then, a phone call came from my friend Laura:

“Hello?”

“(crying, sobbing) Ed? Is that you?”

“Yes, Laura?  What’s wrong!?! Why are you crying?  Is everything OK?”

“No, it’s about Jodie.  You need to sit down.  I wanted you to hear this from me before it hit the papers tomorrow.  Jodie has admitted to stealing over $300,000 from TSR (Tufts Student Resources business) and our department account.  Apparently, she’s been doing it since 2000 or so.”

<silence>

“Ed?  Did you hear what I just said?”

“WHAT?!? I can’t believe this, are you sure?”

“Yes, she just admitted it to the investigators.”

In that moment, my entire professional career seemed a fallacy.

Jodie Nealley was the Director of Student Activities at Tufts University and my first supervisor out of graduate school.  She was my mentor.  As the Assistant, and subsequently, Associate Director in the Office of Student Activities at Tufts, I worked closely with Jodie and our staff to build student life on campus.  From 2000-2005, I served as adviser to the Programming Board and multiple Greek Organizations, and was also responsible for the building the Leadership Program.  From 2005 – 2006, I was responsible for the operations of the Mayer Campus Center and worked closely with student employees.   According to testimony, she started taking money slowly (due to a gambling addiction) and over the course of six years, the numbers added up.  After hearing this news, I felt so stupid for not knowing this was happening right under our noses.  How did we all miss this?

I was hurt and betrayed beyond anything I had ever felt before. This was worse than anything I ever thought I have experienced in Student Affairs.

At that time, many of my former students called and/or visited me to process what had happened.  They wanted to go through the grieving process with me because the vision of Jodie as the mentor, friend, and supervisor they knew was no longer there.

As the story developed, we all learned that a second co-worker, Ray Rodriguez, was also charged with embezzling of over $600,000 of the Student Senate’s money.  According to reports, both of them were stealing INDEPENDENTLY of each other.  It was another punch to the gut and I was shell shocked for a long time.  Honestly, I’ve never really gotten over this feeling of betrayal that I buried deep inside.  However, last summer finally brought closure to the case, as both Jodie and Ray were found guilty and got two year prison sentences plus restitution obligations.

I thought I would find closure through the numerous conversations I had with students and staff, but I haven’t.  Think about your professional MENTOR.  How would you feel if you found out that during your time together, she or he lied to you everyday they worked with you?  All of those staff meetings, retreats, one on one meetings, and “teachable moments” would be faded, stale memories.

However, I won’t allow this to tarnish the honest, hard work that the rest of the staff and students put in.  I know the work we did was excellent and I believe that through our experiences together, I’m a better professional today.

Last week, I was contacted by a former Tufts staff member over Facebook chat.  He told me that he visited Jodie in jail and shared with me that she looked better, had done a lot of reflecting, and wanted to relay a message to all of us that she was truly sorry and knows that she let us all down.  He sent me Jodie’s mailing address as well as information on visiting if I chose to.  He thought it would be good for me, but I’m not so sure.  So far, he’s been the only person from Tufts to visit her, other than her partner and son.  The last time I spoke with Jodie was when I served as a reference for Laura.

Part of me is curious and wants to go and confront her to give me “closure”.  Another part of me wants to let things be, and just move on.   I’m so torn.

What would you do? Thanks for reading and letting me share my story.

More Online Articles About This Story:
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/2.5511/tsr-tcu-senate-have-evidence-suggesting-nealley-took-funds-1.589564 (2007)
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/alleged-embezzlers-arraigned-1.613895 (2008)
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/nealley-and-rodriguez-plead-not-guilty-during-arraignment-1.613284 (2008)

This is a cross-post on the Student Affairs Blog and On The Go!

In my last post, I gave somewhat of an overview of major placement conferences for candidates in Student Affairs. In this post I hope to share a few tips for all you Higher Education/Student Affairs job searchers out there who are attending a placement conference this season.

During my 15-year career in Student Affairs, I was on both sides of the interview table at placement conferences, and can offer you some perspectives that will hopefully set you at ease and help you be more confident, and more prepared.

Save your money now. These things can get expensive!

• Ask your employer if professional development funds can be spent to attend a placement conference. For many institutions, the answer will be “no,” and you shouldn’t be surprised or offended by this. It’s just where many employers draw the line in the sand. Institutions give PD money to help their employees learn new skills and enhance their skills sets, but it’s not realistic to expect your current employer to help you find a new or better job.
• Find a roommate (or two or three) to share lodging expenses. The nightly rates at convention hotels are usually pretty moderate. (For example, nightly rates at preferred hotels for this year’s ACPA convention range from $199/night for a single room to $259 a night for a quad.) And don’t forget about parking, which will probably be in the $35/$40 per night range, or taxis and shuttle service to and from the airport if you are not driving in.
• If you have your own transportation, and can find a less expensive non-conference hotel near public transit, then drive in, or take the bus, and save some money.
• Take advantage of free in-room coffee and free continental breakfasts (if your hotel has them). It’s also easier than you might think to find yourself skipping breakfasts, or unwilling to fight the teeming throngs trying to get breakfast at the same time. It’s also a good idea to bring snacks to your room, in case you are pressed for time and need to eat and run.
• Bring a water bottle and refill it when you can rather than buying drinks at hotel/convention center prices.

Have all your ducks in a row before you get there.

• Make sure your resume is impeccably written, targeted toward the positions you hope to apply for, grammatically correct, well laid-out, and easy to read. Placement centers will give you a candidate number. Make sure it is on your resume and that all pages stay together. Staples are fine at a placement center. Take a stapler and use it. When an interviewer has a huge pile of resumes and interview forms and brochures and giveaways to deal with, the last thing they want to do is spend their time searching a pile of loose papers for one errant page of your resume that got separated from the rest, because your paper clip slipped off.
• Speaking of candidate numbers, many candidates these days make personalized message to employer forms that give a brief statement of interest, and leave room for the candidate to write in the employer number and the posting number on the form. If you do make your own, consider using colored paper. It stands out. As a conference interviewer, I always liked these, as long as messages were brief and concise. They also helped me find a candidate’s packet more easily.
• Make contact ahead of time with potential employers about listings posted before the conference. Ask to pre-arrange an interview for your position of interest. Many employers pre-arrange a significant number of their interviews when possible.
• Make sure all your references have been prepped about your goals for the placement exchange, any positions you are planning to apply for, and your reasons for applying for certain types of positions.

Be on Your Best Behavior. At All Times!

• It won’t matter how you are dressed or how you interview if you make an ass out of yourself in some other way. Some do’s and don’ts:

• Do:
  • Come prepared for each interview
  • Be friendly to the interviewers and to other candidates
  • Stay positive
  • Thank your interviewers for their time at the end of the interview
  • Network with other candidates and encourage them in their job search
  • Use the preparation table areas to organize your thoughts and your materials
  • Wait a few minutes if the interviewer is running late. Since most interviews run about 30 minutes, you should feel free to go after 10 minutes. But these are very busy days and people do get off-course. If you have back-to-back interviews, let the interviewer know.

  Don’t:

  • Schedule back-to-back interviews (if you can help it). You’ll need time to get from one place to another and you will periodically need a break.
  • Badmouth, make fun of, or make rude comments about an interviewer, a university, another candidate, your boss, your current employer, or basically, anyone. This means in the placement center, the hotel, the lobby bar, the McDonald’s across the street…wherever. If you need to vent or talk out frustrations, go to your hotel room and talk with your conference roommates or call a friend or family member on the phone. For everyone else, act like it’s raining daisies and nothing could be finer.
  • Stay in the placement center all day (especially if you are not especially busy at some given time with interviews.) This can lead you to think too much, stress out, and get down on yourself. You will need fresh air and walking-around time. Take it.
  • Flirt with your interviewer or other candidates, make inappropriate jokes or off-color comments, or go on and on and on about how many top scholars you know in the field. It’s boorish behavior and it will count against you in the eyes of many employers.
  • Expect to leave the placement center with a job in hand. Most universities just don’t work that way. There are human resource guidelines to follow, and many student-services positions really like to involve students, colleagues in related departments, and upper administrators in their selection processes, and it’s unlikely that all of these parties will be represented on the interview team.

Learn Something!

• If the placement center is part of a longer conference with professional development sessions, go to some! They are great places to network, you might learn something new that leads you to explore additional opportunities, and you will need a break from the placement center.
• If you have the option of talking about your career or some topic of interest with more experienced professionals, do it. Sometimes, these opportunities come up in sessions. Sometimes, they come up on the sidewalk, in a restaurant or at a volunteer post.

Volunteer!

• Volunteering is a great way to get informal opportunities for networking, to learn how the conference is organized, and to be of service to other candidates.
• It’s also fun. Did I mention that you are likely to need a break from interviewing? This is one way to take a break but depending on what you volunteer for, you may end up volunteering in the placement center. Just be sure that you are doing it during an actual opening in your interview schedule!

Best of luck to everyone interviewing this season!