The last time you checked in with me about the job search, I was struggling to write my first cover letter. I still maintain that cover letters are challenging, but thankfully, I have the support of supervisors, colleagues, and mentors who are willing to take time out of their day (heck, some even enjoy it, right Amma? :)) to revise and recommend different approaches.
Current count of jobs applied for: 2 and a half (I'm in the middle of working on an application).
Take a moment and celebrate with me--two jobs applied for is vastly preferable to no jobs applied for, where I was two weeks ago.
Watch the celebrations here. (I'm the one breakdancing.)
As I've embarked upon this process, I've discovered some things about myself and about the job search process that have surprised me. These include the following...
1. The online HR applications are not NEARLY as bad as I heard they were going to be. I'm sure I'll be fiddling a different tune in February and March when I'm applying for multiple jobs in a day, but honestly, it's just a means to an end, and it's 10 extra minutes out of my life. No biggie.
2. I've applied to several small private colleges. I've surprised myself on this one. All of my past experience has been at large, public, research I institutions, and I would feel very comfortable moving to my next position at a comparable institution to FSU and A&M. However, I find myself drawn to the smaller schools that have been popping up on my job search sites; I like the idea of getting to perform LOTS of smaller duties in an office ("wearing different hats," as my colleagues have been known to say) and of interacting on a frequent basis with smaller numbers of students. I've definitely expanded my search criteria. And speaking of...
3. I'm less picky with location than I thought I'd be. Obviously, I'd love to be in a place where I'm happy to live. I'd love to be in a fun town or city, where friends and family will want to come visit me. But as much as I miss Texas (and trust me, I MISS TEXAS), I'm not limiting myself location-wise, and I'm enjoying entertaining the prospects of living in far-flung places like Massachusetts, Oregon, Missouri, Ohio, New York, and California. Oh, and Texas.
4. I'm confident in my abilities. Now that I have a good working base for a cover letter, I find that writing about why I enjoy student affairs, what skills I have, and why I'd like to work at each institution to which I'm applying is coming easier and easier. After two years in grad school, I AM ready to be a professional. I believe that I'll be able to make a meaningful contribution, wherever I end up.
I'm sure more surprises will pop up along the way, pleasant and unpleasant, but overall, I'm excited to be going through this whole job searching thing, because it means that I'm about to get to embark on a whole new chapter of my life. And that's just wonderful!
What were some of the biggest surprises of your job search process?
No comments:
Post a Comment