I am right on the cusp of the beginning of my final
semester. I’ve already begun my job search strategy which involved focusing on
what functional areas I was interested in, creating excel sheets with
organizations and institutions I’m interested in, researching cities I might be
interested in, perusing job search sites to see what’s out there, and getting
super tight with linkedin. All of these have been super helpful but there is
one element which I feel is the MOST important: building your support system.
While the job search process will allow me to start my
career and pursue my interests, the road will be paved with rejection and
disappointment. I don’t feel overly confident about my skills, my experience,
or my marketability. With every rejection I worry all of my fears of my failure
will be validated as I wonder “why not meeeee?” I have been on both sides of
the job search process so I understand that the process isn’t always a science.
There are so many factors that are involved with a hire decisions and many of
them will be out of my control. I can totally rock an interview to the core and
still end up on the chopping block because they went for an internal hire, they
wanted someone in the area, or they needed someone who could start earlier. ALSO
sometimes I’m not right for the job, I didn’t have the right experience level,
or I was so awkward in the interview. Inevitably, there will be rejections and
they will hurt. Plus the closer I get to the end of the semester without a job
in sight, the more angst will emerge in the light of repeated rejections.
I always believe there are great life lessons in Disney
movies and songs, and I’m reminded of that catchy, manic ode to friendships
from Aladdin. The Genie reminds us:
You got a brand of magic never
fails
You got some power in your
corner now
Some heavy ammunition in your
camp
You got some punch, pizzazz,
yahoo and how
See all you gotta do is rub
that lamp
And I'll say
Mister Aladdin, sir
What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order
Jot it down
You ain't never had a friend
like me
No no no
Without a strong
support system I feel I am prone to forgetting what I really want in a job,
losing confidence, or being disconnected from amazing opportunities. I didn’t
have to think twice about if I would enlist support from my cohort. The answers
is NO. Cohorts are prone to drama, jealousy, and competitiveness. While there
may be many different perspectives on this, I feel that my cohort would provide
more stress than support. Nothing can arouse more angst than someone talking
about all of the jobs they have applied for, all of the interviews they have,
all the jobs they keep getting. There is no need to either contribute to the
angst party or accept an invitation. I feel I will have a much more meaningful
job search if I neither share my process with my cohort nor constantly try to
keep up with who is getting what, when and how. (Folks I just used nor in a
sentence!). So then….who is in it? Here is list of the top 5 essential members
of a job search support team.
1. Mentor
This is defined in
many ways but my mentor is someone who has known me for a long time and
understands me both personally and professionally. I look at this person as
someone who can provide an accurate description of my strengths and weaknesses
and can challenge me when I’m applying for the wrong jobs. They are also
someone in the field who can provide information about interviews,
institutions, and other factors I may fail to consider. This isn’t someone who
will coddle me. This is my drill sergeant who keeps me in line and on the right
track and prepares me to be the best version of my self.
2. Friends in the
field
While I don’t feel
that my cohort is the best sounding board, there are many other people who I
think could provide a strong support during the job search. Other SAgrads can
intimately understand my frustrations and experiences and validate my
experience. I have to be careful to not choose someone who may be applying for
the same jobs I am. That’s a Real
Housewife episode in the making.
3. Friends who
don’t care
I have friends who
still have no idea what I’m in grad school for and truly don’t understand what
I’m doing with my life. They are the best. They pull me back into reality and
help me see when I’m overstressing about things. They also force me to talk
about some other topics besides student affairs and higher education. I can’t
think of another way to retain my sanity and keep me from turning everything
into the biggest deal ever.
4. Professionals in
the field
Every functional
area has its lingo and nuances. It’s important to understand them if you don’t
already. I took the opportunity to do some informational interviews with people
who were in functional areas I was interested in. This was incredibly helpful
and since I have maintained these relationships I can count on them to provide
insider information before an interview. Be careful not to waste people’s time
though. Ask specific questions and always be overly thankful.
5. Your professional identity guru
I have former
bosses/coworkers who I connect with every once in a while. I think its
important to understand how other people perceive my professional identity and
gain advice about how to talk about how I can help an organization reach its
goals. This is great prep for interviews and developing language for cover
letters and resumes.
Other people’s
support systems may include family, professors, current employers, or their
cohort. I have found that I need to connect with these peeps at least once
during the next few months. It helps to know that even if you don’t get a job
do get a job, decide you just want to go be Tina Fey, you already have a lot of
wonderful blessings in your life. Everything else is just a perk. Friends,
family and support systems are simply the magic that “never fails.”
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