Well folks, a little later than planned, but I wanted to go and make my official departure from this blog....though I do have a little surprise I'll share at the end!
I've been on the job for just over a month now, and it definitely has been a whirlwind. There have been awesome days and rough days, and sometimes it's terrifying to stop and think that this is my life for the foreseeable future. Crazy.
I could go on and on forever with reflections on the job search process and what it's like as a new professional and what the biggest challenges were and are and on and on and on. Instead, I'll try to keep this a bit organized and I'll do a couple of lists. So, here we go....
Best Feelings Since I Started My Job Search:
- Passing comps and finishing my coursework
- Amazing networking and learning opportunities at national conferences
- Countless nights with my friends, whether we were actually being social or complaining about how much we hate applying for jobs
- When I got the interview for my current job, which was kind of a crazy thing overall since I turned down my original offer and then realized that was stupid and I actually kind of wanted the job...
- Hooding (even though I was in a ton of pain) and spending the weekend with my family
- Getting my job offer!!!!!
- Spending time with my family without it seeming totally rushed
- Celebrating every little achievement with my roommates, from getting a phone interview to actually getting a job
- Again, the friends thing
- My first day on the job, even though it was slightly terrifying
- The first time my colleague (who I really respect) made me feel really good about the work I'm doing
- When a student thanked me just for listening and being a resource and support
- When the logistical headache that was driving me crazy at work got fixed and I almost cried tears of joy
- Every day when I have what are now cross-country text chats with my friends
....and I'm sure I could go on. Clearly, it's been a great journey.
Worst Things/Feelings Since I Started My Job Search:
- Not being able to really take advantage of my coursework because I was so stressed with trying to do that and study for comps and apply for jobs and everything
- The break-ups that have happened between then and now
- All the anxiety and fear that I wouldn't get a job
- Every rejection email -- they still burn now, even though I have a job!
- The uncertainty of whether I made the "right" decision or not
- Spending time at home with my family knowing it was probably the longest uninterrupted amount of time I would ever get to spend with them again
- Every single going away dinner and good-bye hug. Those are probably the worst. I just want to lay here and cry for a bit thinking about how much I love and miss my friends who became my grad school family.
- Sitting at work staring at my office and getting the unescapable feeling that I have no clue what I'm doing and I'm in way over my head
...and of course there have been others too.
Overall, I would say it's been a balance, with things generally going in the positive direction. Honestly this is one of the first times I've really sat down and thought about how much I miss all of my friends, and it really kind of sucks. I've been busying myself with work and trying to find a house and things...and I know I'll make new friends (and continue enjoying the folks who are still around). But, wow, I really do miss them.
Okay, enough of that. I'll wrap up with some "lessons learned/bits of wisdom" for any job searchers/graduating HESA folks out there....And yes, I fully understand that if I had read the same list 6 months ago I wouldn't have trusted a word of it....but all the same.
1) Stay organized. If you aren't already an organized person, get on it. Figure out whatever process works for you (for me, it was many many folders on my Google drive), and figure it out before you're in the midst of everything. You'll get postings every day with different deadlines, you'll recycle bits of cover letters (but hopefully change the name of the institution), and you'll feel like you're losing your mind. And that's only in relation to actual applications, haha. So get organized and stay that way. It really does make things more manageable.
2) Practice, practice, and prep! Especially do this before you're really in the thick of your process. The more eyes you have on your resume and a couple cover letters, the more mock interviews you do, and the more times you do your elevator speech in the shower (I know, it sounds stupid, but it works), the easier things will be. All this professionalism stuff really is kind of a sport, and practice makes you better!
3) Be honest with yourself about what you want to do, where you want to do it, and what some of your dealbreakers and must-haves are. This was really hard for me in the beginning...I kept thinking I would apply for positions super far away or doing things that I wasn't completely passionate about, more tangentially....but when it boiled down to it I knew I didn't want to be a plane ride away from my family, and that I would pretty much give anything to do the specific work that I'm doing. Keeping an open-mind is important, but also know what is out of the question and don't waste your time on those. You'll thank yourself later. Besides, it's always easy to widen your parameters a bit if you're getting on in the season and getting nervous.
4) Enjoy every single moment with your friends/support network. Even if it's sitting around your office with everyone stressing about a different project or assignment or application....just do it. Take giggle breaks and go get milkshakes and be grumpy the next day because none of you got enough sleep. Don't take this time for granted, even though it seems like there's a million other things you should be doing. Unfortunately, before you know it you've been to a slew of good-bye dinners where the crowd gets progressively smaller at each once, and then all of a sudden you're sitting at your desk realizing that you have practically no one left on campus to grab lunch with. And it sucks. You've probably done the transition before, so you kind of know what to expect....but that doesn't make it any easier.
5) And finally....the hardest piece of advice to follow...trust your instincts and trust the process. It WILL work out. Perhaps not in the way that you thought it would, or perhaps in a way that doesn't even feel like it's working out at the time...but it will. Trust the process. That doesn't mean be lazy...you have to practice and polish and put yourself out there...push yourself to a level that you feel proud of and comfortable with. Don't push yourself over the edge. Once you know you're putting your best foot forward, trust the process. It will work out.
So...I suppose that's it. Thanks for reading folks. It's been a hell of a journey.
Oh, and my little surprise! Well, if you're interested in continuing to follow my journey for a bit, make sure you are following StudentAffairs.com @istudentaffairs!! I'll be tweeting about my adjustment to life as a new professional and all of the trials and tribulations that come with it. I'll try to include #SANewProf and #sachat on all of my tweets...so come and follow the journey :) Also, feel free to connect with me via Twitter! I'm better at updating since it's faster, haha. So, check it out, connect with me, and keep up the good work.
That's all folks.
P.S. In response to my title...well, I found the job...and there's plenty of life, love, and laughter to be had, you just have to look for it :)
