by Mickey Fitch | Jul 21, 2010 | Career Skills, Job Search
It is the nature of our work to shift jobs a bit more often than some of our counterparts in other industries. As student affairs professionals, we are the Gumbys of the higher ed world—we flex to changing hours, additions/deletions to our job descriptions, and even locations of offices and workplaces on campus.
Similar to other industries, however, our field sees a lot of our turnover around fiscal year-end/start in July. In our online #sachat twitter community, several of us are starting new positions and decided to share thoughts about what its like to be in a new role. By answering a few basic questions about our new positions, we hope to provide some insight into role changing for our readers, and also get you interested in speaking with us more in the future on BlogTalkRadio.
First of all, what is your new position title and university? When do you start (or did you)?
Shannon: Residence Hall Director/Student Activities Coordinator at Lyndon State College in Vermont. I start July 19th, so just over a week from now.
Mickey: Assistant Director of Residence Life at University of Wisconsin-Superior. I started June 14th, so I’ve been in my role for about a month.
Becca: Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Leadership at the University of North Carolina – Pembroke. July 1st start date.
What is your professional preparation/background coming into this position? (other positions, fields, education, etc)?
Shannon: This is my first full-time position after graduating with my Master’s degree in College Student Affairs Leadership this past May. As a graduate student I had assistantships in Career Services and Residence Life, and did Internships in Summer Conferences and Service Learning.
Mickey: Previous to this I worked for a short time as Associate Director of Student Life at University of Maine at Machias, and prior to that was a full-time Hall Director at Iowa State University for four years. I did my graduate work (and was a grad hall director) at Minnesota State University, Mankato ’03-05 and did my internship teaching a life skills preparatory course. I did my undergrad ’99-03 at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where I got my start as a Community Advisor!
Becca: My education includes a M.Ed in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University and a B.A. in English, Journalism, and Applied Writing from Ashland University. During graduate school I worked at Baldwin-Wallace College as a GA in Greek Life and Leadership. I also completed internships in International Student and Scholar Services, New Student and Parent Orientation, and Student Conduct/Residence Life. As an undergraduate, I interned in Greek Life and orientation for two years as well.
What resources (networks/specific tactics/webpages/people/social media) were key in the search to find (and get) this position?
Shannon: Higher Ed Jobs became my best friend for searching by type of position or in the states I decided I wanted to live in. The #sachat network on Twitter was a great resource in learning how to read into a job description a bit more, decide what type of position was best for me, and general motivational support.
Mickey: Without a doubt my number one resource was my network through UMR-ACUHO. I’ve been part of that organization for 7yrs now and those folks are like family to me. I felt that a number of my colleagues were very interested in helping me get back into the region and back into a residence life role, and most of all, in Wisconsin! Second to that I would say HigherEdJobs.com was incredibly helpful. At the time of my search, I was still a newbie on Twitter, although that community was very helpful to me when it came time to do on campus interviews and ultimately accept and negotiate for my current position.
Becca: I visited the career services office at Baldwin-Wallace College to have my resume critiqued and gained feedback from my supervisor, @Kathy_Petras, and friends. Many members of the #SAChat community were integral to my job search, including @clconzen and @edcabellon, who helped review my resume and prepare for interviews. Social Media played an interesting piece in my job search as well. ( http://edcabellon.com/tech/twitters-impact-on-my-job-search/) I followed several potential supervisors, universities, and department accounts during my job search to gain insight into the positions I was pursuing. I interviewed for several positions at ACPA and subscribed to additional position postings from higheredjobs.com.
How did you utilize your references and mentors in your search process?
Shannon: References were great because most were current or past supervisors, so if there was a job I was applying for where I didn’t have one of the desired experiences they worked to find a way to get me that experience to stay extra competitive. They also put up with me during the ups and downs of the whole process. My mentors were great because they WEREN’T with me every day. They offered a great outside perspective on things, and since they worked at schools across the country, they were able to give me great perspective on what life was like in other areas of the US. Stacy Oliver, in particular, became known for her “Parking Lot Pep Talks” that started in the parking lot on her campus after I drove down to visit, have lunch, and get some advice.
Mickey: I have always been in the practice of sending weekly “reference update” emails to me actual references, and informal (yet similar) updates to my mentors/other colleagues that might get a cold call (see my previous post on this). I sent (and received) a lot of email during my search, especially because I was struggling with being unemployed for a longer amount of time than expected. These folks were both a personal and professional support to me, and also offered me opportunities to continue to grow my skills through being keynote speakers at their winter trainings. This is also how I got connected with Sean and Higher Ed Career Coach and Life Coach and grew my professional skills to the online world.
Becca: My references helped me to reflect on and articulate my previous work experience as I prepared for interviews. I was able to process my interviews with supervisors and mentors after the fact to determine institutional fit and to prepare for second interviews. I was lucky to have a mentor with me at ACPA to debrief with between interviews and to re-energize during the process.
What are your initial goals in your new position?
Shannon: Since my job is in both Residence Life and Student Life I really need to learn the culture of each office when I arrive. For the residence life half my goals are to create a strong Community Council in my hall (always a bit difficult with an all-first-year building) and to create some quality programming, some that will hopefully become yearly traditions. For the student life half I’m working with overseeing all the student organizations so I’d like to create some Leadership development programs, and also resources/workshops for student organization advisors.
Mickey: I believe I am just about wrapping up my initial time frame for my immediate goals, which were to 1) network/form initial relationships with the campus life team and other colleagues on campus. 2) tons of reading on our shared drive (policies, previous documents on programs, etc) 3) start laying major groundwork on the training schedules and programs for the fall that are under my supervision (hall managers, assistant hall managers, academic resource coordinators, intern, etc). Now its on to Phase 2 of my goals!
Becca: 1) Get to know my new colleagues and students. 2) Find opportunities to share resources and to collaborate on evening and weekend programming. 3) Develop evening and weekend programming to match the learning outcomes set by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.
What things are you making sure NOT to do in your new job?
Shannon: Hopefully I will not get too overwhelmed! Again, having a dual position I’m hoping to not get too focused on one half of it, to the detriment of my other responsibilities.
Mickey: Work/check email constantly at home. In this position I am personally making it a goal to strive for as much balance as possible and I truly feel like I am really getting there (which is rare for our profession). I’m also trying to not make “this is how it is/should be” statements based on past experience, but rather ask questions of why certain things are done a certain way, if there is flexibility, etc.
Becca: I am not pretending to be the expert. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be the first person to fill the Assistant Director position and to contribute to the Leadership mission of the office– but I am not pretending to be an expert. Rather, I am excited to be a part of a team and to bring my perspective to the table.
What things are you making sure TO do in your new job?
Shannon: Definitely making sure to develop strong bonds with my coworkers, and with/between my student staff members.
Mickey: Spend time with my new team. Eating lunch with them everyday, and hopefully hanging outside of work soon. Building those trusting relationships so that they can count on me as a person and colleague and vice versa. Also making sure to ask a TON of questions and taking TONS of notes (I need an iPad or something). I’ve started keeping a few different files on Evernote as well (can sync between my iPhone/work computer/home computer) that are: 1) the idea file (future ideas), 2) observations, and 3) areas for development. Taking notes is key for me.
Becca: Ask questions and listen to the answers. Learn the culture of the institution, the students, and the community. Engage in professional development opportunities and apply the new knowledge to my work.
Any advice for SA folks still searching in mid-July?
Shannon: Get excited about the possibility of jobs outside Residence Life. I noticed that as I got to the end of the semester/into summer a lot more Student Life/Student Activities jobs opened up. I’ve noticed now that even more Academic or Career Advising and Admissions jobs are opening. There’s still hope, and still lots of time before fall semesters start.
Mickey: Be more broad/less picky in what you are looking for, because in student affairs you get to do a little bit of everything anyway, so you might as well start broadly (if you are entry level). It really concerns me when I see folks straight out of school (whether undergrad or grad) that are focused only on one or two areas when they just need to jump in to a position and get experience. Make it known that you have many interests so that you can do your main role and other small projects once you are hired. For mid-level folks who are still searching, I would say….save as much money in all areas of your life as possible. As someone who was unemployed (by choice) I had to make a lot of tough financial decisions and ask for a lot of help/support from those around me because I knew it was going to be a harder/longer process to find that right mid-level fit. Be ok with that, and be humble with your process.
Becca: Ask for help. The professionals in our community are eager to see each other succeed and are willing advise you through the process if you ask for help. In addition to your mentors, utilize your resources as much as possible: stay current in the field by reading The Chronicle, blogs, participating in weekly #sachat conversations (http://thesabloggers.org), and publications from your functional areas of interest.
Other tips/tidbits you want to add?
Shannon: Even if you don’t fit every qualification on a job application, apply anyway. Don’t tell yourself no, let them decide that. Moreover, be yourself. Lots of policy and qualifications can be taught. Personality can’t.
Mickey: If you don’t have a well-established network (references, mentors, friends, supportive family, etc) then focus your efforts ALWAYS on growing and nurturing that network. Research (and personal experience) supports that these people are the ones that more and more are helping us find and secure jobs, and are also the ones that support us the best in our first few weeks and months on the job. Grow your network! Also, ask lots of questions, and don’t ever think that they are dumb or unworthy. Sometimes forcing someone to answer your question helps them realize that their methodology or program has never been questioned, or it can also help display your interest in what they have going on!
Becca: Be open-minded. A position description and university website give you a partial picture of a job, just like your resume and cover letters do. Dig deeper and look for opportunities.
While being a new employee and new to a university can look different for everyone, we hope that we’ve given insight into what it can be like for three folks at different places in their careers to approach a new position. Join us this Friday at 11 a.m. EDT on the Higher Ed Life & Careers Blog Talk Radio show with Sean Cook to hear more about our new roles and being new employees!
Have thoughts, questions, or comments? Please leave them below, or feel free to follow us on Twitter @slhealy, @mickeyfitch, & @beccafick!
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by Mickey Fitch | Jun 14, 2010 | Career Skills, Job Search, The Placement Experience
In our field, a lot of time and attention is put into prepping for interviews, writing cover letters and resumes, and getting ready for the big on campus interview day. Less attention is given to teaching what type of follow up you should do after an interview to stay at the top of the hiring committee’s list of top candidates. Even worse, we rarely talk about how to “seal the deal,” by asking questions, airing concerns, and negotiating before we accept (or deny) a final job offer.
Student Affairs is admittedly a sometimes overly “touchy-feely” field. We fear asking probing questions, or acquiesce to certain professional situations, because we don’t feel like we have any other choice, or that we are “just” a new professional and have to “deal” with what is given to us. However, in the same breath, we tout how great we are, at motivating our students to reach for the highest goals and achievements they can. Does anyone else see the disparity there?
Recently, I underwent my own mid-level job search. With the help of professional peers, my best friend, my partner (both of whom are in higher education), and family, I was able to be very intentional, thoughtful, and mindful of my situation when “the phone call” came from my new supervisor. Through this process, I’ve gathered a few helpful hints and questions to ask yourself when “sealing the deal”.
Some things that are important within your professional role and critical to consider when faced with a job offer, include:
- Availability of peers/network/team
- Peer professional context (where were they before there? Homegrown? Across country?)
- Availability of professional development funding and/or commitment to tangible professional development
- Technological resources within department/division/university
- Tangibility of higher leadership to you (dean of students, vice chancellor for student affairs, chancellor/president, etc)
- Mission/vision and goals (are they active? Is there a five year plan? Do they know where they are going?)
- What is the general “vibe” of the team? (Are they easy going? Joke a lot? Work late at night? Always late?)
Beyond the professional concerns, you should also be aware of your personal needs (and hot buttons!) that need to be met when facing a job offer, including:
- Cost of university services (parking, health/wellness center membership, meal availability, athletics tickets, theater tickets)
- Benefit packages (what is the retirement contribution/match percentage, availability of local doctors and specialists, vision/dental care, flex health benefits, vacation/sick leave)
- Where is your university/system “at” in terms of furlough, layoffs, hiring freezes, travel freezes, etc
- Proximity of university to retail shopping, groceries, and social/hobby needs
- Ability to find suitable housing for self/family/petsProximity to airport/mass transit
- What salary do you need vs. want (don’t be afraid of negotiating for a higher salary or soft recurring benefits! These extras can lead to higher employee satisfaction and productivity!)
I mentioned before about asking these questions of yourself/your institution. However, I would also encourage you to air these out with peers, partner/family, and friends. They have an objective viewpoint that you may not be able to see because of the “job offer glow”. After searching out answers to these questions, you can feel confident in the fact that you’ve done a thorough job “sealing the deal”.
What kinds of questions do you ask? Share with me via Twitter or comments below! Best of luck to all of you getting “the phone call” soon!
Starting in mid-June, Mickey Fitch is the new Assistant Director of University Housing at University of Wisconsin-Superior. Mickey’s crafted her career around the residence life experience on the college campus. Mickey loves to tell stories and help students make the most of their residential experience on campus. On the personal side, Mickey is an avid fisherman and outdoorswoman and is currently engaged in a life-changing health and fitness journey! You can learn more about her at mickeyfitch.weebly.com or follow her on Twitter @mickeyfitch.
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by Mickey Fitch | Apr 21, 2010 | Career Skills, Job Search, life purpose
If money is all you love, then that is what you shall receive*
In this article, contributor Mickey Fitch takes readers on a values Q & A that they can apply in their own job searches, as well as personal lives.
When I was in college, at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, I was both a hall government representative as well as a community advisor. As part of the training and development for these roles, we attended a retreat at a local camp. Our supervising hall director would hold a “values auction,” where we would bid against our fellow staff for different values such as honesty, clear communication, competition, and difference. These auctions were interesting to me then, but what is fascinating to me now, as a student affairs professional, is this: The items I won at these auctions are now traits that I consider to be my strengths!
During a job search, it’s tempting to let your values take a back seat to getting the “right” job. It’s easy to spend more time looking at the duties listed in the job posting than looking at what isn’t found there: benefits, values, and institutional culture. Day in and day out, the overall picture of the position is what keeps us happy, motivated, and contributing to the success of our university, and to ourselves as people. Our job descriptions are not our life descriptions, people!
So, let me offer a few thoughts about values:
1) Your values define you as a person. Like character traits, they don’t change from job to job, or university to university.
2) While professionals talk a lot about values, it’s usually in the context of training, evaluation, or discussing problems we are having at work/with the job.
3) On the other hand, we often try to teach values to our students, or to get them to examine their own.
Does anyone else see the irony here? We are teaching and preaching, but don’t necessarily walk our own walk!
Since many of our readers are currently in job searches, I thought it would be appropriate to share the following series of questions to ask yourself, during your career exploration. (Although these topics aren’t as two-sided as I will present them, take the continuum into account as you think about them).
Do you value…
- Competition, or collaboration with peers/other colleagues?
- Regular, casual feedback, or formal evaluations?
- Individual/director decision-making, or team decision-making?
- Working alone everyday, or working with many others?
- Clear, written expectations and goals, or a general direction?
- Electronic primary communication, or non-electronic communication?
- Hands-on supervision, or hands-off supervision?
- Chains of approval, or immediate decision-making?
- Similar age/experience/education peers, or a variety of backgrounds represented?
- Clear, honest, direct communication with peers/supervisors, or passive, indirect communication?
To be more specific to our field, do you prefer…
- Structured learning communities, or general education programs?
- Supervision of several buildings/programs/operations, or supervision of one?
- Department-funded programming, or student activity fee-funded programming?
- National greek chapter affiliation, or local/university greek chapters?
- Traditional two-bed housing, or a variety of housing options?
- Being on call 24/7 or the opportunity to unplug from work each day?
- Departments as “silos,” or constant collaboration across campus?
What matters most to you, personally?:
- Living in a city, the country or the suburbs?
- Do you need full medical coverage, or is partial coverage acceptable?
- Full institution/employee contribution to a retirement plan vs. little/no investment
- Is proximity to an airport a major consideration?
- Finding employment in town for a partner? (Or is it okay if your partner must travel/stay behind?)
- Nearby opportunities for outdoor recreation? (Or are you willing to travel for outdoor recreation?)
- Would you prefer a position with a large salary, but few soft benefits, or a smaller salary with many soft benefits?
- How close do you need to be to members of your personal support network?
- What access do you need to shopping? (How far are you willing to travel to shop for things you need?)
- Will you have opportunities in the community to meet a potential partner in town, or will you have to travel? (If travel is necessary, are you willing to travel?)
- If you identify as an underrepresented person, do you need a community within your town or is it okay for you to travel to the nearest city to find other members of your community? (You can replace ‘community’ with food needs, personal needs, worship needs, cultural needs, etc., as well.)
Doing an internal audit of yourself and your own values is essential. I encourage you to have conversations like these with your peers, your teammates, and supervisors. And for those in relationships, have this conversation to see what values brought you and your partner together. For me, knowing my values is like knowing how to read a compass…they help guide and steer me not only when conditions are rough, but also when the sun in shining!
Have a question about values, or want to chat more with me about it? Please leave a comment!
Mickey Fitch is a higher education professional who has crafted her career around the residence life experience on the college campus. Mickey loves to tell stories and help students make the most of their residential experience on campus. A native to the upper Midwest, Mickey is currently undergoing a job search to find her opportunity to serve in residence life. On the personal side, Mickey is an avid fisherman and outdoorswoman and is currently engaged in a life-changing health and fitness journey! You can learn more about her at mickeyfitch.weebly.com.
*Caption is a quote from Star Wars (the first of the real ones.) Princess Leia says it to Han Solo, as he collects his reward to take back to Jabba the Hutt.
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by Mickey Fitch | Mar 13, 2010 | Career Skills, Job Search, The Placement Experience
Occasionally on Higher Ed Career Coach, we need to take a break from our day in/day out professional lives and have a laugh about what we do (or should be doing). Join writer Mickey Fitch as she laughs and writes about the “lighter side” of working in student affairs.
At this point in the year, job search frenzy is at its peak, and all student affairs folks are abuzz with this placement exchange and that career conference.
(See Fig. 1 for a detailed explanation of the job search process.)
This is a really stressful time for year…for the searchers and the employers! But, it’s also a really fun time of year, and we forget that sometimes. So, in order to bring more fun to our lives, let’s share a few stories that might make you chuckle and also learn a few lessons.
(Click for enlarged image.)
Cherry Coke Makes Campus Interviews Easier. When I interviewed for my Hall Director position at Iowa State University, I was very excited about the new suit and shirts I had bought. I was also very excited about the possibility of working at ISU. My interview day was going great, and then we went to one of the dining centers for lunch. Feeling a little low on energy, I decided to have a few glasses of Cherry Coke to up the energy level a bit for the next round of interviews. My host and a few other Hall Directors walked me around and helped me get to the Coke machine. As I put my cup up to the machine and pushed the button, Cherry Coke blasted outward in every direction instead of into my cup. Turns out the dining staff had not put the cap on the end of the spout that helps form the stream into the cup. And there I was….with my brand new expensive suit, with my fancy shirt….covered in Cherry Coke. Luckily, two good things happened for me: 1) I was staying in an apartment on campus that was close to the dining center and 2) I had packed another shirt that matched my suit. As it were, I went back to my lunch, poked some jokes at myself and we all had a laugh about my Cherry Coke misfortune. With a few minutes extra over lunch (which always happens) I was able to run back to the apartment and get rid of my suit coat and stained shirt, and put on a fresh shirt. Not only did this give me a chance to show my “true colors” (i.e. my sense of humor) to my interviewers, but it allowed me a few quiet moments to gather my wits and get focused for the afternoon. Moral of that story: always bring two shirts…and a great sense of humor.
The Miss That Prefers Mister. We all know that when you’re writing cover letters to potential employers, that it helps to be very proper and address them to Mr. or Ms. Soandso. But what do you do when you don’t know the gender of the person to whom you are writing? Well, at the time I decided to just go with the gender of people I had known with the same name, which was female. A few weeks later I get told by one of my friends that this person is actually a man, not a woman. Fast forward a few weeks to the Oshkosh Placement Exchange (the big interviewing conference from residence life folks) and I am interviewing for all the graduate assistantships and grad schools I really wanted to get into. There I am, waiting in the lounge for my name to be called (insert clapping and cheering), and as I am walking back with my interviewer, he introduces himself. As the person I wrote the letter to….the person whom I referred to as Ms. Potential Employer. Being the honest and humble person I am, I apologize profusely about the gender mistake in my cover letter. We both turn red and have a little chuckle over it, but I am thinking that this mistake cost me the opportunity to go to my #1 graduate school. Well, how did it turn out? One year later when I was not only attending that school and working in that department, I was asked to be on the graduate staff search committee…and I made the recommendation that we have the “big boss” put Mr. in front of his name. Guess little mistakes are good things to laugh at…and learn from.
Emergencies Happen. A friend of mine was at a on campus interview for a high level position a year ago. He was really nervous, but also really excited, at the possibilities that lie within this university and job. As anyone who has done a mid or senior level search knows, typically some type of “open campus presentation” occurs through your interview day. Sometimes you know the topic beforehand and are able to prepare a detailed presentation, sometimes you are given the topic just hours beforehand. In his case, he was given the topic a week prior and was really jazzed about it because it was an area of expertise for him. He had handouts, a powerpoint presentation, and some YouTube videos with interactive elements. He was determined that his half-hour presentation was going to knock the socks off his interviewers and would be the icing on the cake for them to hire him. About ten minutes into his presentation, the fire alarm in the building he was presenting in went off. Completely thrown off, he evacuated the building with everyone else. Unfortunately, the alarm could not be silenced despite it being a false alarm. Being a warm day outside, the head of the interview group asked him if he would be able to continue the presentation outside away from the building. He did, and he made quite the impression: his impromptu presentation away from his computer/handouts/videos landed him the job just two hours after leaving campus! Moral of that story: emergencies happen. You can’t plan for them, but you can prepare for the worst. Know your material, and know yourself and you will do just fine.
Karaoke Brought Us Together!
Karaoke Helps Get You Jobs. A few years ago I attended the Oshkosh Placement Exchange again, this time as an interviewer for the second time. As an employer, life at OPE is much more relaxed and fun. One night, a few colleagues and I decided to meet up at one of the local establishments that was known for its great karaoke nights. With Oshkosh, Wisconsin being the somewhat smaller town that it is, the bar was overrun with employers catching up and some brave candidates out for a relaxing brew. There were a few candidates there that it seemed “everyone” was really interested in, and one of those candidates just happened to be getting up on the stage every few songs to sing. I was impressed: not only was a candidate seeming very relaxed, having a few drinks, but also was nailing every song he sang. That next night, Karaoke Guy was swarmed by employers at the socials and I had heard that he had been offered several on campus visits right then and there at OPE. Moral of that story: Be yourself….always. In student affairs, we are hiring for not just a job, but a lifestyle. Showing your true colors helps employers see who they are getting as a whole package.
Have a great job searching story that makes you laugh, cringe, cry, or do all of the above? I’d love to hear it, please leave a comment below! And check back often for more “On the Lighter Side”!
Mickey Fitch is a higher education professional who has crafted her career around the residence life experience on the college campus. Mickey loves to tell stories and help students make the most of their residential experience on campus. A native to the upper Midwest, Mickey is currently undergoing a job search to find her opportunity to serve in residence life. On the personal side, Mickey is an avid fisherman and outdoorswoman and is currently engaged in a life-changing health and fitness journey! You can learn more about her at mickeyfitch.weebly.com.
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by Mickey Fitch | Mar 5, 2010 | Job Search
After I completed my first professional job search, I likened the experience to taking an additional course in graduate school. You have intense amounts of research to do, lots of information and websites to read, a strong need for lots of pens and highlighters, and you have to some how make sense and digest all of what you are gaining through your search. Now that I have been through several more searches, there’s a few things I’ve learned along the way and want to offer on to other searchers.
Often times what I find as both a reference for others and a job seeker for my references is that we don’t provide enough information or utilize our references enough to make our search go even more positively. Below you will find just a few tips and tricks to help utilize one branch of your search process even more efficiently and effectively.
1) Make sure your reference is a positive reference, and is available to you/your search.
One of the first pieces of advice I was ever given when I entered into my very first search many moons ago was to make sure that the people you are asking to be a reference will agree to be positive references. A reference can be your supervisor, a professor, or a mentor that worked with you during an internship. But, just because you think you did a great job for them doesn’t mean that they will necessarily speak glowingly of you in the important phone call. A few years ago I asked someone to be a reference for me and I followed their “yes” up with a “can you agree to be a positive reference for me?” and the answer I got was “no”. The two good things that came from that were: 1) An opportunity for me to talk openly and honestly with this person about conflicts and unresolved issues (and miscommunication) that we had in the past and resolve them and 2) An understanding that just because someone is above you or around you in a flowchart doesn’t mean they would be your best spokesperson.
Above all else, make sure when you ask someone (yes, you have to ask….don’t assume) to be a reference, make sure it is positive. In fact, be brave and ask them if they would share some of the things they would say about you just so you know! Those positive strokes and things they would highlight about you can often times be good ammunition and examples to use in your initial interviews for a position.
Also, make sure when you are confirming a reference, be sure that they can be committed and available through your entire search. I served as a mentor to a staff member in the past who found out that they were not progressing in a university’s process because one of their references would not return phone calls and emails and therefore their application became incomplete. Be sure you have appropriate contact information for your reference and make sure they know that this process could last several months to several years for you!
2) Send regular updates to your references to keep them updated.
One of the tools that I use to keep my own group of references “in the know” about my current search is by sending them periodic emails with updates. In my last search, I had applied to a wide breadth of positions and universities, so I created a document that listed a lot of information for my references to utilize in a “quick call” manner. In this document, I:
- Listed all of the position titles and universities at the beginning, like a table of contents
- Created a separate page or two for each position
- Bolded the position title and university at the top for easy finding
- Copied the exact job posting/description
- Included the date that I applied, and any information I had about their process
As I progressed in several processes, I would include that information in the document. In the body of the email that I sent to my references, I would highlight specific updates (things like just completed phone interviews, placement conference attendance, etc). Having an “all-in-one” document like this allowed my references to have a handy go-to guide for my search process. Before returning a phone call from a potential employer, they could review the actual job I was applying for so that they could better gear their comments towards it.
Just like any other business email or document, make sure that you have it geared toward the audience/recipient. Your references are very busy people, so do what you can to highlight important information in bold, put questions that you have for them in red, or underline important deadlines so they stand out for their viewing. You want to make it easy to be your reference.
3) Recognize that references and mentors don’t have to be (and sometimes shouldn’t) be the same people.
In future posts, I will talk more about what it means to be a mentor. It should be noted in brief, though, that mentors aren’t necessarily references, and references aren’t necessarily mentors.
When you are doing a job search, you want your references to be knowledgeable advocates for you as an employee. You want them to have in-depth knowledge of your skills, strengths, areas of improvement, and unique aspects you will bring to your future employers. You also want these people to be knowledgeable about our field and be able to speak intelligently about the positions you are applying for. Ideally, your references should include a group of “been there, done that” folks who have been in the positions you are applying to, allowing them to not only personally but also professionally relate.
Mentors, on the other hand, may not be people who are knowledgeable about our field or education. Mentors sometimes are people who were our club advisors from high school, a pastor from church, or the 4-H leader from your hometown. These are people who probably have longer term knowledge of us as a person, but may not have the skills and professional base knowledge to be effective references.
The same can be said when I am doing reference checks for potential Community Adviser/Resident Assistant candidates. While I appreciate hearing from a hometown pastor who has known you from age 5, it is more helpful for me to hear from your professor who has supervised you in your lab position or from your current Community Adviser. These people know the environment, and often times, the position you are applying for therefore can be more effective in advocating for you as a candidate.
4) Utilize your references for preparation.
One of the things I hear most often from my current references is “let me know how I can help!”. A good reference wants to not only be there to take a phone call and speak on your behalf, but they want to be able to help guide you through the entire process.
Again, your references have probably “been there, done that” so they can offer a substantial amount of advice and experience that is from an insider’s perspective. It is important to remember that you references represent you in the job search process, just as much as you represent them/their university. The way you present yourself to your potential employers also helps them determine how they view your previous institution.
I cannot stress enough to utilize the help that your references will and can offer. Do this through in-person meetings, phone conversations, email exchanges, Skype conversations, etc. Run through a list of practice interview questions with them. Show them your interview clothing choices (I asked one of my references to help me shop for one of my suits with me because she has a great sense of business fashion!).
If you are at a distance from your references, as I am, send frequent and pointed emails to your references. Don’t just update them on your process, but make sure that you are offering your thoughts, questions, and concerns with them. As I highlighted in #3, I bolded out a few questions that I was desiring some feedback on before a recent interview, so I could get some guidance and advice from them. This advice turned out to be very helpful during my interview.
5) Listen to what they have to say, even if you don’t want to hear it.
Your references are a group of 3-6 professionals who have strong, detailed information about you as an employee. These are people who have known you for several years, and hopefully have seen you through both success and struggle. They know you as both an individual and person, but also as part of a team and a growing professional. These may even be people who you’ve shared personal aspects of your life with.
Because of this in-depth knowledge about you, these people can often times have an incredible objective viewpoint on your job search. They can help you see beyond your emotional and personal excitement about a position and help ask particular questions to guide you in the right direction.
References can help ask tough questions during a search like: “Is that REALLY the type of department you want to be in?” or “What kind of challenges do you think you’d have in your transition to that university?” or “Will you be able to find a community supportive of your hobbies there?”
Listen to your references when they ask you those tough questions. You may not want to hear the advice they have to offer, or the questions they have…but again, these are the people who know you best.
Mickey Fitch is a higher education professional who has crafted her career around the residence life experience on the college campus. Mickey loves to tell stories and help students make the most of their residential experience on campus. A native to the upper Midwest, Mickey is currently undergoing a job search to find her opportunity to serve in residence life. On the personal side, Mickey is an avid fisherman and outdoorswoman and is currently engaged in a life-changing health and fitness journey! You can learn more about her at mickeyfitch.weebly.com.
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