On The Lighter Side: Job Searching

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.

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 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.