10 Tips for Handling the SA Hiring Season

David Friedrichs

Mississippi College

I am entering my final semester of graduate work in the Higher Education Administration degree at Mississippi College. I began this journey back in the late summer of 2014, which is also when I began employment as an Assistant Area Coordinator (a fancy term for Resident Director) for the college as well. After a chaotic first semester on the job, I began to wonder if I was supposed to be returning to this position/institution. While I knew I wanted to keep growing in residence life experience, I found myself wondering if I was at the right institution. This left me trying out the job search for a few months during the spring of 2015.  That experience gave me some insightful tips for how to approach the job search process moving forward.

1. Internal reflection. Before you can put yourself out there, I believe it is key to know yourself. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to look back upon your past experiences. Anything from coworkers, to school/campus culture, can be worth reflection. In this you might gain a stronger understanding of what you want to look for in the next job.

2. Developing a list(s). During a workshop at the 2015 SEAHO Conference (Southeastern Association for Housing Officers) the speaker provided a list of various aspects that go into deciding on a job. We were then instructed to rank them 1-10 (1 being the highest and 10 the lowest) to show the various levels of importance. Therefore, I recognize not everyone organizes his or her lives through lists, but it might be worth considering, especially when playing the comparison game.

3. Utilizing the resources. Because a major component of this decision for me derived from internal conflicts, I was very fortunate to have coworkers and supervisors that were willing to work with me. Thus, be sure to utilize those around you who have gone down these roads before. And just because you are a graduate student or employee doesn’t mean you cannot access the institution’s career center.

4. Preparing for the chaos. January to June. From my observations in the past two years, these have seemed to be the peak months for when schools are posting jobs and filling positions. Thus, the time is now to dust off the resumes, update those reference contacts, and re-edit the cover letters. As the semester takes off, being prepared will allow you to operate in a calm and professional manner, which is key when interacting with potential employers/supervisors.

5. Staying organized. Much of this, like some of the other tips, will depend on how many schools/jobs you are applying for. If it is a good size, staying organized, especially with documents is absolutely essential. One suggestion I heard by someone, was every time she applied to a new job, she created a completely separate folder to better assist her in how she handled the many jobs she was applying and creating documents for. 

6. Being proactive. One big suggestion is to find a placement exchange (AKA job fair) you might want to attend. Even if you don’t gain employment from attending, you will still gain valuable experience in how to better communicate your skills and strengths within a 30 minute time frame. Another suggestion, which I am planning on trying out this year, is the idea of sending out letters in inquiry. Even if the school does not have an opening for that hiring season, it might really go a long way in building, developing, and furthering connections/relationships.

7. Do your homework. Cannot stress this enough. While many would agree this is important for the pre-interview preparation, I would say it never hurts to research the school before you even apply. And don’t just go to the institution’s website. Check out instagram, twitter, and other internet platforms that might give a more well rounded picture at what you might be getting yourself into. If you are doing an on campus interview, you are probably meeting with more than one person. Therefore, it would be helpful to know who these people are and what they bring to their position and overall purpose of the institution.

8. Be patient. If you aren’t used to silence, you’re in for a new adventure of learning.  It is important to note that silence from an employer does not automatically mean denial. Therefore, submit the application, do your rain dance, and let it be for a while. It’s ok to be excited about the possibility of what might be to come, but be careful in that attachment, as you really never know what is going on behind the scenes.

9. Practice, practice, practice. While it’s an obvious for interviews, I am also talking about other aspects as well. The various formats of interviews definitely ranges on a broad spectrum, therefor knowing how to best perform in these different environments is no doubt helpful. Whether the interview is on skype, over the phone, in hotel ballroom, or on a college campus over a span of 6 hours, there are ways to prepare for these types of situations.

10. Stay Confident. It’s no lie. This can be quite an exhausting process. Therefore, be sure to develop a system or systems for staying sane and calm throughout. The most important aspect is to keep the spirits up. While the time period I mentioned above ranged between January and June, schools will keep looking up until as late as September. So keep the smiles coming!

In a final thought, as I also approach the job search myself, the two main components I hope to hold onto are institutional fit and geographical location. There are many deeper details as to why those two have become the most important to me, but if you are interested to hear more about it, feel free to email me at DJFriedrichs@mc.edu as I would be thrilled to share more about my journey.