What defines “fit”?

Samantha Perrin
University of North Dakota

When I started my graduate program at the University of North Dakota, I was absolutely convinced that I would leave the program with a job in Fraternity/Sorority Life or Student Activities and would work at a small, private school in the Midwest. Only a year and a half later, and my how things have changed. As I have progressed through the job search process, I have found myself thinking a lot about fit and what that really means. My functional area focus has changed to Career Development and even halfway through my search, the institution type and location is still up in the air.

Attending a small, private school for undergrad, I could not have imagined working at any other type of institution. I loved the connection I had with my campus and community. I loved being able to walk across campus and at least recognizing every face I saw. I loved knowing our college president on a personal level, even as a student. Now here I am, applying to work at some of the largest universities in the country. I have found that for me and my work, “fit” is more about the position than it is the institutional type or size. I want to be in a position where I know I will be able to learn and grow through my work.

I attended The Placement Exchange (TPE) just a couple of weeks ago where I interviewed with some institutions that I absolutely LOVE. Being open to the type of institution has caused some great anxiety in my search process. At the larger, public universities I have interviewed with, the positions are entry-level career consultant jobs whereas at the smaller, private universities, many of the positions are assistant director level. The positions at the larger universities have staffs of up to 25 while at the smaller, I could be 1 of 2 staff members. I have been struggling to determine which type of position is best suited for me. I can see benefits to both types of institutions and roles, but I am now searching deep to find where I best fit for my personal and professional growth. I know that everything will work out the way it is meant to, but I am really looking forward to the day when I can cross the finish line and take the first step in my professional career.

Two-Thousand Miles and Two Years Later

Alexis Austin

Western Illinois University

When I accepted my offer to go to Western Illinois University for my graduate degree, I spent a lot of time convincing people that I would be okay living in Illinois for two years. “You can live anywhere for two years,” I told them. I was parroting what I had heard at the interview days for the program, since every time I asked people how they liked living in Macomb they responded that you could live anywhere for two years. Looking back, I was also convincing myself of this. I had chosen my undergrad based on its somewhat close proximity to my hometown and had moved quite a bit in the gap between undergrad and grad school, but I was never more than three hours away from my parents. When I moved to Illinois from Washington state, I was moving over two-thousand miles from the only support system I knew. The first couple of months were hard, but I made it through with the help of my program, mentors, and the friends I found along the way.

Flash forward to now. I am searching for jobs in housing and am still surprised that some of my top choices are in the Midwest. I went through the process at the Oshkosh Placement Exchange (or as I like to call it, #OshThisKosh) because there were schools in the Midwest that I actively want to work at. I actually liked the experience and I fell in love with quite a few of the schools I interviewed with. I repeat, this was not part of the plan two years ago when I moved to the land of cornfields. I was not supposed to like these people or this place. So much for that, right?

In one sudden moment, I felt like I was betraying everything that I had told everyone when I first moved to Illinois. I had come in with the mindset of not getting attached, so that I could easily transition back to the Pacific Northwest where my people lived. When I started applying for jobs, my parents seemed a little surprised. I think my mom actually panicked a bit, which I realized when she frantically offered to buy me a pony if I moved back to Washington; I still think this was half joke, half serious. But now that I have a couple of on-campus interviews in the Midwest lined up, and after I’ve talked through what I like so much about each of these schools, my mom is getting on board.

After talking through what it looks like for me if I do get a job offer for the Midwest, my mom said something that simultaneously put a pit in my stomach and made my heart the happiest it had felt in weeks. She said, “When you make your list of pros and cons for these schools, you cannot include them not being in Washington on your cons list.” My best friend has told me that she will buy me two ponies as long as I go where I’m happy, regardless of the location of the school. I feel surrounded by support. It’s great.

I’ve had successful interviews in the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. I’m confident that I am employable and that I will get a job that I love. I know that I’m going to rely heavily on my on-campus interviews to ensure that where I go is the right fit. And I think I’m finally at a point where I know that it doesn’t matter where my next home is on a map—it’ll be home no matter what. It’s exciting, and terrifying, and actually a little bit eye-opening to be going through this process and realizing that the person who, two years ago, said that she could live anywhere for two years is now considering living anywhere for an undetermined amount of time. Who knew the difference two years could make?