It doesn't need to be said, yet it needs to be said- you are "on" from the moment you pack your car, pack your suitcase, step foot from your current place of residence and head out for a placement conference. We in student affairs are everywhere, and we don't always wear our profession on our sleeves (ok sometimes we do but not always!) and you never know who that person is you exhibit road rage toward as you drive down the highway headed to Philadelphia, or Baltimore. We are at rest stops, airport lounges, restaurants along the way. We are on your train, your flight, your shuttle to and from the airport. In short- we are everywhere, we are listening, and you just never know who you'll find across from you at your next interview table.
You are ON from the moment you pack your suitcase. Don't forget it, don't slip up, don't assume such familiarity that you drop your professionalism. Do take breaks off by yourself, do find the public library and tuck into a corner to relax alone, do walk through an art gallery or museum- find time to refresh your inner self, rebuild your patience stores, and reflect on everything that is happening at full speed around you.
Think very very carefully about your consumption of alcohol- we see it, rumors spread like wildfire, and you do not want to be the person everyone is talking about the next morning.
Interview teams are given lectures about not talking about candidates anywhere other than at their tables or behind closed doors. You should follow the same practice. I can't tell you how many times I've visited someone in the candidate lounge and heard horrific and immature commentary from candidates about the places they just interviewed. I don't care how fashion forward you might be- don't you dare comment publicly on the attire of an employer or interview team! I've also overheard candidates telling each other who their "safety schools" are, and in once case it was my previous institution and I had no problem letting that institution know not to waste their time any more on that candidate. Lesson learned? I do hope so- don't talk about us publicly and we won't talk about you.
Do not be afraid to look at a nametag- believe me, we are too.
Do not pretend to remember us if we act like we know you- ask us to remind you of who we are, it happens to all of us.
Do not get caught up "selling yourself" so much that you forget what is authentically you and sell a package that is fake- we'll figure it out nearly as fast as our students will if you come to a campus interview.
Do not forget that this is a small small professional world- we know each other, we talk to each other, and if you fib a little about your experiences or how hot you are as a candidate- we find that out too.
Do bring your whole, real, true self. We want to interview YOU- not your supervisor or mentor, not who you hope to be someday- the you who you are today.
And remember- that YOU who we want to get to know, is the you who is on- from the moment you pack your suitcase.
The Employer
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