The Secret to Finding the Perfect Job

by Jake

No Pandora today, instead I'm streaming the new Manchester Orchestra album, Simple Math.

Okay, everyone, I'm ready to share the secret.  I've been searching, applying, and interviewing for full time Student Affairs jobs since December.  I've been following SA Tweeters, reading their blogs, and reading the blogs they read.  I've had my ear to the ground and turned over every stone (except heavy ones).  At the end of the day, I've found an answer...

There is no secret.

Sorry, y'all, but it's the truth.  Construct the perfect resume.  Write the perfect cover letter.  Apply to the perfect job in the perfect location.  At the end of the day, you will be united with the right job.

There is no perfection.

Every job will have its downside to go with its upside.  Every location will lack something.  Every supervisor will have a flaw.  There really is no such thing as a perfect job.  Sorting through those flaws to find the best fit is how we determine which job is the right job.

Every resume and cover letter will be viewed differently.  One person on the search committee may value a creative resume with superb writing while another will be in search of facts and content.  One person may prefer your experience as an RA while others may be more interested in your first prize for raising sheep for wool during your internship in Scotland.  Why put in the job description that I should have a sense of humor if I can't make sarcastic remarks in my cover letter?  Dates on the right or the left?  Who cares!

This internship is ending and I'd like to share the one thought that reigns supreme in the career search and the search for meaning at-large:

Be true to yourself.

Let's face it, search committees can sift through the BS, so why bother giving it to them.  If you don't want to work by yourself, then apply for jobs where you'll work on teams.  If you can't stand working outside the city, then apply to jobs in metropolitan areas.  If you are allergic to cats, then avoid the apprenticeship with the cat farm down the street.

You'll land the job that fits because you genuinely want to do that work in that place with those people.  Some of us may have to settle for a less-glamorous job at the start, but keep shooting higher and higher because that great fit may only be an application away.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

by Christin

Wow, it’s been awhile since I have posted anything here.  However, this is the interns’ final week at CMU, so I figured I should finish out strong.  I can’t believe how quickly this school year and internship have flown by!  Not to be obnoxiously cliché, but life moves pretty fast.  (Come on, you know my cheesy comment was worth watching a Ferris Bueller clip…)

I’m halfway done with my graduate program.  I’m starting a new internship at the University of Pittsburgh next week.  (Don’t worry, I will be back at CMU and blogging again in the fall!)  In a few months I will start to search for full-time jobs.  Eep!  So many changes.  This is exciting.  And crazy.

As a graduate student, I sometimes feel as though my life is in a constant state of flux.  Every few months I have new classes, new internships, new professors, and new classmates.  I know that I am very blessed to have all of these varied, rich opportunities and experiences.  I also know that they will add a lot of strength to my resume.  But I sometimes struggle, because living with all this change is not my preferred state of being. 

Hair-do, study habits, wardrobe, my order at Chipotle.  For better or for worse, I rarely ever change these.  Or most things in my life, really.

I’m a “J” on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  This means I like order, structure, schedules, and predictability.  Not only do I simply like these things, but living in a predictable, structured manner is my strong preference.  It helps me to operate best, to get things done, and to exist in a sane manner.

Clearly, change sometimes rattles me.  Therefore, it’s kind of ironic that I am going into such a dynamic field of work.  However, I think my crazy life as a graduate student is preparing me to embrace a changing world and live with the ambiguity.  I’ve found the more I am forced out of my comfort zone, the more I am given the opportunity to grow and become a better version of myself.  

So, I find myself pleasantly surprised in being able to say that I am excited for the changes that lie ahead.  I’m excited to have a new experience at Pitt this summer.  I’m excited to come back to CMU in the fall and have a different experience than I did this year.  I am learning that change is good.  I just need to remind myself that variety is the spice of life, there is a plan, and all of this will benefit me greatly in the end!