Blog from the Job Hakr: Student Affairs Job Search
This article will cover WHY you should do your pre-interview research. It covers four main research areas that you should focus on: the job; the institution; the people; and external factors. The article closes on how to do this for tight turn around interviews (like NASPA’s The Placement Exchange and ACPA’s Career Central). Applications and takeaways will also be discussed.
Read MoreThis article builds on what is covered in the preparing for the on campus interview article and what is included your briefing book. This article covers a startling revelation about interviewers that took me years to discover. It also reviews the differences between answering and responding to interview questions. Finally pivoting and weaving during your interview is reviewed in detail.
Read MoreThis article builds on what is covered in the preparing for the on campus interview article and what is included your briefing book. This article will cover specific strategies that you should employ when studying for your upcoming interview. It includes reviewing major themes that emerged from your research; lingering questions; chunking your time; and active reflection.
Read MoreThis article will review how you can use strategic questions to your advantage. It will cover how to create strategic questions as well as their two intended purposes. This article will also go into depth into other types of questions that you can ask during your interview including FYI questions; TMMA questions; and clarifying questions. The article ends with some of the most common questions you’ll be asked during your student affairs interview.
Read MoreThis article will review how to conduct a staff background check when you are being considered for an on-campus interview. It includes the rationale for why this is important as well as the two facets of the background check: a professional review and a personal review.
Read MoreThis article will review what the institutional culture and structure is from the job seeker’s perspective. This article also includes the big view that encompasses the entire institution as well as how it informs institutional culture and structure. Culture and structure are also reviewed in depth along with key insights on how to use both to your advantage as a student affairs job seeker.
Read MoreThis article will review the positional alignment section of the briefing book preparation process for the on-campus interview. We will review what the positional alignment is and how well it informs how you would fit into this role. The positional alignment chart includes four columns: responsibilities, excitement level, experiences, and the summary. This article will review each column in depth as well as how you should prepare your own positional alignment chart. Finally, we will close on how to use the positional alignment chart as part of your briefing book interview preparation process.
Read MoreThis article will examine what the on-campus interview is and why you’re here. This is a high stakes position that you’re in. How you do from here willdetermine if you’ll receive an offer or be rejected. This article outlines the structure of the on-campus interview as well as research tips and preparation for representing yourself as the best candidate for the position.
Read MoreStudent affairs interviews are already incredibly challenging. There great tips out there for what you SHOULD do and how you should prepare for regularly asked interview questions. But there are also certain things that you just shouldn’t DO in any interview. This article will cover what you SHOULDN’T do during the student affairs job interview and how you can pivot to present your best self and demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the role.
Read MoreMost job applicants will need to get through a first round interview. Sometimes that happens in person. But most of the time it happens over the phone or via a video through Zoom, Skype, Hangouts or any online platform. No matter the medium, doing well at the first round interview is key to progressing through the process and in the search. That means that all job seekers, as well as entry level student affairs professionals, will need to adequately prepare for the first round interview. This article will help you determine two of the most common types of first round interviews; the logistical differences between them; participants involved n the process; and a summary of how to prepare for each step along the way.
Read MoreIf you’ve been on any interview in the past, then you know what it’s like to be bombarded by a slew of questions. One of the most challenging ones being “tell me about your greatest weakness.” This can be a difficult question to answer for some. Yet for others, it’s been a question they’ve been practicing responses to for a while. But why do institutions, hiring managers, and search committees ask this question? More importantly how do you answer the question “What is your greatest weakness?”
Read MoreMany enter the student affairs interview not knowing if it’ll end in their favor. Though there are certain magical times when they do. That’s when the interview feels less formal and more casual. It feels less like an interview and more like a conversation. In fact it feels like you are having a good time with some future new colleagues. That’s when you know your interview went well. Here are some great signs that you’ve nailed your student affairs interview.
Read MoreThe most common mistake that most student affairs professionals is failing to write a specific and targeted cover letter. It’s an easy one to make as it’s much faster to fire off a template.
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