It’s September and that means it is possibly the best time for you to find your next job in student affairs!
Read MoreTPE Virtual is providing the platform for our field to be more. Be more visionary. Be more deliberate. Be more willing to share our narratives, take up space, and reclaim what is often taken advantage of or spoken on without permission. Be more committed to the work. Be more innovative. Be more courageous. Be more willing to understand the importance of developing and engaging with a critical consciousness of our past, present, and future.
We understand the weight that placement events and choices carry and the pressures that come with them. We have also taken notice of the changing landscape of the workforce and job market in our field. That’s why The Placement Exchange will continue to push forward in its effort to create the definitive student affairs job placement experience by going virtual.
**Applications due October 10.** TPE is currently seeking applications for the TPE Graduate Ambassador Program. TPE Grad Ambassadors represent the most engaged schools across the country, and from their ranks. In the Ambassador role, graduate students from institutions are provided advanced information about TPE resources and programs to assist their fellow students who are planning to job search in the coming years. Selected Ambassadors work with The Placement Exchange in a variety of ways. Primarily, Ambassadors serve on campuses as the main communication conduit to their peers and faculty. They are given the most up-to-date information about all of the resources available within Student Affairs through The Placement Exchange and our sponsoring associations (ACUHO-I and NASPA) in order to convey important information to their peers and other prospective candidates on campus. In addition, TPE Ambassadors have the opportunity to connect with seasoned professionals as part of the TPE Committee, as well as colleagues from ACUHO-I and NASPA.
Like many of you will probably soon be doing, I recently started a new position in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. While I was so excited to start working in a new office and to continue my work in higher education, I was faced with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty of what this new experience would be like knowing that many colleges and universities across the country are functioning “off the grid” and almost completely remotely. In my first two weeks, I have learned so much and wanted to share some personal suggestions and advice as you prepare for a unique start to your professional careers in Student Affairs!
TPE has been evolving over the past few years with an emphasis on leveraging technology to create more opportunities to enhance both the employer (recruitment) experience as well as the candidate (job search) experience. We have simultaneously been intentional in thinking about the limitations around access that coincide with a place-based in-person interview event. While the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated our timeline, we are at a point in time where we are ready - and excited - to make this leap to a virtual offering.
Like our sponsoring organizations, ACUHO-I and NASPA, TPE shares the heartbreak and outrage felt by our student affairs colleagues as we all mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black people killed because of racism and hate. We acknowledge that these tragedies reflect long-standing racial injustice within our nation. We also recognize that our Black colleagues are exhausted and scared, and need space to grieve. Finally, we know that privilege and oppression exist everywhere - in our communities, on our campuses, and amongst our profession.
Job seekers today, especially our graduating grad students, are searching in an unprecedented time. Higher Education institutions and student affairs divisions are reimagining how to continue to serve students and staff-up appropriately during both a global pandemic and time of financial uncertainty. With so many hiring freezes, the availability of open positions is far less than what any of us could have anticipated a few months ago. Justin Reynolds, Director of Research Initiatives at ACUHO-I (and former senior economics research analysts) reflects on his job search during the last economic recession offering wisdom, practical advice, and encouragement to current job seekers.
There are number of different elements of your search process that are specific to TPE that recruiters need to consider to ensure that their process runs smoothly and is attractive to candidates.
Many employers find themselves “fishing” for candidates. Not because their position isn’t attractive, but because it can quickly prove difficult for one posting to stand out against another as potential candidates survey the listings.
Just as every job or institution falls short in some areas for potential candidates, it’s also true for employers—-simply because someone applies does not necessarily equal an interview.
