I am somewhat of a snob. About Mexican food. Having grown up in the Southwest, I ate on almost a daily basis, food that, although then I considered common, I now revere as otherworldly. As I grew older, traveled, and settled outside the southwest, this has lead me to be consistently disappointed trying to eat the food of my youth. Granted, each time I attempt a new restaurant, I go in open-minded and hopeful. But 9 times out of 10, I am regretfully let down. I think my disappointment is most likely because a few key ingredients are left out, or a dish isn’t prepared well, or both. If you can forgive my extended metaphor, I believe this is akin to conducting a job search for many employers.
There are a number of ways for a job search to be conducted, but it often boils down to a few simple “ingredients”, preparation, and execution. The Placement Exchange (TPE) does each of these better than any other job board or placement environment.
- First and foremost, The Placement Exchange brings the three together. TPE offers job announcements online every day, and supportive resources accessible throughout the year.
- We then produce webinars and coaching for candidates and employers to “ripen” their materials, skills, and confidence before they engage wholly in the process.
- Then, each spring, over 5 days in a given city, candidates and employers come together in a culmination to render the best final "dish" possible: job placement.
And The Placement Exchange is improving their recipe each year. More and more, candidates and employers are choosing to eat…er…register and conduct their search process with us. The recipe for our 2014 conference in Baltimore was our best yet:
List of Ingredients for TPE ala Baltimore:
- 1133 Candidates
- 725 Positions
- 594 tables for interviews
- 12436 scheduled interviews
Directions:
Step 1: Prepare your ingredients through focused webinars, online resources, and coaching from experienced practitioners and recruiters from all parts of Student Affairs.
Step 2: Pool together position postings from Student Affairs areas represented by NASPA, ACUHO-I, NACA, NODA, ASCA, and AFA.
Step 3: Mix candidates and positions together, then combine with tables.
Step 4: Separate evenly into interviews, and place in oven preheated at 365 degrees.
Feeds: everyone who wants it.
Rating: *****5 star
As good as our time was in Baltimore, we know that the experience in New Orleans will be even better. Even though TPE 2015 will be held in a new city, we are excited about all the flavors we are considering for our home this year in the Big Easy. Hard to argue with the track record and reviews: following each of the last three servings (Phoenix, Orlando, and Baltimore), 99% of employers said they would recommend TPE.
We are confident that our team will continue to deliver on expectations based on the experiences of previous candidates and employers alike. Our ingredients, preparation, and execution deliver.
Dr. M. Christopher (Chris) MacDonald is the executive director of University Housing at Georgia Southern University. Prior to completing his doctorate from Virginia Tech, Chris received two Bachelors in history and English, as well as a Masters in Student Development, all from Appalachian State University. Chris has worked in residence life and housing programs at small private and large research state universities for the past 16 years, and currently serves as the Executive Director of University Housing at Georgia Southern University. Throughout his career, he has served both NASPA and ACUHO-I, and has been involved with The Placement Exchange since it began in Boston in 2008, first as a employer/recruiter, and currently is enjoying his second year working as Co-Chair of Employer Services for the TPE Annual Conference.
