In Crisis - Post #13

I realize that this blog is supposed to be about my dual job search; however, tonight I need to debrief, and as it is 2:47 in the morning, I feel I only have this means of processing. This week and last have been very trying for me. Not only do I feel that my sense of balance is gone, but I feel stretched thin. My candle is being burned at four ends and I feel like I am running out of wax. In the last three days, two of my students have been in crisis with one taking too many pills and the other self-mutilating. (I am relieved to report that both students are alive and out of the hospital.) My two graduate students are both struggling with their personal job searches, have family issues affecting their lives, and are taking their frustrations and fears out on each other. This week is hall pride week, which means that every night this week we have a program that I must attend. We are conducting multiple professional job searches in our department and this week we have four candidates on campus which means extra time to interview and serve a dinner host and tour guide. Finally, tomorrow The Husband leaves at 8am for an athletic event and will be gone till Sunday evening, so it is just me and The Daughter for the rest of the week.

Ironically, I feel like I am handling all of this stress pretty well...and to be honest that scares me a little. Am I simply pushing aside my emotions in order to stay focused on the tasks at hand or am I truly coping with all of these events and the impact they have on my professional and personal life? Part of me feels like I am in robot mode, handling each issue systematically rather than allowing my emotions to interfere with what needs to be done to help those students and staff. Perhaps I just need a good cry to let out some pent up emotion or perhaps I just need to accept that I have changed my coping mechanism. I know one thing that will help a little...sleep. I'm off to bed. I have job related news, but will post that later. Thanks for letting me process.

Cheese Station O: No Cheese - Post 12

Date: Friday, April 13, 2007
Personal Temperature: Weary

I ventured out into the maze and I found a new cheese station: Cheese Station O. It is a cheese station that I have been at before as an undergraduate student. During my past time in Cheese Station O, the cheese was plentiful and delicious. It was a happy time. So happy in fact that I was ecstatic to learn that my dream cheese (my dream job) was located in Cheese Station O. I put on my shoes, I made my way through the maze, I did all the right things, met all the requirements, and when I arrived at Cheese Station O...there was no cheese for me. Now, don't get me wrong. There was cheese in Cheese Station O, but none of it was for me, i.e. there is a job in Cheese Station O, but I am not being considered for it. I'll be honest folks, I was devestated when I heard this news. I cried for over half an hour. You see, this wasn't just another job for me. This was an opportunity to be close to my family, my parents, sister, aunts/uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc; for The Husband to be close to his family; and for our daughter to see her grandparents more often. It was an opportunity to live in a town that feels like home to me and to serve a university community that I have an investment in and believe in. It was an opportunity to continue my housing career and move up the latter to a job I could see myself in for 5-7 years. But, regardless of meeting all the required qualification and the preferred qualification, I am not being considered. I didn't even get a phone interview! I am stymied. While the job listing said that candidates not attending the joint conference would still be considered, I am now wondering if that is what hurt me. I guess I will never know.

What is our next move, you ask? Well, The Husband and I need to regroup. I still have my application in for the Assistant Director job here, but other than that, there hasn't been a job come open near my family or within a decent distance. We will keep you posted on where we are heading from here. For now, I am just not sure what is the right next step. I would welcome any suggestions any of you might have. Feel free to email me at dualjobsearch@yahoo.com with any tips you have!

When It Rains, It Pours - Post #11

Date: Thursday, April 12, 2007
Personal Temperature: Tired & Hopeful

Yes, I am still alive. The dual job search has not killed me yet! And, for the first time, I have news to share! But first, I need to take a moment to process. You know the phrase..."When it rains, it pours"? Well, I feel as though it has been stormy weather in my world for over a week now. Here we are five weeks till the end of the semester and I am seeing more destructive behavior in my hall than ever before. It seems as though a huge portion of my residents can no longer stand living with their roommates and must move with only a few weeks left. Between the phone calls to them, phone calls from their parents, conversations with staff, and some troubleshooting with my custodial staff, I am finding little to no time for my non-work life, let alone my job search. But, what's a girl to do? We must press on....

So...what is the news you ask. Well, The Husband got a job offer...sort of. He says it was the strangest interview he has ever had. He went the other day to a medical clinic here in town to chat with them about an open position. He got all spruced up in his nice blue pin-stripe suit, had his list of questions ready, had a mint in so he would smell all nice and fresh and heads down for the big interview. Once he gets there, things start off pretty smooth. The doctor gives him a tour of the facility, he meets some of the staff, and then the doctor leads him in to an examine room. The Husband ends up sitting on an examining table with the doctor and talking to him for 20 minutes about the clinic and the position. At the end, the doctor says, "Well, I'm thinking about $35,000 for this job...so when can you start?" The Husband was floored. He wasn't prepared for anything like this, but really, who is? He explained to the doctor about him currently being in school, when his contract ended, and that he wanted to know more information (benefits, hours working, etc). The doc seemed to dodge these questions and The Husband left with way more questions than answers. Can you believe that? 20 minutes of chatting and The Husband gets a job offer? I interviewed over 10 hours for my current position...10 HOURS! I was floored when he told me. Anyway, don't get too excited for us just yet. The Husband has since talked to some of the doctors who work with him now and they say this doctor and practice is really sketchy. They don't recommend he take the job and worry how it would affect his reputation. But, it is the only thing that has come open so far in this area and as you all know, we are either staying around here or moving closer to home...so we can't really afford to turn down a job paying that much. I'll keep you posted on what happens.

Now on to me. So two Friday's ago, I had a "phone" interview for the Assistant Director job here at my current institution. I put phone in quotations because it was actually an in-person phone interview, if that makes any sense. It just didn't seem right to talk on the phone when I am a hop, skip, and a jump away from the people doing the interviewing. Anyway, long story short, I feel like I totally bombed the interview. For one, it was really hard for me to interview with my former boss and talk about myself when she knows me so well. I was afraid of going into too much detail and as a result, I don't think I sold myself or my abilities well. Also, right before I went into the interview, I lost my focus. I accidently learned no more than five minutes prior to my interview that one of my colleagues and really good friends applied for the job as well. This really threw me for a loop because I figured he would have told me about applying and I couldn't understand why he wouldn't have. He has been so open about all his other job applications and interviews that I was thrown off my game when I found this news out. I kept going over in my head why he wouldn't have told me, but couldn't come up with a good answer. Earlier this semester I applied for a job that he had also applied for. I told him the day I applied that I submitted an application and wanted to make sure he knew from me. I just couldn't understand it. Anyway, the combination of my nerves, knowing the people I interviewed with, and finding out that news about my colleague was enough to make me look like an idiot in my eyes. So, I am not too hopeful about the AD job any longer. But, we will see. Miracles do happen.

Other than that one lead, there is no other irons in the fire for me. I have been waiting for my alma mater to call and offer me a phone interview, but so far, no dice. I think that ship has sailed which makes me sad. I have a feeling this dual job search thing is going to take a lot longer to resolve than your average search. Honestly, I just wish the whole thing was over! =) Maybe I will look back on all of this four months from now and think, "Wow, what a great experience." Somehow I doubt it!