It's been such a long time...

That I don't even know where to begin. I suppose I'll start where I left off last and work back. Just a warning, this may be a really long post.

As you know, I recently completed an on-campus interview for a position. Having never gone through a job search--well, not since I worked at Krispy Kreme and was interviewed in a shoddy trailer and got the job before it began--I was fairly nervous about preparing. Thankfully, I've found a great support system and network at LSU and a variety of other institutions that helped me through. In fact, some former student leaders who I worked with years ago heard about my interview and offered suggestions and guidance!

Earlier in the week, I received a copy of the itinerary for the 24-hour interview. At first glance, it was very intimidating. The day seemed to be pack with very little time for a breather. I spent a good bit of time working to research the school's programs and staff although there is really only so much that can be gleaned from websites. I tried to develop a series of questions for each segment of the interview based on who would be present and their focus.

One of the more time consuming components of the interview was a presentation with campus partners. The topic was developing a leadership training program for student orientation leaders. I knew that I had to experience and skill to put it together, but I wanted it to be cohesive, interactive and concise. I think I put together something that showed my style as well as provided a good base of my previous knowledge and willingness to learn and grow in areas with which was not too familiar. All in all, I'm fairly happy with the result!

So, on to the interview! After a full day of excitement (LSU game with good friends and an impromptu "bus trip") and no rest, I left Baton Rouge around 3:30 am for my 6:00 flight from New Orleans which is about 45 minutes away. I needed gas and food so I ended up running behind. Also, my gate was in a part of the airport that I had never flown from so I was a bit lost and frazzled. The flight was packed and they even asked people to deplane once they have boarded because of weight restrictions. Fortunately, I was not one of them because the only other flight was far too late in the day for my comfort. Also, the flight attendant allowed me to move to the last row of seats where I was able to get some sleep. I'm sure those around me were happy with my snoring, but I was comfortable.

We left a bit later than expected so I was late getting into Atlanta, but thankfully did not have any plans for about 8 hours. I checked into my hotel room, closed the curtains, and slept for a few hours. It was very much needed and I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go to dinner with the directors. Now, as some of you (especially the Auburn folks) know, I'm a fairly selective eater. Mark joked that the list of what I ate was actually shorter than what I didn't eat but that's for another time. Well, being picky, I wasn't too sure about how this would go. We went to a very nice, casual restaurant called Murphy's. I was very relieved to see a salad with chicken on the menu. During dinner, we talked about the weekend (they had just ended their Family Weekend), the recent weather (Atlanta had been flooding earlier in the week), our experiences and goals and attempted to get to know each other as best as possible. Although I didn't finish my salad because of too many extra parts (onions, mangoes, and peppers mostly) I had an amazing vanilla bean creme brulee that I would highly recommend to anyone in the area!

I spent the remainder of the evening preparing for the next day's gauntlet of interviews. Back at LSU, the LSU Ambassadors were busy selecting the newest members so I was a bit torn. I got sufficient updates after the list was finalized. It was a relief though I knew that the process was in more than capable hands.

The morning began with breakfast and conversation with Bethany, the director the the school's orientation program. She was very open and honest about her experiences and the path that led her to her current position. We also discussed her expectations for the position and the person. Next, I met with Stephen, the department director. His background was not specifically student affairs which was fascinating for me. He was able to provide some clarity about the office environment and working with other units throughout campus.

To give me a break, the next portion was a quick tour of campus. The school's campus was very common despite being located in such a large city. Following this, I met with the search committee. It was great to be able to put faces with the voices from my phone interview. I feel as though I really connected with each of them and felt pretty confident with my performance. I think that my responses were the most fluid and natural of the day.

After my strongest performance, I was bound to have a challenge. The student segment of the interview proved to be just that! For lunch, I met with six of the student leaders so they could evaluate their potential new advisor. Half of them were very receptive to the possibility and were enthusiastic. The others, however, were a bit more defiant and didn't really seem to see the need for a professional staffer working with their organization. I tried to maintain my composure and answer their questions as best as possible thought I honestly felt a little disheartened after we finished.

Following that, it was on to the presentation for campus partners. As they came into the room, I tried to meet and mingle with them. It turned out to be very helpful because I was able to refer to them later during the presentation which I felt endeared me to them a bit. I seemed to rush through the information though. After my slides were finished, they were able to ask questions of me. The people that I met before were very open to asking questions and I think they liked my answers. I was even able to pull out Door Jams, an activity I developed for LSU's orientation leaders and that I'm very, very proud of, as an example of my style of teaching. There were a few questions, however, that threw me for a loop. I tried to process my answer as quickly as possible but spent some time talking in circles. I was somewhat uneasy of my performance on this part but was very relieved to have it out of the way.

My time with the Vice President for Student Affairs was by far my strongest of the day. It was less of an interview and more of a casual conversation. I was able to ask a number of questions about him and his department. He commented after three of my inquiries about how much he liked them or that he had never gotten them before.

The last official interview of the day was with the office staff to see how I would fit with their personalities and work styles. Again, this was somewhat more informal and relaxing and I was able to get a good feel of what their day-to-day activity is comprised of and what I could expect of them. Next, I met again with Bethany to wrap-up and hear about their plan of action. During this time, I was able to ask last minute questions that had come up during the day including about her willingness to provide feedback on my performance regardless of the outcome. She said that she felt she wouldn't be doing her part to further the field if she didn't--a response that I really appreciated.

All in all, I ended the interview knowing that it could go either way, that it wasn't guaranteed. I felt fairly comfortable with my performance and knew that I had given it my all. As I tend to do when I get excited about the possibilities, I started considering what a move to Atlanta would mean. I may have even looked into the area around campus. Regardless, I was happy to get my first on-campus interview out of the way. I knew there were some areas that I excelled and some that could be improved upon for future interviews so I was content. I also knew that, no matter what the position, I had a great group of people around me for guidance and support.

I knew the timeline that had been set so I was expecting a phone call sometime early this week. On Monday morning, Bethany called as I walked into work. As we have done before, we played phone tag for a few hours before I was able to get in touch with her. She wanted to let me know that they had extended an offer to another applicant who had accepted the position. Honestly, I kind of expected it because they had not checked any references over the two weeks following my interview. Still, it was rough to hear the words. I reminder her of our conversation and her comments about feedback and we set up a time to talk next week to discuss things.

I'm still on the lookout for potential job opportunities--in fact, one came across today that seems promising. I know that I can't let not getting one thing get me down so I am determined to use the experience and improve. I'll definitely keep everyone in the loop as I continue to search for the best fit for me.