Into the Wild...Let The Hunt Begin #5

So you're done with comps...now get back to the hunt!

It's been a little over a week since I last blogged but that's because I had to put life on hold for a little bit to focus on my comprehensive exam. Now that it's over with, I felt that huge rush of accomplishment. I have a good feeling about what I submitted, but the excitement of being done with the exam faded when I realized what lay ahead of me this semester.

I must say, studying and looking back over the past two years in graduate school was a great way to prepare me for interviews. I really have learned SO much. And I had an epiphany during a group study session. I blurted out to my friend, "....it's all connected! Everything's connected!" Development theory, multicultural competency, environmental design and theory, counseling skills, group work--everything we learned about all intertwines in a fantastic way. Call me a nerd, but that is exciting to discover. It is as if I finally got the bigger picture of the field. My friends who graduated before me in this program told me when I started that it may not all make sense until well after you are done with the class. They were right. But the epiphany was still grand.

Now I feel as if I can bring so much more into my cover letters, my resume, and my interviews. I've heard people tell me that they've been asked, "What's your favorite student development theory?" Now I can confidently say that if I received that question in an interview, I'd respond, "How much time do you have, because I have so many!" (But so they wouldn't think I was avoiding the question, I'd probably talk about Phinney and Ethnic Identity Development, or moral development theory....or the beloved 7 Vectors by Chickering and Reisser.)

The comps was a wake-up call to remind me and motivate me for the job search. It reminded me of all I've learned and how I am ready to take on an entry-level position. It also motivated me to be more explicit in my application materials, connecting my education in my graduate program to my experience. While the studying and the exam were both great ways to re-energize my job search, I have to say I have been looking forward to writing cover letters this whole week. I feel like I've missed so much and the job search is still in the "fun" stage for me right now. Just today I got an envelope in the mail from a school I applied to for a job. I looked at my roommates and said, "Do you think it's a rejection letter? Couldn't they just do that via email--quick like ripping off a bandaid?" I opened it and it was simply a thank you letter from the department for my application and explained that they will begin reviewing my materials after February 22nd. Also enclosed was a more detailed description of the job and a form that I could fill out to provide them more information about me. "That's a good sign, right?" one of my roommates asked. We'll see...if I ever get an interview from that school, I'll let you all know.