Next Chapter:)

Before I jump in with this entry, I just feel the need to inform you that I've been wanting to write about this topic for a lonnnnng time. However, because it's a bit sensitive, I had to wait awhile to let you in on the major happenings of my life. That being said, now you get to know, and here it is: I GOT A NEW JOB!!! :) Yes, most of you probably know this already, but I thought I'd let you in on the details since I haven't shared anything up to this point!

First of all, in case you're wondering, the reason I started looking for a new position in the first place is primarily because of financial concerns. I love my job at MIAD, and I knew when I started that money would be tight, but unfortunately, I vastly underestimated how much of a struggle it would be. The sting of that has become very apparent, especially as of late. I had a lot of mixed emotions when I first started applying for new jobs, but I received a lot of support from former colleagues and friends, so that made it a little easier. It's a difficult spot to be in, and I did a lot of thinking about when I wanted to clue Duane (my boss) in on my search. I made the decision to wait until I got an interview because I didn't see the point in informing him before any of the applications amounted to anything. Coincidentally, I got invited for two interviews on the same day, one at Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC), and one at UW-Milwaukee (UW-M). I'll spare you the major details on WCTC, but after two interviews at with them, they decided to go with the other candidate. They were nice enough to call me and let me know that they were very impressed with me and that they hoped I'd apply when they have another opening in the next few months. Nice of them, but also frustrating because that doesn't help me NOW, you know? Anyway, here's the deal with UW-M...

I first applied for the position wayyyyy back at the end of July, and after I applied, it took a month for them to bring me in for an interview. Are ya kidding me?! My first interview was September 1, and at that time, they said they hoped to bring someone in by October 1. I didn't hear anything for almost all of September, so I kinda figured I just didn't get it. Thankfully, I got a call a few days before October 1 and they said they wanted to bring me in for a second interview. Yay! Backing up a second, when they posted the position, they listed it as Advisor/Senior Advisor, and you applied to whichever one based on your experience level. Obviously I applied for the Advisor level. What took so long between interviews was that they ended up promoting an internal person to the Senior Advisor level. Fortunately, that allowed them to still bring someone in at the Advisor level, hence the second interview. I had that on September 30, and in the interview, I met with the Dean of the School of Business, the Associate Dean, and the HR Manager (all separately). Talk about intense! I was pretty nervous, and they asked some rather "tough" questions, but I thought I handled myself pretty well. They were a little more forthcoming this time around and told me straight up that it'd take pretty much all of October for them to notify the candidates about the position. They weren't lying. A few weeks after the second interview, I got a call from Greg (my soon-to-be boss), and he just wanted to let me know that I was still in the running, one of two candidates left. So exciting! But...at the same time, my odds of getting it were just as good as not getting it... Welp, totally true, because the Thursday before Thanksgiving (10/27), I got a call from Greg and he informed me that I didn't get the position. :( He was kind enough to say how incredibly impressed they were with me as a candidate and that they hoped I'd apply when they had another opening in the next year or two. So, basically same story as WCTC. Ugh! Anyway, he said he didn't know if I'd want to know or if it'd help, but them going with the other candidate was basically for two reasons. First, the other candidate has a business degree, and the position is in Career Services in the School of Business. Makes sense, I guess. Second, he or she was coming from Marquette, and since Marquette's a lot more similar to UW-M than MIAD is, they leaned in that direction. Two valid reasons, and two things I obviously couldn't control. So frustrating, but I appreciated him letting me know because that's pretty rare for someone to do that. I'll admit, I was really disappointed. I even cried, which marks the first time I cried about not getting a position. I just wanted it really bad and thought I'd be really good there. I sucked it up, thanked him, and tried to stay positive, even though it meant being back to square one. Interestingly enough, the following Friday (11/4), I got a call from Greg again, and long story short, he told me they still wanted to bring me onto their staff! Needless to say, I was kind of speechless. Obviously I was very excited, but I was also thinking, "What the hell?!" I didn't want to bluntly ask if the other candidate backed out or what happened, so sadly, I still don't really know the answer to that. Having had some time to think about it, however, I've decided that I don't really care what happened because I still got the job! And really, being "second" choice doesn't really bother me considering the reasons they gave for initially going with the other candidate made complete sense. So, after all of this, something finally worked out in my favor, even if it was four months after the initial application!

Here are the details. My last day at MIAD is already this Tuesday, 11/22. Wait, are you kidding me?! From the time I accepted the position to the time I'm done at MIAD is exactly two weeks. Talk about taking the two-week notice literally! As if that's not scary enough, I will be starting as the new Career Advisor in the Lubar School of Business at UW-Milwaukee on Monday, 11/28 already. So, I'll finish at MIAD, go home for Thanksgiving, and then come back to start the new job immediately. While I'm excited, I do wish I had a little more time in between, or at least that I wasn't traveling during my "off" time, but such is life. In case you're wondering, here's how this alleviates some of my concerns. First of all, this position will pay me $10,000 more per year than what I make now. Say what?! In addition to that, I start with 22 vacation days per year (in addition to holidays). Considering I only get FIVE per year at MIAD for the first two years, I think you could see why that makes a huge difference. So, not only will I have vacation days to use, but I'll also potentially have the money to go somewhere! :) I've been wanting this desperately for a long time! I'll admit, it was incredibly hard to make the decision to leave MIAD, primarily because I just love Duane to death. However, when I think about my future and what's best for me in the long run, I know this is the right decision for me. I'm incredibly nervous, but also very excited, and I just can't wait to get established and on my feet. I can pay my parents back the money they've spotted me recently, and hey, here's a novel idea, I might actually even be able to save some money too! Wasn't sure that'd ever be possible! I'm just so happy that things seem to finally be looking up for me! Anyway, this is incredibly long, and if you've made it to the end, thank you for being such a faithful reader. ;) Stay tuned for updates as this new chapter in my life unfolds!

P.S. I just announced this on Facebook on Friday (which marked my one year at MIAD, as well as my first "official" announcement of the new job), and a whopping 29 friends "liked" my status! I know that's a weird thing to comment on, but I was just happy to see that many people who are excited for me and wishing me the best. :)

Oh, The Irony!

This post should've been done a few weeks ago, but I still feel the need to address it because I thought the timing of the situation was very ironic! As you know if you've kept up with my blog, there was a LONG stretch of time where I was having virtually zero luck with the job search. Fortunately for me, everything worked out and I am now starting my new job in a WEEK from today, ahhh! Well, the same day I accepted the offer for my position at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, I received a call from SUNY Adirondack requesting an interview for their Career Planning Specialist position. Okay, people. I applied for that position in July. JULY! And you're contacting me on October 29?! Had they kept the candidates updated, I wouldn't have been so shocked, but I hadn't heard a peep from them since I applied, so I assumed the position was long since filled. For those of you who don't know, SUNY schools are in New York, so yeah, I think it's probably good that I got the MIAD job. I'm freaking out enough about moving 3 and 1/2 hours away. Imagine what I'd be doing if I had to pick up and move across the country! But isn't that ironic? I hadn't heard anything from anyone in forever, and then the day I finally get to accept an offer, I'm presented with another potential job opportunity. Gotta say, it felt pretty good to tell them I was no longer available... Funny how things work out! :)

Fifty Percent Odds.

As you know, I had my second interview on Thursday for the Career Services job at MIAD. I was really happy that their director agreed to meet me halfway that day because then I didn't have to leave at the crack of dawn. I left Colby a little after 10:00 with the knowledge that I'd be arriving early (as usual). Well, about halfway through my drive, I got a call from their director. Oh boy. Here he thought we were meeting at 11:00, so he was already there! Thank the good Lord it wasn't MY mistake, because that would have given him a terrible impression of me. He was very apologetic, which I actually found humorous because it really didn't affect me in any way. It actually worked in our favor because I arrived around 12:20, so we got started a little sooner than originally planned. As I suspected, it wasn't much of an interview at all. He pulled out a piece of paper with a bulleted list on it that highlighted the primary daily duties of the position (in the order they occur most frequently). He went in depth about each item and then allowed me to ask questions. Of course I had no shortage of things to ask. :) Anyway, while we ate lunch, we had a really nice conversation about a lot of non-work related stuff, so that was enjoyable too. He also talked about the characteristics he seeks in someone taking this position, and I feel like it described me pretty well! After talking with him, I am SO much more excited about the position. Not that I wasn't before, but obviously I had some reservations, so I am really happy that I met with him because it made me feel like the job would definitely be worth taking if I get the offer. Speaking of an offer, if everything goes through HR smoothly, I should know sometime this coming week if I'm getting the job or not. He told me that it's down to me and one other person, which is awesome, and then I had the revelation that my odds of not getting the job are just as good as my odds of getting it: 50%. Scary! Watch, it'd be just my luck that I'm finally jazzed about this position and then I won't get it. Wow, would that suck. I got a really good feeling from that day, so hopefully that's a good sign! Not gonna lie, just about everyone bone in my body is f-r-e-a-k-i-n-g out about this, but it's now or never! I don't really feel like spending the next how many months packaging bacon, I can tell ya that much. So anyway, after all this time, while everything is still uncertain, maybe this is finally the point in my life where things fall into place the way they're supposed to. We shall see. Just wish me luck, no matter what happens!

Good News!

Hello all! Perhaps you're wondering why it's been awhile since I've given a job update. Well, I didn't have one to give, that's why. But... Now I do, so here it is! On Friday, I was contacted by MIAD and was offered a second interview (which I graciously accepted). When I was told that there would be second interviews, I'll be honest, I thought to myself, "What on earth could they possibly have left to ask me?!" The hour and a half I spent in the first interview answering questions made me feel like I had answered every possible question under the sun! Perhaps I was right, because based on the email I received, this second interview isn't nearly as "interview-like" as one would expect. Here's the rundown. I'm meeting with the director (who was part of the phone interview and the first interview), and he essentially just wants to give me more specifics of the day-to-day nature of the position. Then he just wants to get my thoughts on everything and see if I feel like it's a good fit and if I'm still interested. And get this, in the email requesting the interview, he said, "I am sensitive to how long your drive is from Colby, so I am more than willing to meet you halfway." Um, wait. What? Do people actually do that?! I guess so because we're meeting at a restaurant in Oshkosh on Thursday. He told me that it'll take about an hour and a half (meal included) and that I don't really need to prepare. As casual as it sounds, I'm still really nervous. There are aspects of the position that I don't have a ton of experience in, so I don't want that to work against me. This is where I've gotta sell myself, I guess! I do have to say, the fact that he's willing to drive 2 hours to meet me just to tell me all about what I'd be doing in the job makes me feel like I'm pretty damn close to securing it! I don't want to be presumptuous, though, so I'll do what I can and hope that everything works for the best! As always, I'll keep you posted! :)

Interview = Done.

Hey, yo! Well, I survived my interview yesterday! I was up waaaay too late on Tuesday night (long story), so getting up yesterday was a bit of a struggle. I shuffled my way around the house getting ready, which, let me tell you, is a lot harder to do when your nerves are making you feel like you're going to burst! Once I was showered and dressed, I sat down and reviewed a bunch of potential interview questions, again trying to ignore my nerves. I finally left the house around 8:40. MapQuest told me that it would take me 3 hours and 47 minutes to get there. My Garmin told me that it would take 3 hours and 16 minutes. Hmm. The interview process started at 1:45, so either way, I knew I'd have some extra time. I get super nervous about not knowing where I'm going, so I like to allow myself a freakish amount of extra time to find my way around. Along the way, I got really hungry, so I stopped in some random town and had McDonald's french fries and a shake. Good, nutritious interview food, right?! ;) The drive went pretty smoothly until the last 15 minutes or so. While I'm not familiar with the layout of Milwaukee or what is considered downtown, I'm pretty sure I was in the heart of it. I was kind of stressed out, and all I kept thinking was, "If I move down here, my mom will NEVER come visit me because she won't be able to handle this!" I made it throught that part, but then I ran into some construction that my good 'ol trusty Garmin didn't like too much. I was literally going in circles on all these freaky little back-ish roads. At that moment, I was thanking the good Lord that I gave myself extra time. I finallllly got myself where I needed to be, and I had about an hour to spare. So, I did more interview prep and just did what I could to keep myself calm. For the first part of my interview, I got a tour of of the main campus building, and it was really cool. Since it's an art and design school, all the majors involve some sort of amazing creativity that I completely lack. It was pretty much visual overload, but it was awesome to see. The building itself has a lot of history, and I felt like I learned a lot as we walked the halls. The second part of my interview involved meeting with 4 professionals from different areas on campus. While it was only an hour and 15 minutes with them, it was quite intense. They all had their own set of questions to ask, so it was a little overwhelming, but I think I handled myself pretty well! They're finishing up interviews this week, and if necessary, they'll do second interviews next week. If they don't do second interviews, then my guess is I'll know next week or early the following week whether or not I'm packing up and heading to Milwaukee. Wow, saying that still freaks me out! I want the job, but it's freaky to think how fast my life could potentially change. I guess that's what it's all about, though. So anyway, I will keep you posted as always!

Trust The Process.

If you've kept up with my blog, you'll remember awhile back that I posted some of my favorite "Quotables" cards (see here). One of my favorite sayings from those cards is, "Slow down. Calm Down. Don't Worry. Don't Hurry. Trust the Process." I literally repeat this phrase to myself at least once a day. And right now, it's proven to be more important than ever. For any of you who have actually been around me over the past, I don't know, week or so, you're probably painfully aware of the fact that I'm FREAKING out about this potential job in Milwaukee. Don't get me wrong, I am so dang excited about the possibility of getting this job that I could fall over and die, but there are several factors that have come into play to make me nervous. No surprise to anyone, finances are the biggest concern. I won't exactly be raking in the dough if I get this position, so I've had to do a lot of budgeting and thinking about if and how I can make it work if I get the job offer. This has involved sorting through every possible monthly expense including, but not limited to: rent (without knowing how much it'll be); student loans; cable and internet; electricity; cell phone bill; credit card bill (I am still haunted by the fact that I had to rely on my credit card when I wasn't working for a semester); car insurance; groceries; etc. As sad as it is, I've never really had to consider all these things before. I mean, I have, but I either had help from mom and dad or I had extra financial aid money to pull me through. It's scary to say the least, but the more I think about it, the more I know I have to take this job if I get an offer. I need the experience and I want to stay in the field. I didn't get a Master's degree with the intention of turning down opportunities that will give me the experiences I want and need, ya know? I can make it work, I just have to learn how to be extremely efficient with my money. Should be interesting! As for the interview, it's tomorrow at 1:45 p.m. I'm leaving Colby around 8:30-9 tomorrow morning and will spend about 4 hours in the car to get to MIAD. The interview itself only lasts 2 hours, and then it'll be 4 hours back here. I love how I can say that the interview is only 2 hours, like that's nothing. But, in comparison to past interviews, it seems simple enough! I'm feeling pretty good about it, so hopefully that's a good sign. No matter what, it's still another interview experience, and the more of those I can tackle, the better off I will be. Wish me luck!

One Step At A Time

As you know, last Monday I had a phone interview for a Career Services Coordinator position at MIAD. After I got off the phone, I was really uncertain about how it went. I felt like I was out of practice, so of course, I kept thinking to myself, "Yep, I definitely *bleeped* that up." The guy who interviewed me told me they would notify finalists either by the end of last week or early this week. The negativity in me creeped out and based on my uncertainty after the phone interview, I thought I'd probably be out of the running. Flash forward to last Friday. I went to La Crosse for Oktoberfest (an entry on that crazy weekend to be posted soon), and because I adore my co-workers from UW-L, I made a point to stop in and visit people. Get this. While I was IN the Career Services office talking about all my job-related frustrations, my cell phone rang. I looked down and saw a Milwaukee number calling, so inside I was freaking out, but on the outside, I just casually muted the call. I got an encouraging pep talk from everyone reminding me that I'm far from out of the running in terms of getting a job, so it was kind of ironic to get a call about a job while I was there. Turns out, the call was for an on-campus interview, wahoo!! It's happening next Wednesday (Oct. 6), and I'm really excited. Based on the interview details I received, it'll be quite a bit different than the other interviews I've had. First, I meet with the director of Career Services and get a tour of the building and what not. Then I meet with the interview committee which consists of these people: Director of Career Services; Director of Human Resources; Director of Academic Operations; Assistant Director of Library Services; and Dean of Students. For those of you who are unfamiliar with position titles in higher education, what you need to know is that I will be meeting with some very important people. Holy moly, I'm nervous! They're just people, Renee, they're just people. :) Anyway, the whole process will only take 2 hours, which seems like a cake walk considering my other interviews were anywhere from 4-7 hours long. Kind of funny, I have to drive 7-8 hours round trip for a 2-hour interview, but hey, if it gets me a job, then so be it. This whole driving to Milwaukee thing is becoming quite familiar (this is my 3rd on-campus in the city), so hopefully this one's the one. I'll keep you posted!

Interview!

I'm back! Sorry for the delay. The past week has been crazy, and I've been a little cranky, so the blog wasn't exactly on the forefront. Anyway, I had my phone interview with the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design today! As I mentioned in the previous entry, today marked exactly 2 months since my last interview. I'm not sure how to say this one went. I was really nervous in the beginning, but I definitely warmed up as the conversation continued. Honestly, it didn't even feel like a "real" interview. He explained some things about the position (i.e. the salary, what the position would entail, etc.), and then just asked me a few basic questions like:

1. Why are you interested in Higher Education?
2. Why are you interested in Career Services?
3. Are you comfortable working with such a targeted student population?
4. Are you willing to perform a variety of administrative functions?
5. How soon could you start working here?

Given some of the past phone interviews I've had, this one seemed way too general to be for real! I guess I won't complain though! He said they would be contacting finalists for on-campus interviews early next week, so it sounds like the process will continue to move along quickly. After my interview today, I also applied for an academic advising position at UW-Madison. This one wouldn't start until mid-December, and honestly I'd almost prefer that. My biggest fear out of all this stuff is that I'll get an offer from one school while I'm only in the middle of the proccess for another job. There's no way I can turn down one job for the chance that I'll get another one, you know? Ugh, this whole process is hard. I just want to be interviewed for a job that I really want and actually get it. Novel idea, huh?! I'm not going stress about the whole "I have an offer before I'm ready to say yes" idea though, because it hasn't even happened yet. Whatever goes down, I'm just happy that I've had some solid interview experiences and that I have such a good support system behind me. I'll keep you posted as the process continues!

Living the Unemployed Dream

Just the other day, I saw some family friends who I hadn't seen in awhile. They are aware of my current job status, so when they asked what I've been up to lately, I coyly responded with an, "Oh, you know, just living the unemployed dream!" Obviously got a chuckle or two out of that one... Anyway, it did get me thinking about a lot of things, primarily about the fact that it's been almost 2 months since I've had an interview of any kind. Yes, TWO months! Talk about discouraging. And it's not like I haven't been applying. I have been! I don't know if the competition is even stiffer now or what, but I literally have barely heard a peep from any school I've applied to lately (unless, of course, it was to tell me that I was no longer being considered for the position). Fortunately for me, my luck changed a little today! Yesterday, I submitted an application to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design for a Career Services Coordinator position. Talk about a quick turn around, but I woke up this morning already to an email requesting a phone interview for the position. Wahoo! So, after comparing schedules, I have a phone interview on Monday, 9/20 at 2:00 p.m. Kind of freaky, but that day marks exactly two months since my last interview. That could be good or bad, we will see. :) I have a ridiculous amount of support from the people I worked with in Career Services, and all my family and friends are really excited too. I do have to confess, I'm kind of freaked out. In the position announcement, it said the anticipated start date for the position is late September or early October. In case you haven't noticed, today is already September 14th. That means my life would be uprooted almost immediately if I were to get the position. A job is long overdue, but now that I've been home for a month and a half, I'm worried that I almost got too comfortable! On the bright side, if I get it, at least it's only Milwaukee. It's not like I'd be moving to Germany or something. Anyway, cross your fingers for me. I'll let you know how it goes!