Patience is a virtue

So just an update on my job search process. It has been almost two months since I started actively looking for jobs. One recommendation I would give to anyone coming into this program is to get your resume and cover letter polished and ready to go during your first semester. Since I had that done, getting into job application mode was a lot smoother and I was able to apply to more positions right away.

Something that I had recently found out and was EXTREMELY helpful was the fact that universities and colleges go through a quiet period where despite their application closing and that they most likely will not reach out until a few months later. So during this time, I have really learned to be patient and to keep applying to more positions week by week. From what everyone has told me thus far, hopefully I will see a few responses and phone calls when it gets closer to May!

Spring Break and NASPA

Whew! I apologize for not posting for a while! Spring break happened and a whirlwind of things to catch up afterwards.

So to go off of what my good friend Karla has stated, spring break was wonderful. It was nice to go back to California (even if it was for a few days) and see some of my friends and hang out with family. The weather was great (ranging from mid 70's to 80's). I had forgotten the feeling of wearing shorts and tshirt outside and it felt great! I also had the chance to eat some good food near my hometown. My second half of the spring break was also dedicated to the NASPA conference. I did not go to the The Placement Exchange (TPE) like Karla did but I did attend the conference. I found it to be extremely helpful for those who are new to the field of student affairs.

I attended several sessions and they are all wonderful. I would definitely recommend looking over the events beforehand and choosing a few before going in. Once the conference starts, there are hundreds and hundreds of people walking about the convention center so it will be nice to have a direction of where you are going. Overall though, I found the networking aspect to be the most rewarding part of the conference. I attended two types of reception (Region 6 and API). Region 6 referred to the states specifically in that region (in this case 6 was CA, AZ, and HI) and API stood for Asian and Pacific Islanders. Going to those two receptions and making connections there were in my opinion the main reason why someone would want to come to the conference. It was a time to talk to fellow graduate students or new professionals in the field and gain knowledge about different schools and culture. Then at the end of the day we would exchange business cards and when a job posting comes up in that particular school, now I know at least one person in that university who may be able to connect me with someone else. That to me was Networking 101.

Afterwards I have followed up on several of my contacts and kept in touch with everyone. I am excited to have met so many talented people and am certainly looking forward to getting to know more people in the future!

GUEST WRITER - Karla Silva

Hey everyone!

I am really excited to share a blog post with you all. A few quick details about myself: I am in the higher education cohort with Wesley, I came straight from undergrad (Northern Arizona University), born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, graduate associate in Sansom (upper classmen and graduate students), and my assistantship is with the Dana How Scholars Program (Collaboration between the Christian Association and the Upward Bound program).

Spring break was last week, and the second part of my spring break was spent in Baltimore, MD attending the NASPA conference! NASPA is the National Association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. It is one big conference full of undergraduates, graduate students, administrators, faculty, and staff. There are a ton of different workshops you can attend, roundtable discussions, and receptions. Many of my cohort members did TPE (The Placement Exchange) which, as I have been told, is like speed dating only you are trying to find a job. I did not participate in TPE but many of my cohort members did and they had many interviews and have even received a few second round interviews.

This was my second time attending NASPA, I attended once before as a Junior, my experience this time was very different. Last time I came in trying to get to know more about the profession, and networking. This time, I came in with a purpose, to network, network, network, because lets be real, I need a job! Also, to gain some meaningful experiences, and attend workshops that would better me as a professional. My job search is extremely narrow as I am only looking in Fort Collins, CO and possibly Greeley, CO and Denver, CO. I made sure to be strategic about what receptions I was attending, making sure I went to Region 4 west and to any receptions that I knew administrators would attend, so for example, the Colorado State University reception. As long as these receptions state (open) in the program then you are welcomed to attend. If you know people that went to these schools or that are currently there, do not be afraid to ask them if they can introduce you to some people or even give you some information as to who they are and what they do at the school. Also, make sure to talk to as many people as you can and exchange your business cards with them, and also e-mail them a thank you as soon as you can. To keep all these people straight in my head, I always write where I met them on the back of the card, and anything that will remind me of who they were and maybe one or two things we talked about, this is a tip my mentor gave me and it has worked great for me. NASPA is also a great way to meet up with colleagues and friends who you haven’t seen in awhile. I was able to have lunch and chat with my mentor and other friends and colleagues from my undergraduate and past conferences while at NASPA.

Some Cohort Members

NASPA can be incredibly overwhelming but it can be very rewarding. Attending these types of conferences really enhances your network and professional development. NASPA 2014 really was a great experience, I was able to connect with many people, attend workshops, spend time with my cohort, and even explore the city of Baltimore.

Baltimore Inner Harbor

Spring break is around the corner!

I cannot believe it is almost spring break already. A part of me still thinks that I just started this program a couple of months ago! Spring break will mark the half way point to spring semester and essentially the 75% mark of our program. It's crazy to think that I am graduating in a couple of months!

Despite my surprise, this break cannot come at a better time. With all the classwork, assistantship, and job search, it will be nice to go back home and recharge for the final stretch. I find it difficult sometimes to focus solely on coursework when I know that new jobs are being posted every couple of days. Once I have started applying to places, I knew that I needed to keep the momentum going. Therefore I would check every now and then and see if there are any particular jobs that I am passionate about. I have also learned to widen my search a little bit to include student activities and student life. Not to be confused with residential life, but I realized that just focusing on academic advising and admissions may limit the number of job opportunities out there.

Nonetheless, the effort is there and the grind is on. The objective: secure a job before graduation!

Guest Writer - To be continued!

Hey everyone!

Just to MIX things up, I will be occasionally hosting a guest writer on my blog. The writers will be students in my higher education cohort talking about their particular graduate assistantships, their experiences here at Penn, and just about anything else they want! Look out for those in the near future! 

upcoming event for Penn GSE!

I haven't advertised the GSE events in a while! It's been so busy that I sort of focused on my personal and academic life for the past posts. BUT since I have some time now...let's talk about all of our upcoming events for the next few weeks!


Web Chats!
Remember those? We are hosting them again soon! The first one coming up is on March 5th, 2014 from 9AM - 10AM. This semester's web chats will all have a focus to them. This first web chat's focus is international students! We are in the process of gathering student organizations and other resources to speak as well as current students and alumni.
RSVP HERE!

Here are the other web chats' focus and dates!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014
8:30PM - 9:30PM (ET)
This web chat will be geared towards students with families or those who are changing careers into higher education. We will have a variety of current students, alumni, and campus resources to talk about their adjustments involved when coming to GSE.
RSVP HERE!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014
8:00PM - 9:00PM (ET)
This web chat will be geared towards students identifying with the LGBT community and students of color. We will have current students and alumni from these communities as well as various resources available to discuss the campus climate at Penn and answer any of your questions.
RSVP HERE!

Friday, April 11, 2014
7:00PM - 8:00PM (ET)
This will be our final web chat of the semester. It will not be themed, but we will have a variety of individuals present to answer any of your remaining questions to help you prepare for life at Penn GSE.
RSVP HERE!

Comprehensive Exam

IT IS OVER! I have turned in my comprehensive exam for the Master's program yesterday and I felt something just being lifted from my shoulders. So to explain the comprehensive exam (or what we like to call it, Comps) without divulging too many secrets, here is how the exam works.

For the Higher Education Master's program, we all have to take Comps sometime in February. We do not have to write a thesis or build a portfolio, instead we get this exam. The exam is essentially a take home paper. We would get the topics Friday and turn in the paper no later than Monday afternoon. Some may argue about the benefits and usefulness of this exam, but I see it as a pressure test and a rite of passage. 

Everyone has a process to prepare for big papers or exams like this. I will share with you all a little bit about my process. Having gone through a full semester of classes and a month or so into the Spring semester, I felt prepared to answer the questions in a thoughtful manner. Comps preparation is definitely different for everyone, but I found myself taking some time to go for a short walk every time I needed a break. I took my time and went on multiple walks and exercised every morning to get my mind off of the prompt. I felt that by distancing myself from the exam every now and then was good so I didn't get sick and tired of the same question for the entire weekend. 

All I can say is...TRUST YOUR PROCESS. I made sure I wasn't too psyched out about the test and went through my usual process. Now all I can do is wait for the results and hope that I pass!