Excitement!

I leave in just a little more than two days for Boston and the NASPA Conference. NASPA is one of the main student affairs conferences, and one of the biggest places for job searching. While the actual conference starts on Sunday, The Placement Exchange (a.k.a. job searching) starts on Thursday morning. I can't believe that the time has finally come! It seems like we've been talking and planning for this trip forever (I did order my plane ticket in September!). I don't have a lot of job interviews set up yet, only two to be exact. However, there are a few more that I need to apply for and hopefully will have at least 2 more set up before Thursday.

I have reached a good point in my job search. There are people around me who are searching and who are truly desperate. They apply for every job that opens which sounds remotely interesting, even if it is at an institution they wouldn't like to work in, or a place they wouldn't want to live. There are also the people (sometimes they are the same people) who say that the first job is just a job. It's just roughly a two year commitment to gain the experience to get a better job. The goal is just to get one and keep it until a better one comes along. It is truly challenging to watch that and not start to feel a small amount of desperation creeping in. It's also hard not to develop a spirit of pity towards their lack of confidence in their purpose.

I have not grown desperate, and I won't either. My job search comes out of a place of deep calling and passion. I refuse to live my life half-heartedly or to apply for a position just to say that I have. God has called me for a specific purpose, and His time line is much different than the time line of those around me. I have developed a since of pride and confidence in God's hand and calling on my job search. I know that He has an amazing first job lined up for me, and it will be at a place where he has truly called me to serve. The Lord has been truly faithful to me, and I have no doubt that he will continue to be. He has blessed me with a strong sense of discernment, and I know that he will reveal things to me in the right time. I am truly excited to see what and where it is! I pray that I will be able to keep my eyes and my heart focused on Him through this time. I believe I'm called to be an example of peace around chaos. When I have tried to live that on my own, I have failed. I need to remain focused and allow God to work and talk through me. I pray that he uses me to plant some seeds that might grow some day.

On an unrelated note- Safe Spring Break Week started on Thursday. This has demanded a lot of my time as a member of the planning committee and I love seing things come to fruition. Part of the events included two nights of passing out water at bars. Thursday night we passed out water at one of the big dance halls that has a popular college night. Last night we passed it out behind Northgate (the bar district across from campus). The free water was a big hit and we had a great time in the process! Both were long nights (2:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. respectfully), where around 700 bottles of water were distributed. I also was able to see a fist fight and report it to the police, which was a first!

The next couple of days means ironing, packing, finishing up some school work that's due on Thursday and getting work stuff ready for me to be out for a week. My NASPA roommates and I drive to Houston on Tuesday evening to stay in a seedy hotel. Our flight to Boston (non-stop, thankfully) is at 7:30 a.m. An early flight is good because it means I can sleep the whole time- which is a blessing for someone who hates flying. Because we have to be at the airport so early (between 6 and 6:30) we decided to drive down the night before. We get into Boston around lunch time, and interviewing starts on Thursday. Sunday the conference starts and finishes next Wednesday. We fly out on Thursday evening. We thought it'd be fun to have an extra night in Boston to sight see and have fun, since it is our spring break!

Relief

I'm finished! Today I turned in my journals about my practicum at Baylor. Then had my practicum class etiquette luncheon. Then, after a four course meal (which was GOOD) I am finished with my next to last semester!!

Now I just have to close my residence hall. I don't have a lot to do with that right now, so I'm really just hanging out until next weekend. Our residents must be out of their rooms by Thursday 12/13 at 5. If they need to stay until the weekend, they have to request an extended stay. All of those folks must be out by Saturday at 7 p.m. Then, my RA staff must check every single room and make sure they completed everything. Saturday night/Sunday morning I'll be checking them out which will mean walking through every single room with them. Then they are free to go on Sunday. After that, I check out with my supervisor around 4 p.m. on Sunday the 16th and then I am home free.

Literally. :)

I'm leaving on Sunday afternoon/evening for my drive home. I'm going to stop somewhere in the middle on Sunday and then continue the trek northeastward to the real south. I'm going to do dinner at my favorite chicken place- McDougals in Nashville with Kristine. Then I'll be home for Christmas!

I, in retrospect, cannot believe how quickly this semester has gone by. Also, the fact that when I graduate I'm going to have an actual job is starting to sink in. I'm excited about it, but at the same time, all I've ever known is school. I'm going to be a for-real adult- with rent, insurance, bills, and a 8/9-5ish job. Strange. But exciting!!

But, it's still 156 days until hooding. Between now and then there will be lots of interviews, a week in Boston, holiday parties and other important things. :)

I can't really think of a good way to end this. Sorry. It's pretty random as it is. So. Until next time- peace and love!

A New Leaf

I knew that this moment would come, but it has always felt so far in the future. I have been working with the purpose of this season and the ones to follow for a long time. Yet, it is oddly surreal being in this moment. I completed my first job application on Monday. The job search has officially begun! The spreadsheet has been started, and the emails about new posts have started to pour in. I delete most, but their presence is an increasing reminder that the season of graduate school is coming to a close (for now at least). My cohort is pictured here- It's hard to believe that I only have 184 days with them.

Additionally, we had our mock interviewing conference today. We were each paired up with three professionals throughout the division who worked in functional areas we plan to interview for. I have to say, that went MUCH better than I had anticipated. I interviewed for Orientation, Greek Life and Student Activities- two of the three I have not been involved in since undergrad. I left the "conference" with the reassurance that I would be able to get a job in any of those areas.

With that completed, I put the final touches on my resume (for the last time) tonight. Final copies of cover letters are in the final stages. I'm down to three assignments for class this semester. I am having a very difficult time staying focused right now. My mind is wondering about what is out there in the future. Every transition that I've made before, I've known where it is that I wanted to go. This time around, I know where my heart wants to be, and I'm praying things line up like they should.

Keep me in your prayers friends!

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Now playing: Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
via FoxyTunes

I just almost had a panic attack. I just left a planning meeting for our Association of Future Student Affairs Professionals Exec Board (I'm the VP). While the Professional Development Chair was sharing her agenda for the year she shared information about time-lines for the job search process for 2nd years. Literally, my heart began to race and the room started getting fuzzy.

I am a 2nd year.

I have had in my mind that the job search was a process that was more than an arms link away. What I have found however, is that the job search process started a year ago. The hard parts are starting to pick up now. The process is well within my grasp.

The fall semester of my senior year of college was a very stressful time for me between balancing class, work, extracurriculars and grad applications. While I still have to balance many of the same things, there seems to be something distinctly different this time. That semester was simply about continuing college.

This is not a continuation of college.

I have to do an actual job search. Nuts. So, right now I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed about the whole process. It's so hard to believe that in 249 days I'll have a Masters degree, be finished with school forever (keep your fingers crossed), and have a job (again with the fingers and lots of prayers). Nuts.