How to search for a Student Affairs position
Finding a student affairs position is simply a matter of looking
in the right places. There are numerous
placement conferences
where you can interview with multiple institutions at one site. You can also
find position listings by checking in the
Chronicle of Higher Education, and on-line
on the
ACPA,
NASPA, and
StudentAffairs.com web sites. Finally
if you currently work at a college or university there is probably a few offices
on campus which receive position announcements from other institutions. A
little searching around campus and you should be able to find where these
announcements are located.
OPE (Osh Kosh Placement Exchange)-
This conference is held in February or March each year at the University of
Wisconsin-Osh Kosh. The majority of the positions are graduate assistantships
or entry and mid level positions in Housing and Residence Life. Midwest institutions
attend OPE more than schools from other areas of the country..
SPE (Southern Placement
Exchange)- This conference is fairly new and is held in March in Memphis,
Tennessee. Most of the positions are graduate assistantships or entry and
mid level positions in Housing and Residence Life. Many of the Southern schools
have been choosing to attend SPE instead of OPE.
ACPA
(American College Personnel Association)- This conference is held in March
or April and the placement services are a part of the ACPA annual convention.
The location varies but is typically held in a major city. Positions range
from entry level to upper level. ACPA traditionally has a larger number of
employers than OPE or SPE and includes positions in every area of student
affairs and some in other areas of higher education. Very few graduate assistantships
interviews occur at ACPA.
NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators)- Similarly
to ACPA, NASPA is held each March or April in a major city. Positions range
from entry level to upper level and includes positions in all areas of student
affairs.
Summer
Placement Exchange- The Summer Placement Exchange is a smaller placement
conference held in June each year. Many times the positions available at
this conference are positions which became open near the end or after the
end of the academic year. It is hosted by South Dakota State University.
Preparing for the conference
When going to a placement exchange it is helpful to preschedule
interviews. All of the conferences have on-line listings where candidates
post a description of their experiences and employers post open positions
they will be interviewing for. Much of the communication between schools now
is done via e-mail now. It is essential you have a resume which is professional,
accurate, and grammatically flawless ready to send to schools who contact
you or you choose to contact.
Research the positions and institutions before going to the conference so
you have some picture of the positions you are interview for. Have questions
prepared for the employer as they will give you time to ask any questions
you have during the interview. Remember, you are interviewing them as much
as they are interviewing you.
Dress for the interviews is business professional. Make sure you have a
bag of some sort to carry any items you receive from employers. Also have
plenty of thank you notes as it is tradition that thank you notes be written
following the interviews. Bring extra copies of your resume and references
and it is also helpful to have a copy of your academic transcript in case
you need it. The web sites of the conferences also have excellent lists of
other things you may want to bring.
After the conference
You should hear from schools within a week or two regarding your status.
If they invite you to visit campus, be prepared to travel with short notice,
most times less than two weeks. It is completely appropriate to ask the employer
about the financial aspect of the visit. Sometimes the school will pay, sometimes
the candidate will pay, and sometimes the cost is split. Always prepare financially
for a job search as you may need to pay for travel at some point. Do not accept
unnecessary campus visits. If you aren't interested in the position any longer,
decline the invitation!
If a school offers you a position, be prepared to have a few days to make
a decision. Sometimes a school will give more time, but it depends on the
employer's timeline. Graduate assistantship interviews occur in the three
to four weeks after OPE and SPE. Full time interviews occur following ACPA
and NASPA making them occur a few weeks later April.
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