285 Days

I haven't talked about my lay-off a whole lot on here, aside from hinting at a job search. While it's certainly taken a toll on my life the last 9 months, and it certainly gave me a little more time and motivation to kick my running up a (significant) notch, it's also been a source of worry, stress, anxiety and sometimes just downright depression over the same course of time. This blog has really gotten me through the running capacity of what the last almost-year has given me: a sense of relief, an escape, and a means for having a purpose to get up and go still.

I very much find my identity in my work, in my career. In fact, I don't think I even talk that much about work on here, really. So I want to do that a little, as it's a pretty important part of who I am and what drives me each day.

My undergraduate degree is in journalism - I wanted to be a high school journalism and English teacher. About halfway through my bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, I realized that was not my jam and instead found something else: student affairs. Working at a college or university, running any variety of college-oriented programs for our students. My master's degree is in Education, with a specialization or emphasis in higher education leadership... quite simply put, university administration.

After graduating from San Diego State, I moved to Texas where I worked in residence life, overseeing one of two residence halls with 400+ freshmen living under my roof and watch every single day. After three years there, I headed further east to Georgia and worked at the University of Georgia for two years, specifically working with 700+ student organizations on campus. After some time there, I made a conscious effort to focus on finding a job back on the west coast and getting settled into life with Doug and furthering my career in my home state. Marymount came calling, and I moved back to LA in July of 2013.

Road trippin'. July 2013, back to California!

11 months to the day of my first day at Marymount... was my last. I was laid off unexpectedly, and devastated to say the least. Summertime isn't a great time to start a job search, let alone have to do one, so I was stuck, lost, bewildered at where to go and what to do from there. You'd think that surely, there are plenty enough colleges and universities in the LA area that it wouldn't be hard to find a job, right? Wrong. It's hard. Even with six+ years of experience, it's hard.

Job searching is for the birds. However, I am STOKED, EXCITED, THRILLED, ELATED and RELIEVED, above all else, to say that after 52 applications; 20-something interviews betwen the phone and Skype and campus visits; countless numbers of tears and tension headaches; and 285 days of unemployment...  I am employed! My first day is today and I'm pretty freaking excited to be a part of a team again, to give back and get to work and do what I do best. 

I am so excited to be in a brand-new role (not just to me, but a brand new position altogether!), to get the change to create some new, signature initiatives and make my mark somewhere new too. I'll have more to share soon, but for now, just send me good vibes during this week and bear with me on some delayed updating of this dear little blog for a bit as I get settled. 

To all of you that have been part of this journey, thank you for your love, support, compassion and shoulders to lean on over the last almost-year. I am beyond grateful for your words and comfort when I needed it most, as 2014 wasn't all that kind.

285 days... it's over! 

New adventures. New job. Let's go 2015 - you're mine now!

Job Searching is Like Running a Marathon

This is not my first go-around at job searching, unfortunately. Through my six years' professional experience, I've gone through three major searches (once out of grad school, after my first position, and in an effort to move back to the west coast from Georgia). While not only maintaining a running schedule, some sanity, and an effort to find the best fit, I learned a lot about my fitness, where my efforts were going, and how to make it all happen. 

Through the madness and emotional rollercoaster that is job searching, running really became my sanity. Despite plenty of red-eye flights, bad hotel nights' sleeps, I almost always got up for a few treadmill or campus miles to get my interview days going. Inbetween those, it was the rough days that needed a run the most to clear my head and re-focus. It was then I learned how much these worlds collided and were more alike than I thought. 

In short... job searching is like training for and running a marathon. 

Truth.

You train for months. 
Most people can't just get up one day and say they're going to run a marathon. There is training involved to ensure that you're still standing come the end and your feet aren't about to fall off. Whether it's the long runs, cross-training or ensuring you get weekly sports massages, you're doing what it takes to prepare your body for the beating ahead.

The same goes for job searching - chances are, you didn't decide the day before TPE that you were going to TPE! Whether you're preparing to finish your master's program or you're a seasoned professional, there's still practice to be done. This could be interview practice with your mentor, or other professionals on campus, all who want to get you ready for TPE or that on-campus interview next week. You're polishing your resume every other day, ensuring that it's at its best too. You've done your research, you know that you want to live off, in an urban setting. Months later, you're ready (or at least mostly ready) to make your way into the Candidates' Waiting Area and ready for the crazy to begin.

It takes a toll on you mentally, emotionally, and physically. 
I think this is a given for both processes - you will be exhausted (and invigorated!) by marathon training, just as you will during the job search process. I cannot tell you how many times I've gotten that "no" phone call, only to hang up and burst into devastated tears. This number probably matches the number of times I got home from a long run and cried because I hurt so badly.

Job searching is an emotional rollercoaster - the highs of getting the first phone interview, to being invited to campus, only to get that "no" call. Or worse, never getting a return call from dream school who had the dream job you've been looking for. Allow yourself to ride that rollercoaster - it's okay, and it's normal.

Starting my on-campus day with a run around campus! Do you know where I am?

Fuel your body well.
For me, this is both sleep and physical activity. Thankfully, sleep comes easy to me on flights and combined with nervous energy, I've got cat-naps down pat so I'm my most alert and best self upon arriving at my destination and being greeted by my campus host.

The physical fitness part of the equation is a mix of managing that nervous energy, exploring my potential new home, and getting my mind clear for the day ahead - whether I'm on an interview or not, I find that my days are better and my focus greater when I start each morning with a sweat fest. For me, personally, recharging with a run is just as great as a good night's sleep (time zones just mess that all up!).

Support goes a long way.
During my first full marathon, my parents and boyfriend were driving point to point to point to ensure they could catch me at various parts of the race. I had told them that I'd love to see them at mile 4, mile 8, and around mile 16, I'd need one of the peanut butter sandwiches I made for myself. Apparently they drove straight into the chaos and my boyfriend ended up leaping out of the car and sprinting to me to ensure he'd get to me about mile 16 to hand me that sandwich. I ate two bites and changed my mind - it tasted horrible and was the last thing I wanted.

Now, while I felt horrible later learning all the leaps and bounds they (literally) made for me that day, it meant the world knowing they were doing everything they could to help me see the finish line and to meet my goals for the day. Whether this comes from your family, your cohort, or your running club bestie, use these people to help you get through - when you need to cry, proofread, or celebrate the milestones along the way.

You will get to places you never thought you would.
This is part of the 'fun' part of searching - if you can call it that. Having done two nationwide searches and now countless of on-campus interviews, there are many places that  I have now gotten to visit and see and experience all because of the process. Memphis, Fairfax, Bethlehem, and Walla Walla are all part of the list of cities that I'm not sure I'd have seen otherwise.

Much like with running, getting to see new places is part of the excitement of the whole process, especially if you're on a nationwide search to find that job. Marathons often give us runners an excuse for a racecation, and a new way to explore an area we've never been before.

Cross train or remain the same. 
Especially in a field as varied as student affairs is, there are often positions and functional areas that are siloed into their own skill sets or qualities needed. I am grateful that my professional experience started in residence life and truly feel that the skills I acquired during my three years as a hall director turned into some very translatable skills to move my career into student life and organizations. In real life, however, I don't regularly cross train when it comes to race preparation, oddly enough!

But it's not always the case that someone can float from functional area to functional area. Perhaps you are in residence life and want to make the change into orientation, but have no other previous experience working with new student programs. That's okay! Take advantage of resources on your current campus, make connections, and talk to folks who currently are in that area about what they would be looking for in a new staff member. Do they have an opportunity for you to volunteer some time with them? A sort of internship, even as a professional staff member? When I was leaving my position in Texas, I was looking at orientation as a new functional area - mind you, without any direct experience in such an area. I was fortunate enough to work with our Orientation department for a few months, sitting in on student staff interviews, group interviews, and to learn more about what their program looked like. I couldn't have asked for anything better!

Cross-training is a great way to let your mind and body refuel, and to find that next great functional area for you to fall into. Nothing says you can't do this, and with the right support, this could be what helps you take that next step from marathon-finisher to PR-breaker. 

What other similarities do you see? Other tips you would add for job searchers?

Keep Calm and Job Hunt On - Or Go for a Run

I've been back in California for just under three weeks now - kind of unreal. I am starting week two at the new job, still living in temporary housing, and am dealing with a great bit of uncertainty and "what ifs" than one would imagine after just landing back in her home state. But that's another conversation.

Not always easy, but always done.

What I really wanted to write about, after numerous questions and "Jeezo, how did you do that?" comments about running while on the job hunt. I spent the better part of June on a plane, or in multiple time zones during which red-eyes totally kicked my behind. However, June was also the core month of the #RWRunStreak, a challenge I'm proud to say that I met (even though it sometimes meant doubling up on runs). Whether you're job hunting in student affairs (a pretty taxing, ridiculous interview process) or in some other field, it's still not easy to maintain a regular fitness schedule while also remembering to check in for your flight, make sure you have all your interview materials, and are still mostly staying sane... let alone remembering your socks, shoes, and shorts.


How did I do it? I couldn't really tell you. But I have a few tips, suggestions, and ways to make fitness really pay off during those interviews.

1. Channel your nervous interview energy into a run! Morning interview jitters? Try and jog 'em out, either around the city you're visiting (ask for tips from locals or from the hotel desk), or even on a hotel gym treadmill. Knock out those butterflies, give yourself an endorphin boost to get the day started, and feel motivated and empowered to rock their socks off.

2. Use a run to discover your new (potential) home. There is no better way to get to know a city than to run its streets - for good and bad. I mean, stay safe, get recommendations of places to go and places to avoid, wear your Road ID, but also use that time to discover those hidden trails, parks, and places to check out. You can't see everything from a car window!

Ah, California scenery.

3. Go for a run to learn more about the place you could work for. This heavily applies to student affairs, as we're lucky enough to get to travel to campuses all over during our interview processes. This often includes a campus tour sometime during the day, but if you can talk about places you've already seen, or sights you appreciated during that morning jaunt around campus, why not talk about it? They'll appreciate that you've not only done your research reading that campus historical marker plaque, but that you loved it enough to talk about it! If you're also a student affairs nerd like me, you can even make a to-do list like this one - see how many campuses you can knock off of your "Campuses I've Run" list! (I've only got one that I've actually run on, despite having visited many of them)

4. Pack fitness clothes as if it's second nature. Suit? Check. Dress shoes? Check. Shorts? Check. Shirt, sports bra, armband, Garmin, socks, running shoes, check? Just as you would ensure that you have a full interview assembly packed and prepared, pack your favorite running clothes too! You're more likely to actually put them on if you bothered to pack them and haul them across the country with you.

5. Keep calm (no, there is no 'and...' to close that off). If you are the runner that truly gets outside (or on a machine) just to stay sane, continue to do that! There is no reason that travel or time zones could or should prevent you from maintaining a mental health regimen. If you know that, like me, you are a happier person when your day starts with a run, ensure that you make the effort to do so -- it'll make you happier during a long day, but also contributes to a more pleasant demeanor and likableness during those interviews!

I was lucky enough, despite seriously long flights and layovers, that my trips were all to the west coast this time around. When it comes to getting up in the morning, it was no struggle given that my brain and body were still usually on Eastern time so 5 am Pacific was no sweat (usually).

I put in more treadmill miles in June than I have in the last year, which I hated, but I was more happy to be running, putting in the work, and making the effort, than to be a sitting duck just because I wanted a little more sleep. They weren't always happy miles, and they were usually only in sets of two miles (and less), but it was mo
re than nothing and more than sitting more - especially after long flights, that was the last thing I usually needed. Running sets my days off on the right foot (or left), and I knew that made me a better person, much stronger, and more confident during those interview days.

Other tips or suggestions for running on the job hunt? How many campuses have you run on?