Hard to believe that we moved to Missoula 3 weeks ago today, but we did! It's been a whirlwind of unpacking boxes, followed by a few days "off the grid" over the 4th enjoying some unplugged R&R at the lake...
Now, on to the good stuff...
My last day of work at the University of Idaho was June 10, 2011. I have been officially "in transition" for 26 days and here's a few nuggets of thought-provoking material for you:
1. No matter what job I look at, depending on the mood I am in, I can either talk myself into how great my skills translate into being able to do just about anything I want to (even if I'm clearly not qualified for the position), or talk myself out of positions I would actually be qualified for... just depends on whether the glass is half empty or half full that day. I can see why countless Americans eventually find it easier to stand in the unemployment line waiting for a meager check, then actually continue to look for a job, especially in a county that has a 10% unemployment rate and historically atrocious pay grades for those who ARE employed.
2. After being in higher education for all of my professional career, I realized after getting here that I have no idea how to search for jobs OUTSIDE of higher education. I have found a few avenues of which to explore openings, such as the local newspaper, the county and state websites, and indeed.com, however, being in a new area and trying to find the "good" jobs that never get advertised is incredibly baffling. Also baffling, how to meet people that might be able to point me in the right direction.
3. Although it doesn't actually help anything, pretending that you are an heiress or a trust fund baby and that you never have to work again in your life, while sitting in a lawn chair in your backyard on a perfectly nice day in the sunshine drinking iced tea, is a nice thought that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
4. If you are ever going to NOT work for a short period of time, summertime in Montana, and also the month before you get married are both VERY convenient times to have a lot of free time on your hands. However, if it were winter and I were bored, I'd probably have a job by now...
QUESTION OF THE DAY: For all of you Student Affairs professionals out there, I'd like to pose a question to you... in the corporate world, one tactic of people looking for jobs is just to wander into the place they want to work, introduce themselves, and see if they can get the attention of someone important to actually talk to them. In higher education, I feel like this might be looked down upon, or not be a productive avenue, and that trying to be "proactive" could actually be perceived as "presumptuous" or "pushy" and would have the opposite of the intended result. Thoughts?
I wish you all well in your everyday adventures, and will be in touch again soon!
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