I'm a S.T.A.R.!

For the past week I’ve been in full interview mode. As many of you know, it’s that time of the year for summer internship interviews. As part of my program I am required to do at least one 300 hour internship. So, I threw my application out into the sea of higher education and hoped for a few bites. So far, I’ve heard from two of the positions, so I’m feeling like I’m doing pretty well so far (Much better than when I actually fish…apparently I tend to stand on the wrong side of the sun).

Now, I have been on a few interviews in the past couple of years for positions at various universities. However, perhaps it’s because my program requires and internship or I just wasn’t that interested in the positions that I did interview for, I was much more nervous and anxious for these two interviews I just completed this week for round one for each internship position than any positions I’ve interviewed for in the past couple of years.

Now, I really wanted to do well on these interviews, so I did a few things to make sure I was successful. Note, that they were phone interviews, so I was able to really prepare myself for the first round. Now, I thought I did well, so I’m passing my wisdom on to you, my blogees J

My Prep List:

1) Nice big cup of coffee

2) Write several thoughts about the positions I am interviewing for, including past interactions with the respective functional areas

3) Research the websites and programs of the universities and have them on my laptop screen during the phone interview

4) Practice Behavioral Interview techniques

Now, if you are not aware of the Behavioral Interview, you are now. J (And don't worry, I never heard of it until my professor walked our Intro to SA class through it last term). It’s a growing type of interview strategy. I had encountered it before, but never knew there was a whole strategy behind it. Basically, the questions during the interview ask about past situations and how you handled them. Over the course of the questioning the interviewer can map a brief habitual pattern of your work, professionalism, and so forth. To get through the questions efficiently and successfully there is the STAR Method which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

Situation: What was the situation?

Task: What was the specific goal or task that you had to achieve within the context of the situation

Action: What was(were) the specific action(s) you took to accomplish the task at hand?

Results: What was(were) the result(s) of your actions and did it accomplish the task? Also what would you do differently if you were put into that situation again?

Let me tell you, if you practice your answers in STAR format, it totally makes you feel comfortable and confident. Also it allows you to be efficient and timely with your answers.

Now, I’m excited to hear back and hoping to reach the next round of interviews so I can work more on my interview skills and try and get that ever important internship so I can graduate! J

Me and Myers-Briggs

I’ve heard a lot about human relations skills but I never sat down and actually studied them before. As a communications undergraduate student I brushed over the topic perhaps once or twice and my professors threw in the Johari Window and how to read body language into the mix for good measure, but I never really delved into the topic. However, yesterday I began a deeper submersion of said skills and found it fascinating and quite illuminating.

But let me back up and explain why I have such a sudden love and interst for this topic now. This term, I’m taking a Human Relations Skills course. It fit perfectly into my schedule and it sounded very interesting in the course catalog. (And I think my communications background kicked in a bit too).

However, interesting is just one word to describe my first class yesterday. The class topic for the day  was Intrapersonal Skills and it was quite eye opening. Even though most of it was common sense, it took someone else to bring it to my attention and how those skills impacted my personal and professional life. During class, we focused on ourselves and examined traits and characteristics such as likeability, values, time management skills, personal priorities, and our Myers-Briggs Type Indicators.

Wow…let me tangent for a second. Myers-Briggs opened my eyes up to a lot of things. I think if I had type tested myself a few years ago, I would have been able to understand my work environment, and myself much more and been able to make more significant and productive situations and relationships. Just to put it out there, at this point in time I’m an ENFP. Which I think is pretty accurate for myself at this point in time.

Now, when I first had heard about Myers-Briggs, at my previous position, I thought they were referring to a law firm or something. So if you’re like I was a few years ago and not sure what it is, here’s a link about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators from the ever sourceful Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator.

Anyway, going back to my original topic, as we progressed through the class yesterday, it became apparent that intra- and interpersonal skills are key to Student Affairs. However, for myself, and what seemed many of my fellow practitioners, we tended to focus on the interpersonal skills. Honestly, how often do we, as professionals, work on communication styles, team building, and professional ethics? How often are professional development workshops being offered to better us at our functional areas? Almost on a daily basis. 

Now, on the flip side, how often do we reflect and make sure our own values, time management, health, and views are in order? Just think, how many times do I skip lunch or do a “working lunch” to make sure I’m available to the students, or come in early or stay late over hours for a student organization and event or maybe answer emails and texts from students and co-workers at 2:30 AM? I do all these on a daily basis, putting the students and job as a priority. I think it’s the inherent nature built within Student Affairs professionals.

Going through those exercises and readings yesterday really made me realize that not only should there be work on the interpersonal skills but also the intrapersonal skills. We need to hone the skills in both areas in order to be able to help, lead and advise others. If you are not able to take care of yourself and understand yourself then there’s really no way you can truly help others. It’s common sense honestly, but most of us avoid it or put it to the back burner for a later day.

So a recap:

We need to focus on Intrapersonal skills just as much as Interpersonal skills: YES

Is this common sense?: YES

Is this said many times?: YES

Have you heard this before?: PROBABLY

Do we actually adhere to it?: NO

Will you hear it this time?: HOPEFULLY

I sure plan on making more of an effort of a healthy balance and honing both sets of skills.

Stop and Appreciate the Students

For Student Affairs professionals, time is limited and we are crazy busy. I think that we give new meaning to Multitasking. (Actually, I believe that they are gonna put a photo of a SA professional next to the word in the dictionary :))

Early this evening I came to realize that perhaps I don't really appreciate the time I spend with students as much as I should, and don't realize their impact on ME until they are graduated or gone.

Like other times when life hits ya like a lightening bolt and your perspective is jarred back to where it truly needs to be, I was totally unprepared. Earlier this evening, I received news that a student leader I worked with at my previous job passed away due to illness. I had worked with him for about 3 years in numerous capacities from student to student leader to co-worker. The year he served as President of the Student Body I found him in my office weekly for an hour or so. Ten minutes would be normally business and whatnot, but then random conversations from techno music to a trip he took to Chicago or whats going on with him and his life took over for the remainder of the time.

I enjoyed our talks and gab sessions, but perhaps not as much as I should have since my busy schedule was always nagging me in the back of my head. However, not only were there good conversations and great times working together, but it was watching him work with his fellow students. Even I learned from him as he worked with his fellow students. It was working with students like him and seeing the best of what a student can become, which is why I decided to enter the Student Affairs field.

Potentially, as I reflect, ruminate, and learn more about Student Affairs, there will be more and more philosophies and mantras I will want to follow. However, I think this one for me, and perhaps everyone one of us SA professionals should stick. We should appreciate the time we spend with students while working with them and for what they learn from us and what they teach us. I think too often we get so busy that we don't "stop and smell the roses" or in this case, "stop and appreciate the students". Granted sometimes it can be difficult with those students who like to challenge us with rules and policies or practices, however even those students should be appreciated.

Each and every student, I've spent time with has helped move me along my SA path. And student leaders, such as the young man who just passed, are the reason for my career and are responsible for the fire and passion I have for it. As the years roll on, and as I practice the development theories and best practices, I'm also going to be making a conscious effort to appreciate the time I have with the students no matter how much time I spend with them or how busy I get, I'm going to Stop and Appreciate the Students.

Healthy Citizens vs. More Security?

By now, most of you have probably heard about the shooting that happened at Lone Star College near Houston. Another tragedy and sad situation. As I write this, I’m watching CNN News, listening to one of the students talking to the news anchor. I can only imagine if it were me on the phone trying to explain such a situation.

Over the past few months the number of shootings have definitely increased. Now, my academic intrigue kicked in, so I did a little research. (My undergraduate thesis advisors would be so proud of me to WANT to do research on a topic J).

Going through back issues of Time, People, New York Times, Washington Post, Wikipedia, and of course the ever amazing Google, I found out that since 2010 there have been approximately 8 significant shootings that have occurred on college campuses across the United States. That’s approximately 2 per year for the past 4 years.

No doubt, for the next few days, institutions will be reassuring the public and its students of the high safety levels of their respective campuses including the number of police they have on staff, having or will have cameras in every hallway, perhaps metal detectors at main entranceways, and so forth. However, when it all dies down, what will we have learned and what will be done to prevent another such incident? Increase in campus security and tweaks to the Jeanine Cleary Act have been the traditional routes. However many times it stops there or just gets buried until the next incident occurs and we redo these steps over and over.

And as SA professionals it tends to drive us nuts when there is no purposeful resolution or at least some solid movement in improving the institution.

So, for one second, let’s put all this mess of gun control and the political blame game going on in DC on hold, and look at college shootings from specifically a Student Affairs point of view. I think if you do that, most, if not all of us SA professionals, will come to the conclusion that there is a greater issue than gun control and campus safety. In most cases it’s a mental or emotional health issue.

As SA professionals, we know that there are so many other things going on in our students’ lives. We know that the students are going through the various identity development stages from Chickering and other colleagues of his, all the while dealing with the daily struggles of class, family, work, and other demands of day to day life. With knowing this, perhaps it gives Student Affairs Professionals the ability and advantage to know what is really needed to know how to take the first steps to prevent such situations and tragedies occurring on our college campuses outside from the “Beefing up security” and “Increase in Gun Control” tactics that many will focus on.

Being in the trenches and having the personal interaction with the students allows SA professionals to help focus on what the students really need outside of increased security, whether it means additional counselors on campus, increase in student support groups, workshops on communication or stress relief, or even tweaking student leadership programs to promote mental health. We have the ability to get behind the lesser immediate “fix-it-now” remedies and build long term programs and resources to prevent the increasing numbers of campus tragedies.

Perhaps I’m being a little naïve and utopian about it. But there’s always gotta be a over positive and idealistic voice, right? I know first hand that we are all fighting to keep the few resources we already have while budgets are getting smaller and smaller, but let’s be honest. Most of us are not in it for the money nor the recognition. We’re here for the students. And we’re all scrappy and innovative. So, why not give voice and help create and/or coordinate already existing resources and programs, that will help prevent these tragedies, or at least make more of an effort to do so.

Perhaps we can use these tragedies from the past few years to launch a new initiative in higher education to help our students not only to graduate, but to be healthy citizens wherever they are.

I close with offering up thoughts and prayer to those at the Lone Star College effected by this shooting.

Redo On My Closet Status

So, yesterday I had my Contemporary College Students course. During class, the professor asked us to list the sub-categories of the student population that we identified with when we were undergraduates. Since it has only been six years since I graduated, I was able to easily recollect how I sub-categorized myself. I listed the following:

Male

Asian

Catholic

Closeted LGBT

Greek Lettered

Honors Student
Student Leader

Once we listed our sub-categories, we had a class discussion on some of the sub-categories that we came up with. After lengthy conversations, the professor asked us a hypothetical question; “If we could do our undergraduate years over again, would we change any one of our sub-categories we identified with, and why.”

For myself, I immediately know that I would change one of the sub-categories that I had identified with. I would identify with the LGBT sub-population.

I reflected on why I selected that as my “redo” sub-category. As an undergraduate, I was afraid to identify with LGBT community because of stereotypes, family expectations, and simply a general fear of being different. It took me the length of college and a couple years after to come to terms with who I am and be able to identify with the LGBT community.

Now, I’m not sure if I would have come out sooner if there was more staff support and resources at my undergraduate institution. However, with that frame of mind, it dawned on me that even though as a Student Affairs professional I am working with the students through the various theories to help them identify and learn who they are, they still may not be able to come to any final and honest conclusion. So rather than being able to say that because a student was able to identify themselves by the end of their tenure at their respective university, perhaps a more realistic and purposeful way to measure success is whether the student learned the processes of identifying categories themselves so that whenever in life they encounter a point when they need to re-define themselves they will be able to do so purposefully and effectively.

So at this point in time I think I’m going to run with this mind set. A mind set of students learning the processes of identifying themselves and allowing them to use that knowledge when they are ready and able whether while in college or after. Perhaps I'm coming late to the party, on this mind frame, however, needless to say, I’m going to be very interested in this class and look forward to how it will change and improve my perspective on student development.

Tweet, Twit, Twunk

For this first blog I’m going to start with something light and simple while I get my bearings. So let me blog a bit about Social Media. We are interfacing with each other via the medium and it only seems fitting to pay homage to it.

So, this morning while I was doing my time on the elliptical, trying to remember to breath and not have a heart attack, I received an email containing the syllabus for my social media class.

Now, I’m extremely proficient at Social Media, and follow social media gurus like Eric Stoller. I religiously sit on Twitter and follow about a dozen hashtags. I have numerous peers and colleagues on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and so forth, of whom I interact with on a daily basis. I’ve sat on Social Media Teams and Committees for my previous institution and even began several social media initiatives and programs. 

So, why have I elected to take this class?  Well, I made the decision for several reasons. First, it’s a fun and current topic for a class. Second, I think that everyone can always learn something new. Third, I’m all about networking and making new contacts. And finally, I enjoy learning how to help communicate the inner workings of social media to new individuals.

I’m really looking forward to this class. However, after reading through the syllabus, it reminded me that I assume that everyone knows the basics such as Twitter, Facebook, and Skype.

And thus onto my first blog tangent. A few months back I attended my last Social Media webinar at my former institution with members from Students Affairs. It was at this webinar that I came to understand that, while imperative to use in order to communicate with students, staff, administrators and faculty members were still confused and hesitant.  During this meeting, several directors were asking what “Twitting” and “hashtags” were (someone mentioned hashbrowns at this time :/). There were also inquiries about “Bookface”, Pinterest and “that Insta-thingy” (they were referring to Instagram) as well.

While maintaining a straight face as I listened to these questions, it made me realize that many of the administrative leaders of higher education are not firmly grounded in social media. Often times they leave social media to younger employees or student workers to maintain and create. While appreciative that this gives the younger generation a hold on a small part of the job market, I feel that it is an area that more institutional leaders should have knowledge of. Quick one-day social media classes would be a great way to get the administrators and staff and even faculty on the same page with social media. While it should be left to experts to guide and execute social media at their respective campuses, I would expect that directors, presidents, and so forth be able to give knowledgeable feedback of social media being used at their institutions. Or at the very least to understand enough so that when an employee says that they are going to Tweet about an event the director doesn’t turn around and ask what “Twitting” is.

Regarding my class, I’m still excited for it. While the first hour and a half, is dedicated to teach students about signing-up for Facebook, Twitter, and other social medias, I’ll be studying who the students in the class are (younger or older professionals), why they are taking this class, and how the instructor is teaching them. It is my hope that as I observe and participate, I learn how to adequately teach students, peers and administrators about social media and how to help move efficient and purposeful uses of social media for higher education institutions forward.