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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

How do we chose?

I've been mulling over which area of Student Affairs I would like to pursue. I realize I have plenty of time to figure this out between now and the time I'm waiting to get to graduate school, however it is something that bothers me.

According to the Student Affairs page on Wikipedia, there are at least 25 different areas I could consider. I've crossed out the areas that I'm not qualified for or not interested in and bolded my favorites;

  1. Academic Advising
  2. Admissions
  3. Assessment and Research
  4. Athletics
  5. Campus Safety or Police Services
  6. Career Development or Career Services
  7. College/Student Union
  8. Community Service and Service Learning
  9. Commuter Services or Adult Students
  10. Counseling Services
  11. Dining and Food Services
  12. Disability Support Services
  13. Enrollment Management
  14. Financial Aid
  15. Fund Raising
  16. Greek Affairs
  17. Health Services
  18. International Student Services
  19. Judicial Affairs
  20. Leadership
  21. Multicultural Affairs
  22. Orientation or First-Year Experience
  23. Recreation and Fitness
  24. Residence Life
  25. Spirituality, Faith, or Religious Services
Even narrowing this list still leaves me with a lot of options. 

A graduate assistant in the student activities department on campus where I work has helped me find websites and links to jobs that I'm qualified for at community colleges. So far I have applied for positions such as a Program Assistant in Continuing Education, Admissions Representative, Admissions Assistant, Center for Humanities Coordinator, Student Services Operations and Account Manger, Counseling Services Coordinator Pre-College, and even some administrative assistant positions in colleges and universities, just because I need a job once I'm out of school and I might as well get my foot in the door of an institution. 

Lately I have most strongly considering a position in an Education Abroad office, maybe some kind of director or coordinator of programs. When I was at a Minnesota College Personell Careers in Student Affairs conference in February I did a mock interview and pretended I was applying for such a position. It felt comfortable discussing my experiences and views on studying abroad; I thought it could be something I would be good at. 

The thing I most have to work on now is confidence.
When I look at various positions and see that I'm over qualified, I get excited and start my resume and cover letter, however after I hit submit my confidence goes down and I worry that there are too many candidates who are older or more qualified than I. 

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