The "right fit"

As the title suggests, what you think is the "right fit" for you at any given point may not necessarily be the "best fit". I found this to be true as I pursued a graduate assistant (GA) position to defer the costs of my masters degree program. Since I was born and raised in Connecticut I felt that after twenty-two years I may be due for a change of scenery.

Through a "conference" of sorts, I found myself at the Southern Placement Exchange (SPE) in Memphis during the end of February, 2013, before I graduated from my undergraduate institution that following May. At SPE I was given an opportunity to meet with several schools in the timespan of a weekend, much like a career fair format. SPE was known for it's selection of southern schools, especially those in the Gulf Coast Region, with open GA positions. Typically these GA positions were through each university's office of housing and residence life while others may have been in student activities. 

Eventually I found myself very interested in a handful of schools and some schools were equally as interested in employing me. Long story short, I eventually accepted an offer from the University of South Alabama to work as GA in their office of housing and residence life as a Community Director (CD), otherwise known as a Hall Director or Residence Director depending on the institution. 

I thought this was the "right fit" for me. Thought. I was recruited so hard by a CD who was in his first year at the school. The Associate Director of Housing seemed like a very bright man too. I thought I had already found someone I would be able to call a great friend and colleague as well as someone who could be my mentor over time. 

Well I was wrong. Over time I felt like the sales pitch I received at SPE was nothing more than that, a sales pitch. What's the other phrase? Being "sold a bill of goods"? Well if that's it then that's what it felt like to me. The work environment was overly contentious and not what I was expecting. I sought a GA position because I believed it would be my first step into Student Affairs and a career in Higher Education. I believed that a GA position would give me the outlet I sought to truly help fellow college students. Housing certainly isn't for everyone. Perhaps I would have been happier elsewhere but I'll never know.

What I do know is that what I learned from housing cannot be taken away from me. I learned many things that I will take with me throughout my future career. Some good, a lot was bad but a learning experience nonetheless. Until tomorrow, friends. I hope this post helps others who aren't in the best of position realize that they are in no means cemented there. Perhaps tomorrow I will return with more stories of what I learned here and how it will affect my Student Affairs Job Hunt.