It's a residence hall NOT a dormitory - 14

Disclaimer: What happened? Is it still February? I’m so behind on posting and this blog is a little out of date so stick with me and I promise to try a little bit harder.

Committee. It’s a term that is near and dear to university administrators, faculty, staff, and students everywhere. Committee is basically a 10-cent word for group work. It’s the way things get done in the bureaucracy that is higher education. Most committees are inefficient, frustrating, and move at a snail’s pace. Sometimes, however, the rare opportunity comes along to serve on a sexy committee. Sexy committees are named for the prestige they bestow and typically include opportunities to meet extraordinary or influential people, eat really good food, or travel. The sexiest committees, of course, include all three.

All of the housing grads at my university are required to serve on at least one housing committee. Committee responsibilities range from planning professional development events to advising student groups. Luckily, I was placed on the sexiest of housing committees--graduate recruitment. Not only have I gotten to screen all the graduate assistantship candidates for next year (read: pick out new best friends) but I got to travel and eat on housing’s dime. Also, I’ve gotten to experience what it’s like on the legendary “other side of the table.” In the four long days I spent at the Oshkosh Placement Exchange, I learned a lot about interviewing and found that there are many different types of candidates.

Death Eaters
Named for the villainous wizards in Harry Potter, these candidates are much more like Dementors in that they suck part of your soul out during an interview (Sorry HP fans, Death Eater just sounded better). After just three minutes with this candidate you begin to feel sorrowful and drained. Death Eaters are typically dry and boring with little to no spark about them. By the end of a Death Eater’s interview, you have lost most of your energy. It may take up to an hour to fully recover. Thankfully, Death Eaters are rare in the Student Affairs world and it’s unlikely you will encounter more than a handful of these soul-suckers.

Heartbreakers
Heartbreakers are the strongest candidates. They are typically confident and have the perfect answers to questions. An interview with a Heartbreaker may leave you feeling like you’ve learned something new. These candidates seem like a great “fit” and you feel a strong connection to them. You can easily envision working with them and even becoming friends. Unfortunately, heartbreakers are so named because EVERYONE thinks they’re a great candidate. You have to be careful not to become too attached to these candidates because they will probably break your heart by accepting a position somewhere else.

Pound Puppies
Pound Puppies are typically middle-of-the-road candidates. They tend to be OK in interviews and OK in social interactions. Pound Puppies are often very reserved and need a lot of training. Still, there is something about a Pound Puppy that makes you want to give them a chance, some part of you that thinks they could develop into a strong professional and you could help be that difference.

Loud Mouths, Motor Mouths, and Whisperers
Inevitably, there will be a handful of candidates who have trouble controlling their speed, volume, and articulation. You can often hear Loud Mouths from adjoining interview rooms. Loud Mouths typically leave interviewers rubbing their ears. Motor Mouths answer twenty tough questions in three minutes without taking a breath. Whisperers are quiet and sometimes thoughtful but usually lack enthusiasm. I guess my advice here is try to find a good tone, volume, and articulation before taking an interview. On “the other side of the table,” try not to laugh when people talk quietly, quickly, or loudly. I had an especially hard time interviewing a candidate with a unique stutter. Luckily, I kept my professionalism and good karma in tact.

After spending four days in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on that infamous “other side,” I’ve decided that it’s not so glamorous to attend OPE as an employer. In fact, as a member of a sexy committee, there were many times I felt distinctly unsexy. For instance, when I was pushing our rented PT cruiser out of a parking space for the second time. Or when I was running across frozen parking lots in four inch heels. Or when I was chugging Red Bull between interviews to stay awake. You get the idea.

I guess the bottom line is that if something seems too sexy to be true, it probably is. Still, I would never turn down the opportunity to travel, meet new people, and eat those Midwest Airlines cookies.