Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 12

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Preparing Future Student Affairs
Professionals
Usually, we think it's the interns who walk away from their experience
with all of the knowledge gained. But at Texas Christian University
(TCU) in Fort Worth, the housing division learned a great deal as well.
Each year, they seek out feedback from their ACUHO-I interns to
determine if they are receiving all the training they hoped for through
the internship. As it turned out, there was an additional area that
students wanted information about: getting a full-time job in student
affairs. They wanted to know about the job search process, what they
should put on their résumé and cover letters, and what advice their
mentors had about the interview process.
TCU responded by creating a practice placement exchange called
TPE@TCU. From the start, they knew what outcomes they desired.
They wanted students to learn and practice interview etiquette and
to have their résumé and cover letter reviewed by a student affairs
professional. Additionally, they wanted students to have the experience
of interviewing for multiple functional areas and institutions based
on preferences and availability. Ultimately, these students would be
primed and ready to participate in their first series of interviews at The
Placement Exchange.
They kicked off the first TPE@TCU in July 2013. In order to give
students a broader perspective of hiring preferences, other institutions
were invited to participate in the mock interviews. This not only
helped students gain insight into different institutions but also allowed
representatives of these institutions to brush up on their own interview
skills and to fine tune their hiring process. Students and faux potential
employers worked through nearly four 30-minute interview sessions
per student and spent half a day interviewing and then sharing
feedback on what students needed to work on. The day ended with a Q
and A session with a panel of upper-level administrators.
At this year's event, they used feedback from assessing the first
year and dedicated an entire day to the event so more students could
participate. They also determined that it was easier for both students
and institutions to share résumés and cover letters prior to the event so
that the information could be reviewed in advance, therefore providing
the students with more review time on site. Finally, they expanded
the panel discussion to include insights from two recently hired
hall directors who had just been through The Placement Exchange
experience as well as more discussion of general employer feedback.
One TCU intern from the first event commented, "Not only did
that experience prepare me to interview, I was also better equipped
for the TPE experience. Besides getting personal feedback, the setting
was one thing that helped me the most. It's easy to get distracted when
you're interviewing in a room with 40 other people, so make sure to
keep good eye contact and stay focused." An intern from this year's
event noted, "I realized just how valuable mock interviews are. TPE@
TCU has made me think about what I can do now to start preparing
for potential interviews."
-Amanda LaGrone, Miles Oller, Brandie VanOrder,
and Kaitlin Winters
12

talking Stick

PD for Free:
Campus Committees
Sometimes we need to look outside our jobs to develop
the professional competencies and skills necessary
for growth and advancement. A great way to acquire
these is through involvement on campus committees.
Megan Wyett, residence director at the University
of Massachusetts Amherst, Katie Bosio, director of
residence life at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan,
and Janielle Tchakerian, assistant vice president for
student affairs and director of residence life and
community standards at Saint Mary's College in Notre
Dame, Indiana, share how their involvement in campus
committees has positively contributed to their own
professional development.
Whether you are appointed or volunteer to sit
on a committee, there is tremendous value in this
development opportunity. Tchakerian participates in
multiple committees and has been able to learn "more
about the academic programs and make connections
with faculty members. . . . I have a greater appreciation
and knowledge of institutional research and the wealth
of data that we have collected over the years. I have
formed better relationships with our IT folks and have
a better appreciation of processes and data security.
Overall, campus committees allow me to network with
folks that I may not work with every day."
Wyett shares a similar experience. Because she
has volunteered and "actively sought some of these
opportunities, it makes for attending campus events
and building a network a lot easier, and it is much more
genuine when you start and build the relationship
before you 'need' or 'want' something. Being involved
on campus also opens doors for future opportunities
and even potential jobs."
Bosio notes the value of committee work in
strengthening her own communication and time
management skills. "I have been able to improve my
communication skills and learn more about who I can
contact to ask questions outside of committee work. I
have also learned to better manage my time since all
of this additional work requires me to do outside work
before we meet. Each of the committees I have served
on has helped me gain insight on best practices for that
area." Though committee work is a valuable opportunity
for professional development, it is also important, as
Wyett notes, to "ask questions about time commitment"
so that committee work does not interfere with your job
responsibilities.
Kate McGartland
Director, Student Support Services, Pearson Online Learning Services
Talking Stick - September/October 2014

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