The New Girl #6

Can it be True? Is this Happening??

I did it everyone. I applied for my first position outside of the Residential Life department. And guess what department it is with... Athletics! I'm super nervous about it but super excited too. I was a student athlete at my undergraduate institution for four years and absolutely loved the environment. I have always had a love for sports and I would be so enthusiastic and driven if I would have the opportunity to return to athletics. Here are a few things my mind is weighing on.

Required vs Preferred Qualifications-

I see this as a measurement for Candidates. If you have the required qualifications, you are hire-able from a Human Resources perspective.  If you have the preferred qualifications, you are a desirable candidate from the employers' perspective. Should it stop a person from applying if they do not have the preferred qualifications? I think it should not because if a candidate has the required qualifications, they have the necessary education and skills needed to fulfill the role. Besides, what is the worst that could happen from applying - you don't get the job. But the best thing that could happen, you can blow their socks off in the interviews and be hired for the job. 

Experiences vary and I think being able to communicate your experiences and how they have shaped you into the professional you are, will help the employer know if you are indeed qualified for the position.

Starting Salary based on commensurate experience. Competitive salary and benefits package

I understand why this phrase is posted instead of just a dollar amount but I find it to be frustrating a times. Especially if you are moving from a different state and will need to afford housing in a new city. I started looking up apartments in the area but I don't know the salary range so it's hard to even comprehend if I will end up on the high level of comfortable living or if I will be living in student apartment off-campus housing with my college neighbors partying every Thursday night. 

I've also noticed that I feel a lot of stress coming on from my job search so I'm trying a few things to keep me motivated and positive. Besides staying organized, managing my time and prioritizing, I have started exercising on a daily basis. As you have hear before, exercising immediately improves your mood with those little endorphins that make you happy. I've also started listening to radio online in my office at my desk. My favorite one is K-love radio because it is so inspirational and uplifting. I tell myself to work hard for two songs and then I can check my email or just get up and walk to the water fountain for a drink. Those small rewards help me keep going through my long days. And last but not least, I remind myself to be grateful. I try to be happy and grateful for the opportunities that I have had. Not everyone has been able to do what I have accomplished and not everyone has been able to do what you have been through. I try to be friendly to everyone I encounter and at least say "hi" or "have a great day". Making others happy leads me to being happy I have discovered so I continually try to be bubbly and positive even when I am overwhelmed with papers up to my ears on my desk, piling higher every day it seems like. So whatever it is that makes you happy, use that to keep you motivated for your job search and just know in the end, you will end up where you are meant to be. Keep reaching for the stars and shooting for the moon because the sky is the limit my friends. 

You know you love the job search! XOXO Graduate Girl