Dear New Professional,
You did it! You tailored your resume, hit refresh 10,000 times waiting to hear updates, and survived the all-day on-campus interview. You got the coveted “We’re excited to extend you an offer” phone call and made your “I’m excited to announce…” LinkedIn post. The gauntlet is over! You got the job!
That’s right. You have a job now.
If you have mixed emotions about this first role, I promise you are not alone. In fact, a bit of nerves is a good sign that you care, and your students will be better off for it.
If it’s helpful, I can share a bit about my entry into the field: My first professional role came with a cross country move and settling into campus housing. As I arrived on campus my first day, I was greeted by some football players who whistled out the window and invited me to a party. Once I introduced myself as the new Resident Director they… quickly shut said window.
By day I sat in training sessions learning all about campus acronyms and on-call protocols and Jesuit education. By night I was unpacking boxes and decorating my apartment, and feeling homesick for my family and friends on the West Coast.
Just as I was starting to get settled it was somehow already August 15th and I was charged with the training and care of my first RA team. I had my graduate degree in hand and professional training complete and still couldn’t help thinking “Who in the world decided I was ready to supervise a whole team!?” Imposter syndrome hit with a force I wasn’t prepared for.
The best choice I made that summer was to journal. I wasn’t a regular journaler at that time, but from my first year on I made sure to journal for at least 10 minutes a day throughout RA training. It gave me space to reflect on the day and what went well, where I whiffed, and jot down ideas for next time. I created a record of unexpected wins, heartwarming student conversations, and the utter silliness that comes from being with the same small group of people for too many hours for 2 full weeks.
I’m really glad I did that because in hindsight, the only way out of your first year on the professional staff side is through. You can have countless coffee chats with colleagues and read every book you want, but during your first year you are going to have a lot of gametime decisions to make where you have to trust all of the knowledge and experience you have built and then just see how your choice plays out. Sometimes it’s going to be great, and you will feel like you are right in the place you are meant to be. And that feels so amazing. And other times it’s going to swing the other way. And a student will write a scathing article about you in the school paper. Or your very expensive program will be a bust. Or you will send out a half-finished email to the entire student body.
And when that happens, I want you to remember that just as we advise our students to embrace the learning that happens throughout college, the same learning is happening in real-time for us.
Higher education is full of dedicated staff members who are adept relationship builders and advocate fiercely for their students. We serve with our whole hearts, which makes those early career mistakes hurt so much more. So I just want to make sure you know you’re doing great, and we all started in that messy, wonderful, chaotic new professional place. So please don’t be too hard on yourself this year. You were hired for a reason, and as the full human you are.
In my experience, as long as you keep the student at the center of the conversation, check your emotions before hitting “send” on any email, and know when a final decision needs signoff from someone above you, you are going to be just fine. When your inevitable mistakes happen, take time to reflect and have a plan for a different approach next time. No one gets it right all the time, and staying present to what you learn this year will make you a much stronger professional in the short- and long-term.
I really hope you enjoy your first professional onboarding, and soak up everything about your new institution. I want you to have the best time welcoming your first class of students. And if you have time, I recommend carving out a few minutes to journal. Many academic years from now you’ll really enjoy looking back at them, and seeing just how far you’ve come.
~Elizabeth
