A history of successful searches for leadership in Higher Education

The reviews for our new Guide To An Effective Job Search are out. Take an opportunity to learn how we can help you put your best foot forward in your next job search.

 Dr.  Karen Pennington

Vice President at Montclair State University

I found the guide very useful and helpful. Even after all my years in higher ed I learned a few things that I know will help me prepare for my next search.  I also will share it with my colleagues to help them be as effective as they can be as they pursue their next career move.

From Kevin Piskadlo

Assistant Dean Director, Academic Advising Center, Bentley University

For many higher education professionals, the prospect of conducting a comprehensive job search can feel like a rather daunting task. Though searches in the past may have been successful, the time lapse between job searches for many mid-level career professionals can create anxiety for even the best of candidates. Often too intimidated to go beyond entertaining the idea of initiating a search, candidates frequently find themselves struggling with a number of difficult questions: When is an appropriate time to job search? What positions should I be searching for? What materials do I need to put together? How can I best communicate my background and skills?

To help higher education professionals answer these questions and prepare for a comprehensive job search, Spelman, Geffen, Moore, and Spelman (2011) wrote a Guide to an Effective Job Search. While store bookshelves are already lined with job search books offering advice and counsel on corporate career exploration, none of these tomes consider the unique culture and many nuances of the academic job search. As such, this guide fills a void in the job search literature by writing specifically to higher education professionals who are seeking senior and mid-level student affairs and enrollment management positions.

Leveraging over 100 years of collective experience in the academy and in directing countless higher education candidate searches, this manual leads higher education professionals through all facets of the job search process. From helping readers determine when they will know it is time to move on and explore new opportunities to assisting them with preparing the necessary materials for a job search, the Guide sheds light onto the often ambiguous search process and breaks down each step into more manageable pieces by providing user friendly worksheets, a sample resume and letter of application, and a plethora of experience tested tips and suggestions.

Easy to read, yet extremely practical, this resource is a must-have for higher education professionals who seek to advance in their career.

Patricia (Trish) P. Jackson

Vice President for Advancement, Smith College

Bill, I think your “Guide to an Effective Job Search” is strong; I find the examples particularly good.  I think it will work for those pursuing careers in advancement, and recommend that you also share it broadly with people in HR who might given copies to those in need of such–especially for people’s whose positions have been eliminated.