Dive Brief:
- Texas Tech University Dean David Perlmutter writes in the Chronicle that preparing for an administrative search requires attention to detail and a commitment to patience for the nuances of a variety of search types and institutional personalities.
- Determining if a campus has the right fit, adjusting your CV to reflect administrative experience and potential, and determining how being in a search may impact current job standing are the keys to productive exposure in the headhunting or interviewing process.
- Assembling a coalition of supporters and advocates for nominations and references is also a key part of catching the attention of search firms and selection committee members.
Dive Insight:
College leaders considering a jump to other positions should also consider the rules and culture surrounding searches. Is the campus to which you want to head one where they are on the front page of local news coverage on a daily basis? This could mean that selection as a finalist could be a matter of public information, and could be widely known as soon as a decision is made.
Researching details about the departure of the outgoing leader, determining budget challenges and programmatic advantages are another way to amend the CV to individual strengths and campus needs while showing search constituents the seriousness with which a candidate is approaching the position.