Tempting

The last couple of sections of my life have come in sections each defined by the time period of two years. I have been at Platteville two years, previous to that at Wartburg for two years, and previous to that at Western Illinois for two years. So, if I were to follow the pattern it would mean moving on to a new location for the next two years. (This doesn't apply to all areas of my life as Anna and I will celebrate three years this summer.)

But since Anna does have another year in school, it looks like we will remain in Platteville at least one more year. I tell my students that a hall director who says they are 100% sure they are either lying or hopelessly optimistic. There are a variety of reasons, at any given time for a RD to move on, at best an answer should go no higher than 98%. At times of despair or stress with the job, it can go to a lower percentage which usually leads to looking for jobs both within and outside the area of student affairs. (Currently, the forecast for Hal staying in Platteville looks to be in the 90s, but some turbulent weather could have him dipping down into the low 60s.)

For me, times of despair find me looking at the popular sites of Academic 360 and Higher Ed Jobs when looking within the field of student affairs. When I get the itch to be a camp director, I usually check out Lutheran Camp positions, the YMCA, or Year Round Camp Jobs. Other times I think about either pursuing a Masters of Divinity or a Doctorate in CSP, which leads me back to some academic sites.

Another method of exploring other career opportunities is through personality testing. According to one web site, my personality type would enjoy the following occupations: Facilitator, Consultant, Social Worker, Counselor, Teacher, Clergy, Sales Representative, Human Resources, Manager, Events Coordinator, Sales Representative, Politician/Diplomat, or Writer.

I found it humours because within the last week I have thought about changing to the following occupations: Facilitator (with Playfair), Clergy (go to school in Boston), Diplomat (work for the government), and Writer (work for this guy). But it should be noted that one trait associated with my personality type is that I always look for change and can get bored easily, hence the reason I know that there are multiple web sites out there to assist in looking for employment.

Anyway, before I got on this tangent, I posted a picture up top. The Wisconsin in Scotland program is in need of a resident director for their castle in Scotland. Same type of employment as a RD in the US, you still work for Wisconsin, just in a foreign country. Obviously there are not many opportunities like this, and I do happen to have the qualifications for it. What do you think? Should I spend some time working abroad?