New Conclusion

Okay, I combined what I had with a piece from Emily's and Adrienne's intros.

At our presentation on this very subject at the ECCTYC conference, one attendee asked in an overwhelmed and exasperated voice, “How in the world did you do all this?” One of us replied, “You just do it. You can worry about sleep later.” But while that may be true to a large extent, it is important to recognize that all of us didn’t necessarily do all of the above. Or if we did, we did them in varying degrees of intensity. That is, it is likely that the five of us became a package deal; our unique personalities, preparation, teaching methods, education, and experiences provided for a well-rounded hire. Also, as one of our colleagues once mentioned, getting hired is “mostly a matter of serendipity.” And as troubling as that notion might be, it is certainly true that “the harder [we] work, the more luck [we] have,” as Jefferson writes. The point is that you push yourself to stand out from the crowd. Anyone who has a chance of getting the job almost certainly has an MA at least, just like you. So making yourself a student of the hiring process will make you much more prepared for the numerous tests you will take along the way. Every tangible and intangible job-related act you engage in could be the one that helps you rise above the rest. Reading this article is probably a pretty good start.