- Counseling and Higher Education
- Resources
- Graduate Assistantship Interview Day
CAHE Graduate Assistantship Interview Day
We coordinate interviews for graduate assistantships (GA) for prospective and current CAHE students with departments across campus. These positions provide valuable experiences in the field of higher education and student affairs and/or counseling while helping cover the cost of graduate school. They include full tuition waivers and competitive monthly stipends (students are responsible for fees). Assistantships offered by Residential Life also include apartments, meal plans and parking.
Students interview for positions at our virtual CAHE GA Interview Day.
The next interview day will take place in March 2024. For more information, please contact cahegainterviews@niu.edu.
Student Information
You can participate in interview day if you're:
- A prospective, admitted or current student in the master's of higher education and student affairs program (you don't have to be admitted).
- An admitted or current student in the master's of counseling program.
Keep these important dates in mind:
- February 2024: Registration open.
- End of February 2024: Deadline to submit cover letter and resume.
- Early March 2024: Interview schedules and login information sent by email.
- Date TBD: Interviews take place on Zoom, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Day after interviews: Rankings due by 10 a.m.
- Following week: Hiring offers begin.
Note: the exact dates will be announced in fall 2023
Registering and Applying for GA Positions
You'll receive assistantship information at your program's recruitment event (if you're unable to attend, contact us at cahegainterviews@niu.edu). Review the job descriptions to find positions that interest you. We encourage you to apply for all positions of interest, even if you don't think you're qualified. You may have transferable skills, and many positions can be tailored to your interests. Registration will open in February 2024.
Develop a generic cover letter and resume to use for all the positions:
- Access cover letter and resume samples and tips (PDF).
- View additional cover letter and resume resources.
Preparing for Interviews
Practice your interview skills. Plan to set aside the whole day for interviews. Interviews last for 30 minutes, and you can interview for up to 10 positions.
Ranking Positions and Accepting Offers
We'll email you a link to a ranking form where you can indicate your assistantship preferences. After interview day, fill out and submit the form. Employers will take your preferences into consideration as they make assistantship offers.
Offers will be sent out the week after interviews take place. If selected by a department, you'll receive one offer for an assistantship. As candidates accept and decline offers, additional offers may be sent out to those still seeking a graduate assistantship over the following weeks.
Employer Information
If you have an assistantship opportunity related to counseling and/or higher education and student affairs, consider recruiting candidates through our virtual CAHE GA Interview Day. You'll be able to interview prospective and current master's degree students who wish to gain practical experiences in those areas.
Interviewing and Ranking Candidates
In early January, we'll ask you to send us your assistantship job description. The week before interview day, you'll receive a list of all candidates. It will specify which students indicated an interest in your position. You'll select the students you want to interview.
After our faculty complete the scheduling, you'll receive your interview schedule two days in advance. You can interview up to 10 candidates.
After interviews are complete, use the interview schedule to rank the candidates and return it to us. We'll match your rankings with candidates' preferences, using a process that prioritizes employer preferences. You can review and change your rankings based on candidates' preferences.
Making Offers
We use a one-offer process, which means candidates receive only one assistantship offer. After confirming with you, we'll send an offer to the selected student. Once they accept, you'll work with them to complete the onboarding process. If they decline, you can offer the position to another candidate who has not yet received an offer. If you don't find a qualified candidate, you don't have to make an offer.
Hiring Departments
Our students have held assistantships in the following areas:
- Academic Advising
- Admissions
- Asian American Resource Center
- Career Development
- Center for Black Studies
- Counseling Center
- Disability Resource Center
- Fraternity and Sorority Life
- Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
- Nonprofit and NGO Studies
- Orientation and First-Year Programs
- Residential Life
- Recreation and Student Wellness
- Social Justice Education
- Student Conduct
- Student Engagement and Experiential Learning
- Student Life and Campus Activities
- Student Success Services
- Study Abroad
Contact Us
Melissa Fickling, co-chair
Gudrun Nyunt, co-chair
Jacqueline Mac, co-chair
cahegaInterviews@niu.edu
