Working in Higher Ed Administration

September 15, 2008 10:42 AM

I'd like to know more about positions in higher education administration.

I graduated with an MPA degree and a concentration in health policy in 2004, and have been working in grants management in the federal government (HHS) ever since. I've gotten it into my head that I'd like a career (for a little while, at least) in higher ed administration, maybe in career services because I'd love something where I could interact with lots of different people and help them think through career decisions. I've looked on Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle for positions and I'm a little intimidated. My question is, how do you get into this field? I'm unsure that my experience, which consists of doing mainly data analysis (but not really rigorous analysis, more running numbers and the like) and "training and technical assistance" (a government term), won't transfer to other sectors. But I don't really know where I can go to build skills to get into the field. Additionally, I work with the American Indian population, and while it's really interesting work, I'm worried also that people won't think that is relevant. Basically, I'm a big ball of worries! Can anyone lend any insight?

posted by lagreen to work & money (4 comments total)

I started working in higher ed admin in May, after 15 years as a faculty member. My advice is to focus on the skills you have related to project management, problem solving, and the ability to work on multiple projects while dealing with interruptions. good people skills are very helpful as well, obviously, as you would be dealing with both students and faculty. Your background and experiences actually sound like they would be a great match with admin jobs. The chronicle of higher ed is a great spot to watch for jobs. This site is also helpful
http://www.academickeys.com/

You may be able to get the jump on some other candidates by watching the human resources pages for specific colleges or universities in which you have an interest.

So, to sum up, relax, you sound as if you have a great skill set, and relevant experience. Now all you need to do is find a good open job to go for!
posted by midwestguy at 10:55 AM on September 15, 2008

Thanks for your support, midwestguy! I definitely have trouble focusing on the positives of my current position, because it's an unsatisfying job in many ways, and I tend to think about that more than the good parts. I'll definitely need to remember your advice if (when!) I get an interview.
posted by lagreen at 11:00 AM on September 15, 2008

My experience* with career services in higher ed is that it can be very difficult to get into, just because so many people want in. Also, you'll have to be careful of what type of career counselor a particular school is looking for. If they hire career COUNSELORS, they're going to be looking for someone with a counseling degree. If they hire career ADVISORS, your background could work.

Your best bet will be to find a school that's hiring a career advisor for a department that is related to what you've been doing so far (for example, law schools hire career advisors who have law degrees).

You will also need to network like you've never networked before. The higher ed community is tightly knit, and it means you pretty much have to know someone in order to get any job. Use contacts at your alma maters, both grad and undergrad (if they're different). Go to your career services office at your alma mater and talk to the people there about how they got into those positions.

As with any job hunt, you could hit gold right away, but be prepared for a long hunt.

*I recently graduated with a master's in higher ed administration, did an internship stint in a college career services office, and am currently working as an academic advisor housed in the career center.
posted by bibbit at 1:03 PM on September 15, 2008

I worked in post-secondary for five years as a program evaluator. You need some skills in basic stats but you're probably using those now. Have a look at the American Evaluation Association's site, especially the "Guiding Principles" page. Program evaluation in higher education is often a way to make a real difference in the quality of education students receive. If it appeals to you, but takes a little while to land a job, you might feel better about your current job if you think of it as increasing your training/experience in the data analysis end of program evaluation.
posted by angiep at 6:16 PM on September 15, 2008