Another employment decision question
June 29, 2017 2:26 PM Subscribe
How do you know whether you can "reframe" your way into liking a job that has requirements you always said you didn't want to do? Is it possible that part of "growing up" is learning how to take a job that doesn't thrill you because it makes you a better provider? How do people do that?
I'm client-facing and have been invited to consider an administrative position. It is detail oriented, and requires a people-oriented background but is definitely more business focused. I'm not naturally aligned to the role but I'm wondering if at some point most people part with their idealism and take something that isn't ideal. And how in the world do I grok that. I have always enjoyed "rewarding"/"challenging"/"meaningful" work. This role isn't really that, but I imagine plenty of people out there don't naturally desire to be administrators but seethe higher salary and find a way to get there mentally. If that's you please share your story.
I'm client-facing and have been invited to consider an administrative position. It is detail oriented, and requires a people-oriented background but is definitely more business focused. I'm not naturally aligned to the role but I'm wondering if at some point most people part with their idealism and take something that isn't ideal. And how in the world do I grok that. I have always enjoyed "rewarding"/"challenging"/"meaningful" work. This role isn't really that, but I imagine plenty of people out there don't naturally desire to be administrators but seethe higher salary and find a way to get there mentally. If that's you please share your story.
That *was* me. Normally I am a faculty member in higher ed, but recently I took on a temporary leave replacement in administration for the majority of one academic year. I love teaching, I'm good at it, and I had no desire to be a dean, but when I was approached by my own dean with this offer, I gave it serious thought and then decided to do it. I ended up being really glad I took the position; I learned a lot, I enjoyed the new challenge, and I felt like I made a difference.
Now, I recognize my situation is different because it was temporary and I had the security of knowing my old job would be there if and when I decided I did not want to do it anymore. However, it was a big decision and meant I'd be jumping in to a completely different job with different goals, different outcomes, a different skillset, so I thought about it carefully.
Like you, one of the things I worried about was that I would not find this work meaningful. I find teaching very meaningful, because I know I make a difference in the lives of my students. I watch them learn and grow over the course of the semester. However, that is not the case in management or administrative work.
I decided that I would do everything I could to make administration work meaningful for myself. That meant I saw part of my role as advocacy. If I was in a management meeting and we were discussing a policy that I felt needed to be changed, I would speak up about it. I am good at reading the room and understanding that there is a time and place to bring things up, but I also did not shy away from bringing up issues that were causing problems but had not been addressed. I did so in a way that did not place blame on others, but rather in a spirit of "this is not currently working, and I think we can make some changes. For example, what about x, y, and z for a start."
Part of my job was managing details, projects, and budgets, but part of it was also managing people. This was, in some ways, the most difficult part of the job even though I enjoyed it. I had to have some hard conversations with people. However, I also had the opportunity to support people and to build meaningful relationships with them. One of the most helpful things was viewing my job as a service job. Yes, I was someone's supervisor, but I was also responsible for making sure they had the resources to do their job and supporting them in doing their job well. Faculty would often come to me with an issue or problem and I would tell them I'd do my best to help them solve it, and I stuck to my word. I wasn't able to fix everything, but I fixed whatever was within my power.
There was the possibility the job could turn into a permanent role, and I spent some time thinking about what my answer would be if the opportunity came up to apply for it and give up teaching. In the end, I decided to I would not apply because I wanted to go back to teaching. I'm not ready to do administration full time, but I'm glad I got a glimpse into that world. At the moment, front line teaching work fits what I want to do more, in terms of the ability to set my own schedule more and to have the choice to work from home when I'm not in the classroom. I found both jobs have their stresses, but they were just different stresses. The other thing that made it easier to go back to teaching was that it was not a big pay differential. And although there are things I miss about being a dean, I know I made the right decision because I'm looking forward to the fall semester and am very happy right now to be working on research, professional development, and planning my courses. Only you will be able to tell if that is the case for you.
Here is a major piece of advice: one thing that really affected my decision to take it in the first place was that I genuinely respected and liked the people I'd be working with on a daily basis. The other deans in my area and I get along well, and I think they are competent people with a good moral compass and a good sense of humour. I would not be able to work with a team that didn't have those qualities. So that should definitely weigh in to your decision.
Well, I feel like I've gone on long enough. Good luck with your decision making, and know that I'm happy to MeMail with you also if you want.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:35 PM on June 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
Now, I recognize my situation is different because it was temporary and I had the security of knowing my old job would be there if and when I decided I did not want to do it anymore. However, it was a big decision and meant I'd be jumping in to a completely different job with different goals, different outcomes, a different skillset, so I thought about it carefully.
Like you, one of the things I worried about was that I would not find this work meaningful. I find teaching very meaningful, because I know I make a difference in the lives of my students. I watch them learn and grow over the course of the semester. However, that is not the case in management or administrative work.
I decided that I would do everything I could to make administration work meaningful for myself. That meant I saw part of my role as advocacy. If I was in a management meeting and we were discussing a policy that I felt needed to be changed, I would speak up about it. I am good at reading the room and understanding that there is a time and place to bring things up, but I also did not shy away from bringing up issues that were causing problems but had not been addressed. I did so in a way that did not place blame on others, but rather in a spirit of "this is not currently working, and I think we can make some changes. For example, what about x, y, and z for a start."
Part of my job was managing details, projects, and budgets, but part of it was also managing people. This was, in some ways, the most difficult part of the job even though I enjoyed it. I had to have some hard conversations with people. However, I also had the opportunity to support people and to build meaningful relationships with them. One of the most helpful things was viewing my job as a service job. Yes, I was someone's supervisor, but I was also responsible for making sure they had the resources to do their job and supporting them in doing their job well. Faculty would often come to me with an issue or problem and I would tell them I'd do my best to help them solve it, and I stuck to my word. I wasn't able to fix everything, but I fixed whatever was within my power.
There was the possibility the job could turn into a permanent role, and I spent some time thinking about what my answer would be if the opportunity came up to apply for it and give up teaching. In the end, I decided to I would not apply because I wanted to go back to teaching. I'm not ready to do administration full time, but I'm glad I got a glimpse into that world. At the moment, front line teaching work fits what I want to do more, in terms of the ability to set my own schedule more and to have the choice to work from home when I'm not in the classroom. I found both jobs have their stresses, but they were just different stresses. The other thing that made it easier to go back to teaching was that it was not a big pay differential. And although there are things I miss about being a dean, I know I made the right decision because I'm looking forward to the fall semester and am very happy right now to be working on research, professional development, and planning my courses. Only you will be able to tell if that is the case for you.
Here is a major piece of advice: one thing that really affected my decision to take it in the first place was that I genuinely respected and liked the people I'd be working with on a daily basis. The other deans in my area and I get along well, and I think they are competent people with a good moral compass and a good sense of humour. I would not be able to work with a team that didn't have those qualities. So that should definitely weigh in to your decision.
Well, I feel like I've gone on long enough. Good luck with your decision making, and know that I'm happy to MeMail with you also if you want.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:35 PM on June 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
Sometimes the next step job is one that gives you an opportunity to build strength in areas that aren't your primary interest, making you a bit more well-rounded for future advancement.
If you like the company you work for, this could be a gentle way to explore other aspects of the business and gain a greater understanding of how different sectors within a company support one another, putting yourself in good stead for higher level positions that require more big-picture knowledge later on.
posted by padraigin at 6:45 PM on June 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you like the company you work for, this could be a gentle way to explore other aspects of the business and gain a greater understanding of how different sectors within a company support one another, putting yourself in good stead for higher level positions that require more big-picture knowledge later on.
posted by padraigin at 6:45 PM on June 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: From your question, it sounds like the only reason to take this job is to earn more money - "be a better provider". If that's true, my first question is have you tested the assumption that it is really necessary to give up on meaningful work to do something you said you would never do just to earn that incremental money? How much of difference will it make the people you are providing for vs. the cost of having you less happy? Is that difference really important? Are there other ways to get there?
If your answer is yes, here some ways that I have seen people deal with it:
- Take pride in doing your job well - I may be a bean counter, my beans are well and truly counted and people rely on my accuracy
- Take pride in being a piece of a larger puzzle - I may be be bean counter but my organization makes sure that every child gets nutritious beans so they don't have to go hungry.
- Take pride in what they are able to provide - I may be a bean counter but the money earn means that my family is taken care of.
- Focus on the job as a means to an end - I may be bean counter and counting beans gives me the freedom to follow my passion and that is what really counts.
- Downplay the importance of the job to their identity - I count beans to live, I don't live to count beans
posted by metahawk at 8:51 PM on June 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
If your answer is yes, here some ways that I have seen people deal with it:
- Take pride in doing your job well - I may be a bean counter, my beans are well and truly counted and people rely on my accuracy
- Take pride in being a piece of a larger puzzle - I may be be bean counter but my organization makes sure that every child gets nutritious beans so they don't have to go hungry.
- Take pride in what they are able to provide - I may be a bean counter but the money earn means that my family is taken care of.
- Focus on the job as a means to an end - I may be bean counter and counting beans gives me the freedom to follow my passion and that is what really counts.
- Downplay the importance of the job to their identity - I count beans to live, I don't live to count beans
posted by metahawk at 8:51 PM on June 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
"Is it possible that part of "growing up" is learning how to take a job that doesn't thrill you because it makes you a better provider?"
What does growing up (or old) in your job look like? Does anyone do what you are doing now when they are 10 years older than you? There are many jobs in which age leads to admin because the new hires arrive more/newer technology or because of burn out. Are there parts of your job you would like to delegate? Does the admin position have an upside, or is it a dead end?
posted by SemiSalt at 9:13 AM on June 30, 2017
What does growing up (or old) in your job look like? Does anyone do what you are doing now when they are 10 years older than you? There are many jobs in which age leads to admin because the new hires arrive more/newer technology or because of burn out. Are there parts of your job you would like to delegate? Does the admin position have an upside, or is it a dead end?
posted by SemiSalt at 9:13 AM on June 30, 2017
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I am currently cautiously optimistic that this will be better for me in the long run. Compared to my previous job and the one I didn't get, this job has a bigger paycheck, more growth opportunities, and a slightly to much better schedule. This all adds up to a general improvement in quality of life. This job may also be less rewarding when I'm there, but in my case it's also less draining. So I have more energy for my home life and hobbies. Outside of work stuff is more rewarding.
posted by ghost phoneme at 5:25 PM on June 29, 2017 [2 favorites]