Leaving higher ed, but for what?

October 2, 2022 12:54 PM

I’ve worked in higher ed admin for 12 years. I think I’m done with the high workload for low pay model, but I’m stuck on the values aspect of leaving education. Where do I go next?

After graduating from college with a BA in a humanities field, I got a job at a large university and have been there since (though in three different areas). I work in academic support services at an Associate Director level, have earned a grad degree in education, am well-respected by my colleagues and superiors, and I love my job - most of the time.

My extremely wealthy university is known as one of the best employers in this field in the US. But after three years without a raise, all staff at my job level got a “generous” 2% bump this spring - an annual amount that’s barely enough to pay one month’s rent in my expensive city, never mind cover COL.

I work so hard. I am so dedicated to my unit’s mission and goals, my students, and the staff I manage. But I am so tired of letting the university convince me (and, I’d argue, most higher ed folks) that academia is special and that the opportunity to work towards my ideals and passion is reward enough.

But… I do still have those ideals. I still want to do work that is meaningful to individual people and to society. Where can I take these skills, make a reasonable salary, and be happy?

In professional terms, my boss has described me as: a strategic thinker; talented at gathering, analyzing, organizing, and presenting research; a skilled manager who is both liked and respected by my staff; independent and highly self-motivated; excellent writing and communication skills; a frequently relied-upon resource for teaching others institutional knowledge and how-tos; and someone who can take on any challenge.

What specific fields or jobs could be a good fit? Also looking for thoughts on what it’s like to leave a passion field, either entirely or to enter an adjacent field.

posted by perpetual color to Work & Money (9 answers total)

Best answer: I would suggest looking into local government. There are all sorts of departments - parks, human services, transportation, planning, etc. that require admins, communications professionals, and project managers, where you are contributing to service and mission. Like any workplace, the culture and work environment can vary (especially depending on the politics and economy of your area). But in my area you generally see a hybrid work schedule, pension, good benefits, mission driven colleagues, regular COLA increases and merit increases, decent amount of paid vacation and sick time.
posted by brookeb at 1:43 PM on October 2, 2022 [7 favorites]

I would suggest looking into local government.

This. Quite a few people I know who have left academia have gone into state and city/county government jobs. There is a clear public mission like in higher ed, but also generally equivalent or better pay, solid benefits, and more stability. The skills all translate directly (e.g., knowing how to navigate a complex bureaucracy, answer to multiple stakeholders, develop high quality reports, etc.) and so do the credentials. I know of a few people who have gone into non-profit work, too, but a lot of the time pay and benefits aren't as good in that sector.

Just in case you aren't already looking at it, there are regular "leaving academia" articles in places like Inside Higher Ed. Most of that is about people on the professorial track departing, but it applies pretty much equally to admin/staff jobs, since the biggest barrier can be leaving the cult.
posted by Dip Flash at 3:53 PM on October 2, 2022

I’d also just like to say, anything you do can be used to help people. The people who bring me groceries because I am disabled and can’t leave the house are making an enormous impact. I always appreciate them (and show that appreciation through generous tips and ratings). You are right that academia paints itself as uniquely helpful and meaningful, but my experience is that this FAR more about the person in the job than the job itself. Whatever you choose, you will bring yourself to your work and will make a difference. Consider looking at EA positions in law firms and medical settings. So much academic coding is just like medical coding.
posted by Bottlecap at 4:37 PM on October 2, 2022 [6 favorites]

Best answer: I will be bold and say find a job you like or live with doing whatever, getting paid as much as you can, and then a) choose how much money you give and where, and b) where you give your free time. This is me. I also have a whole (I think pretty credible) spiel I can give you about the problems with "good people" self selecting themselves into nonprofit work and leaving corporatr for profit work to "everyone else". If a lot of those "nonprofit" minded people infiltrated the corporate world.....man, the change you might see?
I'm pushing from the inside, but I'm just me! If love a like minded army.
posted by atomicstone at 6:18 PM on October 2, 2022 [7 favorites]

Best answer: You might look into B-corporations / B-certified companies. They are for-profit companies that have committed in various ways to doing good - socially, environmentally, financially, etc (see also “triple bottom line”). I find it an ecosystem that is more supportive of work-life balance and appropriate compensation than academia/nonprofit/public, while still keeping a focus on making the world better.

(Signed, former academic now happily working for a b-certified company)
posted by suviko at 7:37 PM on October 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

The federal government tends to pay better than higher ed. in my experience. You might be able to find something adjacent to higher education, like working with veterans' education benefits. They also seem to be embracing work from home. Check out USAJobs.gov.

Also, have you ever tried asking for a performance-based raise? Basically, lay out all you've done to improve your department, all your accomplishments, etc. Maybe even check what other schools pay people in similar positions and see if it's more, and use that to justify your raise. Employers will pay as little as they can get away with, even universities. Don't let them get away with paying you less than your worth anymore.
posted by DEiBnL13 at 9:15 PM on October 2, 2022

I also work at a wealthy university, though not in a high cost of living area. My employer is often on those lists of "great academic employers" also. There's no doubt that higher ed is in a precarious position, and the sector does not have a great track record of treating employees well. At my own institution, we did not have annual salary increase in 2020 in the initial Covid Chaos Phase, but have since had some nice bonuses, equity-based salary adjustments and regular annual raises re-started in 2021. It sounds like your university is particularly not taking care of its workers, despite its ranking.

One thing I have observed, and gives me a lot to think about with regards to my own career, is that if I continue to work at this same institution, my salary will be very much compressed over time than it would if I were changing institutions semi-regularly. There are actual HR policies that limit how much of a raise I could get as I change jobs or get promoted over time, and very few managers in higher ed will have the stones to go to bat for their employees and push back on these policies. This sounds similar to the private-sector career strategy that changing companies will substantially improve your earnings over time compared to being "loyal" to one company.

So, if you're really done with higher ed, I'm obviously not offering any great solutions, but if you still generally like it, but need to make more money, I suggest that you look for roles for other universities in your city (or beyond, if you are location flexible), or for remote roles at universities farther afield. If you have a track record as an effective manager and good colleague, you sound like you'd be a good candidate for director roles at higher salary bands.
posted by sk932 at 6:43 AM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

I recently read Caterine, C. L. (2020) Leaving Academia: A Practical Guide, and it has been extremely eye opening. It's a short book and I highly recommend it to help think about issues like this.
posted by StrawberryPie at 1:01 PM on October 3, 2022

Definitely look for public service positions. There are often roles in (eg) education departments that would highly value your skillset and allow you to continue feeling you are working towards something good, but for far better pay and conditions.
posted by dg at 10:52 PM on October 3, 2022