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• Assistant Teacher
• Child Care Provider
• Coach
• College Administrator
• College Librarian
• College Professor
• Curriculum Developer
• Elementary Teacher
• High School Teacher
• Independent Teacher
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• Librarian
• Library Assistant
• Middle-School Teacher
• Preschool Administrator
• Preschool Teacher
• Principal
• Program Administrator
• School Administrator
• School Counselor
• School Librarian
• Special Education Teacher

School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job

Career: "I was surprised to find that people with almost any undergraduate degree or concentration can obtain a Master's degree in College Student Services Administration because it's about quality of experience and commitment to advising and supporting college students as they develop. Academic advising is a meaningful career because you get to work with so many awesome and bright students each day."

Career: "I was surprised at how much of an impact I have on prospective students that are looking for a college to attend, and how their interaction with me can change their whole attitude about our University. I am also surprised at how much of an effect I can have on current students here that coming to me with advice about potential careers, and graduate school."

Career: "I was surprised by how many ethically difficult situations I face in my daily work. I must balance the needs of the university against the needs of the student on a regular basis. I also must navigate different cultural norms since I work with students from many different backgrounds."

Career: "I was surprised with how little first year students would need to come and talk with me. Perhaps they were just getting help from their RAs or each other."

Career: "Although retired from my career, I worked for 11 years at a state university in the School of Business preparing undergrad students for the job market, assisting them with developing their resumes and preparing them for job interviews. Many students came to me with very skimpy, unimpressive resumes. I was surprised at how much information I was able to draw from them when I prodded them for more information that they never considered relevant, information that showed much about their capabilities and could be included in their resumes. I realized I had to do much more than simply critique the resume they initially present me with. I was also very surprised at how frequently many of the students continuously returned to my office to chat with me. Many of them continued to do that throughout their four-year stay at the university. I often got to know them very well, guided them through their internship and job search process, and helped them connect with companies and land jobs upon graduation. It was a very rewarding and enjoyable career."

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"The best parts of my job are the people I work with and the satisfaction I derive from helping others. My job is flexible and affords me opportunities to advance my education. Working in an educational environment keeps you informed of current careers and trends and advances in technology. The downside is that it is a large university with bureaucracy and turf issues. But the worst parts of my job are all the political wrangling, the red tape and, recently at least, the budget cuts."

"I love that my job gives me the opportunity to engage in intellectually stimulating work that I feel contributes to the common good. I also enjoy the community in which I work. Most of the people I work with are hard workers who are very committed to their chosen career. Sometimes in my work I encounter problems/challenges/road blocks that do not have good solutions. This is very frustrating."

"The best part of the job is working with students. Many adults who return to our program see this as a second chance for a college degree. They realize that earning a college education will make a huge difference in their careers and for their families. Over a lifetime of working, college graduates make $1 million more than high school graduates. The worst part of the job is when students have to drop out of the program for family, work or personal reasons. It's a big challenge to get a college degree while working full-time."

"Though most placements work well or even wonderfully, during every semester some student teachers run into problems. Sometimes students find they are not ready to meet the challenges in schools and classrooms. Once in a while we discover a teacher who is not the gentle and encouraging guide we all had hoped for. These are always complicated situations and some lead to disappointments for all of us. Though I enjoy the challenge of solving complicated problems, sometimes these circumstances can produce a few headaches and a fair amount of stress."

"I find the best part of my job to be the times when I am able to implement a new process or develop new functionality to make processes run more smoothly in our office. For instance, I enjoyed developing an internal website for our office that includes documentation of office procedures and policies. I also developed a database for tracking returned ("bounced") checks. I find developing efficiencies a rewarding thing to do. The worst part of my job has been when circumstances make it very difficult to make sure all tasks are being done, and done correctly. Challenges include times when we are not fully staffed, and fewer people must cover more work, as well as times when things just don't go as expected, such as one time when a database software upgrade generated incorrect data, resulting in questions from students and parents as well as a lot of time spent troubleshooting and correcting student accounts."

"The most difficult part of my job is deciding what to recommend to the president -- my boss -- in terms of the allocation of scarce funds to competing resources and what to recommend in terms of increases in annual tuition and fee charges to students. Crimes do occur on campus on occasion and these are major concerns. Sometimes one or more students are killed in accidents on and off campus. These are tragedies that make everyone feel bad. The best days are graduation day and the day when our training ship loaded with student cadets leaves for its summer cruise to Europe. The day the training ship returns in mid-August is also exciting and fun. Families and friends turn out in large numbers and we have a large celebration on campus. The days we solve difficult problems or just see the beginning of a solution to a difficult problem are great. "Wow! That's the answer! We've got it! We can do it!""

"Having a job that is full of so many activities can be both rewarding and frustrating. When you are able to solve a problem your can enjoy the satisfaction of completing a task or exercising creativity. At times the solutions may not be so easy to find or you may have so many things to do that you can't get all of them done. After a while you learn to set priorities and separate out the important things you need to do first. It is so easy to procrastinate that you have to pick the hardest thing to do first."

"This job is very regular. If you value a schedule that never changes, this is an option. The benefits are also quite good. I enjoy interacting with students, and when I do get to write curriculum, I enjoy that very much. In general, this position is a dead-end job. There is no room for advancement. There is always an option to move to a different position within the medical school, but not in this department. Also, while I am grateful to have a job, this position isn't very challenging. Once you complete one rotation of the clerkship and learned the ropes, there's nothing more to do. I suppose technology could be upgraded and students issues change, but that's about it."

"I would have to say the best part of the job is the interaction with many students interested in studying overseas. I love their enthusiasm and since I have traveled extensively ever since I was a child it is wonderful to learn of the opportunities that students have nowadays. Because I've traveled to so much myself, I often get asked for advice and I am happy to give it. The worst part of the job can be the paperwork and the constant changes in university policy which make the paperwork necessary."

"The best part of my job is encouraging students to study abroad, and then seeing them do it. It's very exciting to me to see a student research his options, ask questions, and figure out what he wants to do. The ultimate is when the students return from abroad and tell me how worthwhile the whole experience was. The worst part is not doing all I can because I have so much to do already. There are many projects I would like to take up, but it seems like there's never enough time."

"The best part of my job is meeting so many different students who are interested in learning about other countries. I listen to students and learn what their goals are and why they want to study in another country and then help them find options so they can achieve their goal. I can sometimes travel and see our students while they are abroad, but the worst part is that I don't get to travel all the time or as much as I would like."

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"Make sure when you do your work you pay attention to detail and think about the question before answering right away. Picture different scenarios and look at all sides of an issue, before delivering your advice. Don't rush to judgment in a disagreement. Be sure to talk with both parties involved. Also examine the best way to organize and manage your office and the work flow including the organizing and management of document flow and communications."

"Anyone interested in evaluation should take some courses in statistics and program management. Also, general knowledge about higher education is very useful. Many of the faculty with whom I work are part-time and they depend on me to have the skills to carry out the work. Be prepared to "put in your time" and do jobs that you may think are "below" you. Keep your eyes and ears open as you do these jobs and LEARN. Once you have attained a higher level job, be prepared to roll up your sleeves at any point and help with the gritty details. You will be leading by example and building good will at the same time."

"Take every educational opportunity you can. When in college, seek out work-study positions in the admissions or academic support offices. This will secure an entry-level position after college. Most colleges also allow employees to earn free graduate degrees, which is a plus. Working in higher education is great. The college atmosphere has so much to offer. It's a good environment to raise a family in too."

"Spend as much time in schools and around kids as possible. Understanding the unique ways children develop and learn will always add to your preparation for teaching. It's never as much about "delivering the content" as it is about how to help learners gain access to their own imagination and intellect. Foster and follow your own curiosities. Your enthusiasm as a learner will always help in your classrooms. Patience and compassion go a long way in a teacher's life."

"An accounting background would be beneficial to anyone doing a job like mine, and a CPA license would be even better. Speaking more generally, though: Thoroughly understand the jobs of the employees working for you. Do their jobs yourself until you understand which aspects of their jobs involve complications or difficult decisions. If you understand all this, you will be more likely to give good advice to employees and to prevent mistakes from occurring. Second, be as helpful as you possibly can to anyone who asks for your assistance. You will increase your own knowledge and gain the respect of co-workers. Although time-consuming, ultimately it is a win-win to be a co-operative co-worker."

"Start in an introductory job in higher education at a college, maybe as an assistant to the Human Resources Director or the Bursar or as a junior admissions counselor. Learn all you can about your job. Work hard at it but don't fall into the trap of over-specialization. Learn all you can about colleges, universities and higher education. How does the entire institution function? Get to know other people on campus, especially in the faculty. A good place to get to know other people on campus is at the cafeteria at lunch time. Most people are interested in striking up a lunch time conversation with somebody who is new to the campus. Attend workshops and seminars that will increase your knowledge. Consider going to school at night to obtain a degree in higher education administration or perhaps business administration. Many colleges and universities will pay for your tuition and fees if the program is job-related."

"Education, Education Education! With every educational milestone I met, new doors opened for me. No, I was not a star student, but I was persistent. Did I ever fail? Yes, and I learned it was not the end of the world. It made me work that much harder but also made me that much wiser. Don't make excuses! Apologize if appropriate, but get back on track and stay there. Don't let yourself become a victim. When you become a victim others will be more likely to exploit your weaknesses."

"You should know how to use a PC, especially all of the Microsoft Office programs. I use Word on a daily basis, and often use Excel and PowerPoint also. And if you've never used an electronic calendar, that's important as well. Though it's not necessary, it would be helpful to be able to type at least 50 words per minute. Although I rarely get multiple phone calls, using a multi-line phone can take some practice. Be comfortable with general office equipment use and troubleshooting - fax machine, copier, scanner, transcription, etc. I spend a lot of time on email and the phone, so good email and phone manner is important in establishing good relationships."

"Know your resources. People that you know may have good leads. Be creative. Companies and institutions are always looking for someone that can step right in and be an asset but are also looking for someone who has fresh new ideas. Above all don't be afraid to walk in somewhere and ask at the company's personnel office if they know of a position that might become available in the near future. Keep your resume updated and consider volunteering somewhere first before becoming an employee."

"Try to improve your language skills, computer skills, time management skills and public speaking skills as much as possible. International experience is necessary. Good listening skills are very important. The more organized you are, the better. Do not be afraid to make proposals and come up with project ideas that will help your office. Do not be disappointed when things don't work out, just learn and keep going. If you are at a large institution, learn as much as you can about other offices and try to stay visible."

"The best advice for this type of career would be to learn about other cultures and how other people live around the world and to be open to learning about others. It can also be helpful to learn another language as early as you can. Even if you cannot live or travel abroad while you are in high school, learning another language helps you get inside a culture that is different from your own."