I am surprised how much the profession has changed and the attitude of the parents. I still love being with the children but need more support from the parents.[full comment]
The best part of my job is going into the schools and seeing the students working hard and doing a great job representing students across the state. One of the...[full comment]
This job requires a background in education. It is important to know how schools operate. Most of the people who work for my company are former educators. Some are retired...[full comment]
The best part of my job is working with students. They make the job fun and give me creative ideas. I also have a great passion for planning events, so...[full comment]
Intern!!! Interning builds your resume and while the job might not pay much (if anything) you will get such valuable experiences working hard and closely with someone who has a...[full comment]
The best parts of a job are the daily opportunity to make a positive difference to students and the community at large, to stretch your creative thinking and acceptance of...[full comment]
1. Take courses in diversity and communication in order to interact effectively with the various populations encountered in an educational setting. 2. Take a course in time management to help...[full comment]
The best part of my job is working with kids. Most of the kids truly enjoy physical education. After sitting at a desk most of the day, the kids really...[full comment]
Try working with kids throughout your college career to make sure you can handle kids all day. Seek out people considered "the best in the business" and do your student...[full comment]
The best part of the position, besides the salary, is the opportunity it affords me to work on my own, make important decisions that make a difference in a child's...[full comment]
If you decide to pursue a career as a school business administrator, it is wise to obtain the appropriate college degrees when you are young. I returned to college as...[full comment]
School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job
Each comment from a school administrator includes their career and school satisfaction ratings.
Career: "I am surprised how much the profession has changed and the attitude of the parents. I still love being with the children but need more support from the parents."
School: Studied Elementary Education at New York University in New York in 1974. Career: Elementary School Administrator, female, 25 years of experience, currently based in New York.
Best & Worst Things About This Career
As reported by people currently doing the job
"The best part of my job is working with students. They make the job fun and give me creative ideas. I also have a great passion for planning events, so I really enjoy being able to create fun and exciting events for the students, faculty, and greater community. Because I work at a high school, the worst part of my job is having to be at work so early in the morning. That being said, I get a lot of time off."
School : BA, American Studies, Brandeis University Career: Director Of Alumni Relations And Special Events, currently based in California.;
"The best part of my job is working with kids. Most of the kids truly enjoy physical education. After sitting at a desk most of the day, the kids really enjoy getting up and moving around. I also enjoy interacting with my colleagues both discussing things related to teaching and also out personal life. This is a very social job. My least favorite part of the job is writing observations of teachers. They can be tedious."
School : BS, Physical Education, Bridgewater State College Post-Bac, Health Education, Bridgewater State College Career: Department Head For Physical Education And Health, Physical Education Teacher, currently based in Massachusetts.;
"The best part of the position, besides the salary, is the opportunity it affords me to work on my own, make important decisions that make a difference in a child's education and being respected by my colleagues. There are many aspects of my work that I feel people would consider the "worse parts of the job" but I look at each task as a learning experience. Wherever you go, you need to take the good with the bad. There are times when I make decisions that affect people in a negative way. For example, recently I was tasked with providing a cost analysis for outsourcing our Technology Department. After reviewing the analysis, the Superintendent decided to move forward with the outsourcing and three people lost their jobs. It was a tough decision but you cannot take things personally when it comes to business and running a fiscally responsible operation."
School : AS, Executive Secretarial, Aquinas College (Milton, MA) BS, Business Management, University of Phoenix Career: School Business Administrator, currently based in Massachusetts.;
Tips for Succeeding in This Career
Helpful Info From Insiders
"Intern!!! Interning builds your resume and while the job might not pay much (if anything) you will get such valuable experiences working hard and closely with someone who has a lot of experience in the field you are pursuing. Also, be sure to network and keep good contacts with everybody you meet. You never know who might be able to help you land a job in the future. Finally, make sure you volunteer to help with lots of different things to get some hand on experience."
School : BA, American Studies, Brandeis University Career: Director Of Alumni Relations And Special Events, currently based in California.;
"Try working with kids throughout your college career to make sure you can handle kids all day. Seek out people considered "the best in the business" and do your student teaching with them. Don't waste your money on an expensive private school for your degree. Spend your money on great experiences that will enhance your teaching. Get as many different perspectives on teaching as you can and then find what works best for you. Love what you do or find something else."
School : BS, Physical Education, Bridgewater State College Post-Bac, Health Education, Bridgewater State College Career: Department Head For Physical Education And Health, Physical Education Teacher, currently based in Massachusetts.;
"If you decide to pursue a career as a school business administrator, it is wise to obtain the appropriate college degrees when you are young. I returned to college as an adult with children and it was very tough for me. I believe that a good school business administrator should be one who has gotten experience in all the positions she supervises. The person should have hands-on experience in accounting, payroll, human resources and management."
School : AS, Executive Secretarial, Aquinas College (Milton, MA) BS, Business Management, University of Phoenix Career: School Business Administrator, currently based in Massachusetts.;
