There are so many different career tracks in Higher Ed, and so many different titles and combinations of responsibilities, that it can be hard for graduate students and new professionals to figure out where a position falls in an organization, to understand what the day-to-day experience might be in a particular job, and to key in on skills and interests that will help them make good arguments for a particular kind of job.
In response, Higher Ed Career Coach is introducing a new guest post series where experienced professionals will share more about their jobs, the skills and experiences that helped them get those jobs, and what they really spend their time doing.
In order to have some uniformity to the series, guest posts in the Career Tracks in Higher Education series must answer a common set of questions. The article should be at least 500 words, and when published, will have a headline in the following format:
Career Tracks in Higher Education: [Area]
For example: Career Tracks in Higher Education: Judicial Affairs
You are welcome to suggest any subtitle you like. Articles longer than 750 words may be published as two or more separate posts. If your article is published, you may also be invited to be a guest on the Higher Ed Career Coach show to discuss your article and your career.
Please submit your post through the contact form on the Write a Guest Post page or via e-mail to sean@higheredcareercach.com.
Common Questions
1. Name:
2. Current Title:
3. Department:
4. Division Department Falls Under? (For example: Student Affairs, Auxiliary Services, Academic College, Development, Alumni Affairs, etc.)
5. University:
6. Enrollment of Your Institution:
7. Your Highest Degree Earned:
8. Number of Years of Full-Time Experience You Had When You Started This Position:
9. What was the minimum education required for your current position?
10. How many years of experience were required for your current position?
11. What are your major responsibilities in your current position?
12. Does your role require direct service to students? If so, explain.
13. How many persons in your department hold an equivalent rank?
14. How many people do you supervise? Are they Full-Time or Part-Time? Professional Staff, Trades/Custodial Staff, or Student Staff? (Please list numbers for each.
15. What is the title of the person your report to? What is the title of that person’s immediate superior?
16. What is your typical day like? Your typical week?
17. What do you spend the majority of your time doing in your current role?
18. What did you think you would be doing more, when you applied for the job?
19. What survival skill is most important in your current role?
20. Do you serve on committees within your department? Division? University-Wide? What roles do you play on these committees?
21. What advice do you have for persons seeking this type of position?
The Higher Ed Career Coach Show with Sean Cook returns today with a "freenote" (free keynote) for student affairs professionals. Suitable for using in training meetings or team development, if you don't have the time or money to hire me or another speaker to kick off your fall training. Look for a video version and downloadable handouts and script soon here at the site.
