How to Decide if a Career as a College Administrator is Right For You

Have you always felt like you wanted to somehow give back? Considered a career within education, but weren’t sure what your exact calling was? Many people know that they want to be involved in the educational world somehow, but don’t feel as though teaching is what they were intended to do. There are so many different paths that you can take, and one that a lot of people may consider is that of a college administrator. If this sounds like something that you may have considered, have you ever stopped to think if it was truly for you? Though it can be a very rewarding career, it can also be demanding at times as well. If you want to explore this as a career option, there are a few important things to consider.

You Will Work with Many Different Personality Types

When you look at the cross section of a student body, there are many different things to consider. There are many personality types within that student body and therefore one must consider this when they entertain the thought of a career in working with them. You are bound to deal with many different personality types in a career as a college administrator. Some students will be quite easy to work with and make your job enjoyable. Others will really test you and make you feel inadequate and frustrated no matter how hard you try. You have to be able to rise above that and to blend well with the various personality types. Though some may seem ungrateful or make you wonder why you went into this type of work, you can’t let them get to you. This is where you need to know you are strong enough.

You May Have to Deal with Difficult Issues

College administration can deal with a lot of different issues on campus. You may work within the financial aid office for example and have to work with kids who don’t have ample funding to attend school there. You may work in the campus life branch of things and have to deal with decisions that will negatively affect the student body. Though you may not always be working with issues that are easy, that’s part of your job. You may not always be popular for it, but you have to represent the best interests of the student body and the university as well. This can be a fine line to walk and can make life complicated at times

You Have to Wear Many Hats

What makes a job in college administration so rewarding and yet so challenging is the fact that you have to wear many different hats. That means that you have to be a counselor at one point in time and a disciplinarian at another. That means that you have to care for your students on one hand, but also care for the best interests of the university as well. Though this may seem like a lot to handle, it comes with the territory in college administration. There are many great things, but be sure you understand all there is to a career in this field.

M J Frederick blogs about how to get your master's in higher ed.