Working at a two year college/university

[Double J]

Given that I have a scholarly mind and have an insatiable appetite for knowledge, I've always felt it's been my calling to work in an academic environment. In the near future, I hope to land a job at a college or university. Yes, teaching has crossed my mind, but I think I am aiming toward something more office-related, such a marketing communications post (what I majored in).

 

Has anyone ever worked at a college/university or know what it's like working for one? How bureaucracy-heavy are they? What are the pros and cons?

 

Thanks.

[orchidrose]

I haven't worked with one directly, but colleges and universities usually have very extensive fundraising departments (I work in fundraising). They're usually called advancement departments in higher education. There are always job postings for those departments in my area, and many of the entry-level positions require little to no fundraising experience.

 

My concern with working in a large university would be the bureaucracy. Big colleges with huge alumni networks usually have 100-200 people in their advancement and alumni relations departments. It's a lot of people which means a lot of bosses.

[meteorstrike]

I think most of those jobs are offered up to financial aid students. might be hard for you.

[orchidrose]

I think most of those jobs are offered up to financial aid students. might be hard for you.

 

The part-time jobs are. The full-time jobs typically require college degrees and experience that students don't have.

[karvala]

Has anyone ever worked at a college/university or know what it's like working for one? How bureaucracy-heavy are they? What are the pros and cons?

 

Every university I've ever worked at, including some in the US, have been *very* bureaucratic. Absurdly so, one might say. I'll give you two examples.

 

(1) During a spate of bad weather, it was someone's job in the university to produce a four-page document basically telling people not to slip over on the ice. It was comical.

 

(2) When I need some cash to pay for something, cash which I should add comes out of my external grant funding, not university funds, it nevertheless has to first be authorised by someone else in my unit, then it has to be sent over to someone in the funding office, who in turn contacts someone in the finance office, who contacts someone in the cash office, who finally gets the cash (and we're talking something like $200 here). The whole process takes about two weeks. ](*,)

 

Now this is very bad for people like me, who have to battle their way through miles of red tape every day. However, if you're interested in taking non-academic position, then it's obviously terrific news, as there's no end of administrators required to operate such a giant bureaucracy.