Higher Education Administration Jobs
Let's take one example, that of higher education administration jobs. Higher education administrators are sometimes also called university administrators. These people oversee, coordinate, and develop the programs that exist in private and public colleges and universities. In fact, there are many different types of administrators within any one given institution. They may handle student activities, the financial aid department, or manage the entire campus and oversee what other administrators do. This is, in fact, what the president does.
Academic Higher Education Administrators
The academic higher education administrator is called the provost. The provost handles the academic program, the library, research and faculty, and the curriculum. The admissions director manages recruiting activities for the school and student admissions procedures. He or she also produces admissions materials, implements and revises the application process, and may also review student applications and maintain student files.
Education and Training
To become a university or college administrator in any department, you'll need to have a master's degree in a field that will qualify you for that particular position, such as finance, higher education administration, or student counseling. If the institution to which you are applying is particularly prestigious, you'll need a doctorate instead of just a master's degree.
Regardless of the area you want to get into as a college administrator, you'll usually need to have a thorough knowledge of computer science and data processing. In addition, you'll need to have good skills as a manager and strong organizational skills, too. Because you'll be working with a number of people under you, you'll need to be decisive and efficient in your actions, as well as calm and tactful.
Getting a Higher Education Administration Job
If you want to prepare yourself to go into this field, you can work part-time while you're in school and may even be able to become an intern in an administrative office, like the student activities, admissions, or financial aid offices. This will help you get a position after you graduate. You'll just need a bachelor's degree for most institutions to begin at the entry level, with positions such as recruiting officer or admissions counselor.
As you continue your career you can advance from entry-level positions, but it depends on the size of the institution and the office you work in. For example, if your office is quite small, you may actually advance to the position of director after you complete a master's or doctoral degree, depending on what your institution's requirements are. If the institution is large, you can specialize in one area, such as admissions for minorities or foreign students. If you wish, or if your career takes you in this particular direction, you can also start out as an administrator at a small college, including a junior college or community college, and then move on to a larger university or college once you've gained experience.
Working Environment
It can be quite pleasant to work as an administrator in higher education. Unlike college professors and other academic staff, though, you will usually work 12 months of the year as with any other full-time job and may work extended hours during certain times of the year, such as at the beginning of the semester or quarter, including evenings and weekends. A lot of your work may also require that you go to professional conferences or to other colleges for specific events.
In addition, as a college or university administrator, you'll need to enjoy working with young people, since a large majority of your student population is going to be people who are in their late teens to late 20s. That said, though, many people find this type of work to be very invigorating specifically because they are around young people a lot; being in regular contact with young people can often "keep you young," so to speak. Therefore, this can be considered one job perk that you might not think of at first.
Salary and Outlook
The salary higher education administrators receive varies widely depending on their level of expertise, their position, the size of the school they work at, and whether or not it's a private or public institution, as well as whether they work at a two- or four-year school. In general, most administrators average roughly $65,000 to $75,000 a year. These jobs are highly specialized and competition for them is fierce, so they are not as plentiful as jobs in some other professions.
Conclusion
Public administration jobs can be very rewarding no matter what sector you work in. One particularly notable type of public administration job is that of the higher education administrator. One of the reasons, surprisingly, that this career may be so beneficial is that you are allowed to work with young adults very closely. If this sounds pleasant, challenging, and rewarding to you, it may be an area you want to check into. Be prepared for some tough competition and be prepared to begin at an entry-level in many cases, but be prepared for a very enjoyable profession, too.
