The Future is Unwritten

I have enjoyed participating in interview committees and making hiring recommendations for several years. At an education technology company, applicants can have a variety of educational and professional backgrounds depending on the position to which they are applying. Thinking about technical support and campus consulting roles, candidates are most frequently experienced in any one or more of the following areas: Customer service, software for teaching and learning, other technology, academic instruction, student affairs, or other higher education administration roles. The candidates who came from a college or university setting almost always expressed reservation about leaving an institution of higher education to join an education vendor or for-profit company.

Here are a few variations of the dialogue when a candidate expressed this worry:

• Q) "Has anyone ever gone back to working on a campus after a few years?"

• A) "Yes, all the time! Some are local, some moved away, and it's incredible to see what they went on to accomplish."

• Q) "Do individuals find it difficult to ever get back on a campus?"

• A) "We don't think so, many former colleagues hold leadership positions and became directors or program coordinators on a campus."

• Q) "My experience is in a student-serving role, am I going to lose my skills and knowledge by working more in the background?"

• A) "Likely not, but remember not all products are student facing. Even if you're not working with students directly, you'll have a 10,000 foot view of how institutions across the country are serving students, supporting retention and engagement, conducting assessment and planning, etc. That is a valuable perspective to have and you'll learn a lot."

I was either a listener in the room or provider of those answers many times. Yet, the fact that candidates consistently asked this question caused me to worry and doubt that perhaps there was something they knew that I did not. Since I began my career at this company, I had a lot to learn about why this question was being asked. As I considered and then committed to pursuing a graduate degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration, I envisioned a future where eventually working in an on-campus role was likely. Would I be at a disadvantage due to my background? Consequently, I spent years trying to read between the lines to find an answer to calm my concern and confusion.

I recently had a chance to discuss this worry with a former colleague (and current on-campus employee!) who knew exactly the dialogue to which I was referring. Her insight was like a missing puzzle piece, both reaffirming the strengths and connections between the roles and explaining where the worry may come from. She said:

"I don't see any reason why someone would having difficulty transitioning to a campus role. The skills I gained and everything I learned was so relatable. I think Student Affairs people may think rigidly about pathways in higher ed. Working outside a campus doesn’t seem to ‘fit’ their career plan. But meeting other people at [a previous college employer], none of them had linear paths."

After our conversation, I better understood the perspectives of those candidates who began their career on a campus. They were anxious about change and leaving a familiar environment just like I would be anxious to step away from the workplace culture I know and enjoy. When they began their position, they were likely committed to serving students in higher education. They had career plans and a vision. Leaving a college or university environment was perhaps something they never considered during schooling or the early years of their employment. In understanding and relating to this perspective, what was once a considerable point of concern had practically dissolved.

Because I've been part of the same workplace culture for nearly nine years, I still have some concerns or worries at the thought of leaving, if or when the time should come. However, the worry is no longer rooted in a concern about lacking skills, ability, or experience because of my background. Now, it is about ensuring any change feels "right" considering my skill set and the workplace culture to which I've grown accustomed. I would need to find a position or functional area I'm truly passionate about, ensure I feel a sense of belonging or community with colleagues, consider the type of organization and whether its mission and values align with my own, recognize how individuals are impacted by hierarchy and politics, and determine what I expect to learn and where the career move could lead me next. Whether a new role meets this criteria could be difficult to discern from a brief job description, phone interview, or in-person meeting. However, as I continue to develop my professional identity, I feel a sense of optimism and confidence in being able to face my worries and make a decision that will be best for me.