Working in university admissions and/or study abroad?
 

Oh wise professionals of GC, does anyone work in college/university admissions or study abroad/international student work? I had a discussion with a career counselor about expanding my job search, and the idea of working in admissions/study abroad is really intriguing, and it sounds like it would be right up my alley. I prefer to work with teenagers/young adults, I have extensive travel/study abroad experience, I have a BA and an MA, the desire and ability to travel (which seems to be a requirement of the job), some passable Spanish skills (and minor French skills), and a great enthusiasm for higher education...but I don't know what *else* I need to be doing or what other skills I need to have.

If anyone would be willing to talk about their career with me, I'd really appreciate it (you can PM/email me if you'd prefer not to talk about it on the board).

Thanks!

Is there any way you can get an internship/practicum in one of these offices to see if you'd like it? Often, if you are already in place, these are the first people they look to to hire. Also, it will help you make great connections throughout the university in case other positions open up. If you're interested, I would contact the respective offices at your school, and see if they are looking for (free) help.

Also, if you went through a SA program at your school, contact the people in your SA office to see how they got in their positions--ask for an informational interview. Most people are really helpful and can give you advice on how they got to where they are. Since they are in the field now, they should know who's hiring and what you can do to make yourself a better candidate.

Good luck! Working for a university is a wonderful experience.

Although I've never been an admissions counselor, I've noticed that most ACs are graduates of the school where they are employed. While that may not be a requirement for the job, I can definitely see the benefit of having someone who is familiar with the students' perspective of the school, responsible for recruiting potential students to come to that school. If you're looking into working for a university that isn't your alma mater, it might be helpful to keep that in mind.

^ That's a good point. I've reached out to my alumni network on LinkedIn, and I also e-mailed my alma mater's admissions department and asked if they'd do an informational interview with me. They're not really hiring, but I figured it couldn't hurt to go and have a chat and see what they're looking for. If nothing else, good practice and good networking.

have you checked out higheredjobs.org ?

it is where most universities post their job opportunities. as my teaching job search wasn't going well I was looking into doing admissions or SA positions in universities, but I was offered a high school teaching job. good luck!

Yep, me and HigherEdJobs are on a first name basis ;). I also do a further round up of colleges on my own because not everyone posts their positions on HigherEd. It's a great resource though!

I work in admissions, and though things may be different at other schools, our admissions office definitely doesn't work this way. Of our 11 admissions counselors, only one attended Hopkins for her education. Don't disregard a school just because you didn't go there!

Thanks for the info. I definitely have been applying to schools I didn't go to, mainly because my alma mater is too far away :(! There's lots of great schools in this part of the state mainly because it's on the border of PA/OH/WV/MD, it's just a matter of finding them.

Littleowl, can you tell me a bit about how much travel the people in your office do? Is it spread out over the year (like 2-3 days a month every month) or is there one particular time that you're gone for a lot longer (2-3 weeks in say October or something)? I'm just trying to gauge what the travel requirement is like...I definitely DO like to travel and this isn't a bad thing at all, I'm just curious.

Along with higheredjobs, make sure you check out chronicle.com. Good luck!

Travel depends on your territory. Some counselors when I worked in admissions were on the road for weeks at a time. Others were just days here or there. It's a lot of college fairs and then school visits all day. It's great for people who love to talk, and many schools will only hire alumni because they can give their personal experience with the school when making a sell to students.

Good luck with your search. Many colleges are on hiring freezes now, making it hard for everyone to find jobs. I just graduated with my masters in student affairs and about half of my cohort is still searching for jobs because literally no one is hiring.