The story:
Around a decade ago I applied for my first big time real job ever at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge Iowa. Not knowing a thing about higher education, or the college itself, and three interviews later I got the job offer. You know that first big job and relocating to a new part of the state I had literally never been near. So my wife and I and our dog rented a U Haul and away we went. I was excited, and ready to start my first full-time job out of college. I was wide eyed and eagerly ready to work for a college. Being a first generation student I knew what it was like to experience college and I knew what it was like to be involved at the college as a student. But, when I started college I really had no clue on how to get involved or where to start with diving into activities and extra-curricular things that the college offered. As I look back into the past I really appreciate how the staff at Northern Iowa where I received my undergraduate degree helped me figure out ways to get involved with things even well before I started college. If you’re interested in ever applying for jobs within a college setting reach out to websites like https://www.higheredjobs.com/ is a great way to see what jobs are out there or reaching out to the Iowa ACAC website to see what jobs are open in Iowa at http://www.iowaacac.org/
Top five reasons why I
wanted to work for a College/University
1) To give back to
others
I was the oldest in my family and my parents choose
not to go to college so let me be the first to tell you I was rather
intimidated by selecting a college to attend.
I was blessed to have good people around me at the first college I
attended. I really feel like this was a
calling. These people really made me feel like I wanted to help others with the
entire process of choosing a college and understanding how to choose a
fit.
2) To be involved with
activities on campus
This is the part of working for a college
that I really enjoyed! I loved to be
around college athletics. It is so fun
to be around a young group of people coming together to achieve a team
goal. It’s also really neat to see some
of the families and students who you recruit to your college succeed at your
college and seeing them succeed at the next level and complete their
degree.
3) To travel with my job
and meet school counselors and see all of the high schools in Iowa
Growing up in small town Iowa you only really get to see so
much. I loved traveling to all of the
schools in Iowa to see the differences in them.
I couldn’t believe when I started going into some of the bigger schools
in Iowa how big some of the auditoriums really are. I grew up in a k-12 building and that’s all I
knew I literally ate lunch with the Kindergarten class my senior year in high
school.
4) To increase cultural
access
Does it feel like there's a never-ending calendar of events
to attend on or near campus? It's probably because there is. Universities
always have things going on, and colleges intentionally bring in expert
speakers and create community programming. Whether it's a classical concert,
panel discussion or volunteer event, working in a university environment opens
you up to enriching experiences. You may even find yourself more inclined to
take advantage of some new ones.
5) Be a part of
something bigger
"It's knowing that the work I am doing
provides opportunities for others to grow and make an impact" Whether it's
working in a admissions, managing a residence hall or advising students, you
can believe in what you're doing. In fact, you'll be able to see your work in
action by simply walking around the campus.
Every day when working in a college setting I felt inspired as a student
and as a professional. I also loved the
story’s from faculty and students with daily conversations.
