Confessions of a Higher Ed Job Seeker

Higher education is a rewarding industry. Every day, whether we come to campus or work from our home office, we know we’re positively impacting the world by connecting audiences to educational opportunities.

Higher education is also an industry that provides many opportunities for growth and professional development. If you are willing to move or relocate, you’ll find ample opportunities to secure a new job with a higher salary and a better title. The field is competitive, however, with many qualified candidates competing for a relatively small number of open positions. 

As I write this article, I have been job hunting at various levels, from passively looking to actively and intentionally seeking a change for the better part of a calendar year. I have limited geographic restrictions and prioritize both salary growth and career advancement equally. This experience has provided insights into the industry’s strategies for attracting and retaining talent, revealing positive and negative aspects.

1. Higher Ed Marketing Is a Supportive Professional Community 

Higher ed marketers are kindred spirits. We have unspoken support for one another because we understand how difficult it can be to advance in our industry and eventually get a seat at the table. If I had to use one word to describe higher ed marketing, it would be ‘community.’ Throughout my journey, there have been multiple occasions when I’ve called in a favor from a colleague for a recommendation, introduction, referral or some other connection to a position. The answer is almost always an immediate “Yes, I’d be happy to.”

The same goes for times I’ve reached out to this community for advice or input or to pick their brains on their professional journeys. Higher ed marketers work in a sometimes lonely profession, and I believe that bonds us as colleagues.

2. The Interview and Hiring Process Is … Frustrating

Have you ever applied for a job and put a lot of effort into crafting a custom cover letter and optimizing your resume, only to never hear back from the employer? Or worse, have you been dragged through a months-long interview process only to receive a canned HR email or ‘no’ response? This experience can be incredibly frustrating and can leave you feeling defeated. It’s not just demotivating for the applicant but also reflects poorly on the institution and can hurt its reputation.

In the corporate world, jobs are posted and filled within a month, but in higher education, the hiring process can take three to nine months or even longer. It’s no wonder why people are leaving the industry or not applying for jobs in higher education. 

Oh, and let’s all agree that not posting a salary range is a waste of time for all parties involved.

3. Ample Opportunity to Move Up If You’re Willing to Move On

It seems there is a new posting for VP, AVP or director positions every week all across the country. Although relocating may not be an option for some due to family and other factors, you might find yourself climbing the ladder quickly if you’re willing to move around. 

At the start of this article, I mentioned having limited geographic restrictions regarding where I want to work and live. Recently, the politics of particular states has played a more significant factor, and I expect that to continue. But by and large, if you are willing to move, plenty of positions are available. In fact, for some, a move might be an exciting adventure for them and their families. 

With that said, it’s encouraging to see the number of senior-level positions posted over the last year. It says to me that higher ed marketing is growing in scale and importance on campuses, and that’s a great thing.

4. Networking Matters More Than I Ever Realized

Your resume and credentials are the most impactful tools in your job-hunting toolkit, but who you know matters just about as much. There have been searches in which I felt supremely qualified but did not get an interview, and there have been searches where I felt as though I had no chance and still got an interview. Knowing people is a major advantage, but another tool that you’re probably not utilizing enough is making sure people know you. 

You’re at a disadvantage if you’re not consistently posting on LinkedIn, attending conferences, engaging in speaking opportunities and generally connecting with others in your field. Relationships matter, and hiring managers familiar with you and your work will remember your name when it comes across their desk accompanied by your application materials.

5. The Employee Retention Issue Will Become a Recruitment Issue

Higher ed is its own worst enemy when it comes to retaining employees. At a time when inflation, rising home prices, interest rates and other economic factors affect individuals, it should come as no surprise that employees are interested in increased pay. In addition to increased pay, other retention aspects, such as title structures, reporting responsibilities and supervisory roles, can increase engagement and value felt at work. 

Higher ed seems to have employee retention down to science when it comes to faculty, with things like tenure often being a catalyst for decades-long stints at institutions. On the staff side of the equation, retention continues to escape higher ed in many ways, from unclear advancement paths for current employees to post-pandemic freezes in salary increases, 401K contributions and, in some cases, opting not to fill open positions. 

These factors are causing many talented individuals to leave their institutions for new positions, to work for agencies within higher ed or to exit the industry altogether. I’ve seen countless colleagues ask for reasonable raises, title changes or increased responsibility, only for those requests to get caught in the machinations of higher ed decision-making. They leave the institution before a decision is made or after a lengthy process that doesn’t result in their desired outcome. 

If higher education wants to recruit talented marketers, it must find a better way to retain the talent it already has on campus. 

Higher education is a noble, rewarding industry to work in. However, finding a job or advancing your career in the industry can be challenging and, at times, frustrating. But with the right mix of accomplishments, willingness to expand and a strong network, there is plenty of room for optimism.