1. Join and become an active member of a professional association linked to your area(s) of interest. Associations often have career centers, mentoring programs and networking opportunities that can help you advance your career in a purposeful and systematic manner. While there are many higher education associations, following are a select few:
• Association for the Study of Higher Education http://www.ashe.ws/
• American Educational Research Association http://www.aera.net/
• National Association of Student Personnel Administrators http://www.naspa.org
• National Association of Colleges and Employers http://www.naceweb.org/
• American Association of University Women http://www.aauw.org/
2. Get involved in a networking or mentoring group within your institution. If none exists, start one!
3. Start a file of job postings that interest you now and those that you think may be attractive in a year, three years, five years or even 20. Analyze the postings and use them to set short- and long-term goals for acquiring the skills and experiences necessary to be competitive for these positions. Here are just a few web sites with higher education administration job postings:
• http://www.academic360.com/
• http://chronicle.com/
• http://www.higheredjobs.com/
• http://www.studentaffairs.com/
4. Don't rely on job postings as your primary source for information about particular positions and departments. Talk to people who are doing the work that interests you. Invest time in informational interviews now in order to refine your career goals, learn the lingo and insiders' insights into your areas of interest, and thus enhance your ability to secure the positions you seek by writing informed cover letters and interviewing wisely.
5. Set SMART goals, and put them in writing. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Writing goals that meet these criteria ensure that you'll know when and how to assess your progress and then celebrate your success - every step of the way.
Last Modified: 8/14/09