Why did we choose to explore the topic of careers? Because once it seemed you either worked inside the academy, or you were outside of higher ed. Now we see, with increasing frequency, talented individuals taking (and leaving) positions on either side of the fence and expanding their searches. But if you have always worked inside higher ed, how do you make the leap? If you are a leader at your institution, how do you keep your team intact and ensure that you are providing the growth opportunities necessary for professional and personal satisfaction?
Our guests Nicholas Love, Susan Oakes, and Matthew Pohl kept it real while focusing on the potential positives stemming from the “work silos, stigmas, and one-way streets” narrative. Whether you are faculty or staff, you will probably come away feeling validated, and having some new things to consider and tips to try.
{ASIDE: This episode also goes down in the books as the one covering the most miles! Recordings took place in North Carolina, California, South Carolina, Tennessee, D.C., and Toronto, Canada. Special thanks go to our friends down the road in SoKno, Vivinel Studios for some last minute sound booth space!}
Our hope with this month’s 31Minutes is to tap into the experiences of these three higher ed pros whose careers have made the big shift, from inside the academy to global corporations and organizations. In addition to learning about each person’s path from higher ed to their current roles, you’ll hear ideas to proactively address staff retention, cross-functional collaboration, and professional development.
We hope to see more of our contacts and colleagues working to retain high performing employees with deep institutional knowledge, and keeping them on a path of growth. We hope leaders outside of the academy will recognize the value of hiring those with higher education backgrounds, and their skill sets will be celebrated.
Hope is great, but how can each of us do something actionable about the “state” of higher ed careers? My mom is always reminding me, “You can’t make others change, but you can change yourself and show others.” I’ll suggest you can start by listening to this month’s podcast and downloading the key takeaways from our conversations with Nick, Susan, and Matt (see below). We are all works in progress, so in this season of turnovers (new cycles in academics and enrollment, and staff turnover “season”) I hope you can make great work progress!