What do you do if you want to switch careers in higher education but are worried about common misconceptions?

In my first 10 years, I shifted four times, from residence life, to student activities, to advising, and finally landed in career development. When in one role, I first made sure I did my job well; once I had achieved a high level of performance, I would expand to start learning more about other areas of interest, to see if that work appealed to me. This type of outreach ranged from informational interviews, advising clubs, facilitating courses, and joining or leading campus-wide committees. I also became highly involved in professional associations. At no time though, did I approach a supervisor or a colleague and indicate I might want to leave my job or apply for something new; rather, it was more of a subtle introduction to these areas.

With LinkedIn, it is easier than ever to connect with colleagues about their roles and their career paths. Utilize your connections and find trusted people to discuss ideas with. You can also approach someone in a new area, to talk about an idea you have related to your current role and see where the conversation takes you.

The best way I think is through building connections, networks, presence within groups of all kinds of stake holders. If you present yourself as a genuine, trusted, and passionate professional who also displays a curious mind and knows self worth, you will be able to see more possibilities than you originally imagined.

Engaging with professionals who've transitioned careers within higher education can be instrumental in dispelling doubts and charting a successful path forward. Through informational interviews and networking, tapping into their firsthand insights can offer invaluable guidance. By learning from their experiences, one gains not only practical strategies for navigating the transition but also the encouragement needed to pursue this change effectively. These interactions serve as a beacon of hope, illuminating the possibilities and debunking misconceptions along the way. Embracing the wisdom of those who've walked this path fosters confidence and clarity, essential elements for a seamless career pivot within academia.

As you identify a role or an area where you would like to try to find a new position, analyze the skills you consistently see on a position description. Then be intentional about incorporating those into your current job, so when the time is right, you can easily provide clear examples of using that skill set. Another way to develop your skills is by joining committees within professional associations; for example, if you want to learn more about technology and that is not part of your role, find the committee that handles webinars for your profession, and see if you can join. Or if your role doesn't provide leadership options, try to chair a committee in a professional association. Even if small, it is a step in the right direction.

A challenge you can seek for yourself is to look for advisory panels or board memberships that you can contribute to, and offer insights from your own industry perspective. This simultaneously widen your contacts and develops professional insights from other fields as the make up of these committees are usually diverse.

I crossed from staff to faculty 2 years into my higher education career. I was nervous because I knew there were a lot of "dark side" remarks from both groups. I now bring my appreciation of staff work to my classroom, and I bring my classroom experience to administrative responsibilities. I believe this has given me a stronger appreciation for the student experience and my colleagues' work. I encourage anyone considering a career change in higher ed to consider earnestly what they hope for from the new role (just like any other job change). I knew that I would take a pay cut to be a teacher, but I also knew I had more structured time and (ultimately) more free time, which I needed to achieve balance.