What’s it like to work at a University?

[WTCT]

I appreciate they aren’t all one homologous group but...

I have spotted a job advert for what appears to be my dream job. It’s within administration rather than faculty (is that the right word?)

I will definitely be applying but I’m interested in people’s experience of working in that setting.

My experience is retail (head office). It was fast paced, we were cash strapped so that was a big focus throughout everything we did. It was flexible, (ie they allowed flex working) fun and I worked autonomously. I had a lot of different bosses so it wasn’t specific to my boss.

My perception of working at a university is that it would be working in a setting where there are a lot of intelligent, driven people who want to be there and who are therefore motivated to succeed.

If you work at a university, how do you find it?

There's a lot of pointless bureaucracy and process (and very little of the type that's actually needed), resistance to change on principle and petty politics that would be a severe embarrassment in any other sector. I've also experienced misogyny and bullying at a level unprecedented in my previous careers. That said, there are worse industries to work in, plus professional services, whether in the centre or in departments, tend to keep staff for decades or until retirement, and jobs are very highly sought after and competitive.

Go for it - but your illusions about "intelligent, driven people who want to be there" probably won't last out your first week . And if you are in a department especially, watch out for the learned helplessness of (some) academic staff, plus those who see it as your role to do all their admin for you. There are always some!

Really, really grim.

I almost put a 😂😂😂 after my paragraph about illusions but wondered if it would be rude....

Worst working environment I've ever worked in, sprry op

How come @Ounce?

Likewise @chocolatebuttonsandcheese

I really enjoyed working for Universities. Have worked for three.
Lots of access to extra curricular stuff...lots of discounts and connections...things change a lot with the terms and changing year groups.

There are the down sides too of course but all in all I really enjoyed it :)

@Hefzi is completely right - I spent some time in a university's profession services after working in the private sector and couldn't believe the glacial speed everything (and everyone) moved at.

Also a huge number of staff who had been in post for 20-30 years - clearly hated every second of every day- but were hanging on for retirement. They made fun colleagues...

Why?

One word: students.

not to mention the fucking academics

You are expected to be left wing and very liberal. People will have conversations about politics and it’s just presumed that everyone in the room is a Labour voter.

I've worked in colleges and universities mostly in quality and standards, I then moved to working in higher education organisations/regulators outside individual providers. I bloody love it.

I've only worked in one uni that I didn't like and I moved on quickly. I don't work in admin but I certainly haven't had the awful experiences described by other posters. Most people I've met in HE have been lovely and I've made great friends.

Why not apply and see what you think?

I'm sure there are places that aren't great to work in but that is the same in any sector.

I had a short stint at an Uni. I knew it’s a bad fit on day 3.
Most admin employees I met would not be able to hold down a job in the private sector, that’s all I will say.

Depends. Big or small place? Intellectual, driven etc- in my 15 years experience in uni professional services, those are rare people, particularly within admin. It is just a job; it just has more defined peaks and troughs.

I used to do it (senior admin). I agree largely with the previous posters in that it is largely enjoyable in a decent environment, but you have to choose your department etc carefully within an institution. Unfortunately, this ability only comes with experience of that institution.

Bear in mind that academia is very personality-driven and people will get away with all kinds of petty and serious stuff if they are deemed an asset (I've seen this on the admin side too, so it's not just academics getting away with some bloody awful stuff and having some very limited social skills).

It's getting more target-driven and co-located (large open-plan office rather than dusty little departments), In saying that, I met loads of fantastic colleagues, both academic and admin and learned lots of interesting things, particularly as technology changed (90s to recently).

glacial speed everything (and everyone) moved at

Funny you say that... they’ve published the interview date and let’s just say (I recruit in my current role), I’d have interviewed, offered a candidate, who’d have then worked their notice and started with us before the university interview date...

My friend works in a university. She hates it and is desperate to leave.
Every year the students get less and less engaged, very rarely do they do the required reading for seminars meaning they are a waste if time.
She reckons each year the university is becoming more like a school in terms of student behaviour, engagement and demands.
She works very long hours, is only ever on a short term rolling contract and is under a lot of pressure to get high student satisfaction scores.

I loved the university I worked for. The sector I'm in can be really down trodden in local government and third sector, but in uni it's an asset and I felt as such. It was a well off uni so it's the only place I've ever worked where budgets weren't an issue (but I'm certain that will have changed now). I found it a motivating environment, although some academic staff were challenging. We had excellent rates of pay, 32 days of holiday (not including BH) and they paid for most of my postgrad. I've always said I'd go back into HE.

Pointless processes, bureaucracy and hierarchy. Easy to move up the grades quickly. Shit pay but good extra benefits (annual leave, student discount, free bus). I lasted 3 years.

I'm a lecturer but actually really like working in my uni. The admin staff have flexible working arrangements but I know they feel a bit bitter towards lecturers who have much more flexibility. They don't get that we also have a shit load more responsibility!

This is all really interesting... thanks very much for the insight.

Any tips/experiences you’re all willing to share on the interview/assessment process (again, I realise it will vary, but would be good to understand any experiences)

@WTCT the last uni I interviewed for was a classic competency based interview.

Shit pay but good extra benefits

That seems bang on the money for the advert, too!

When weighing up the pay don't forget to consider pension, I assume it would be an LGPS pension which will be better than most private sector pensions.

@AliceLittle

Would you mind explaining a little more about grades please? I haven’t worked with those before although I’m aware of the concept.

Do you go up one every year and that means more money? Or do you have to get promoted?

Yes, they will be competency based interviews. It's also important to address all the criteria in the Person Specification in the application form.