Education costs are on the rise, and students feel the pressure. UK universities, students, and parents universally see the need for specialists in support roles. These specialists provide supplemental help to students struggling to meet the demands of university life. Would you be interested in this type of role?
Have you always wanted to work with students at the university level, but you didn’t take the career path of a lecturer, professor, or working in administration? Maybe this is the career choice that gets your attention. If you appreciate a fast-paced work environment and would enjoy also working with students one-on-one, then you are likely a good candidate for this type of position.For anyone looking for ‘student support assistant‘ see here.
Granted, there is much more to this job than catering to students individually and managing the herd. You have to work with faculty and staff, coordinating agendas and processing information. You need to know the rules and regulations of the university you plan to work for, too. Coordinating communication and agendas with so many different people in various roles is not going to be easy.
Students have their ideas about the way everything should go, and parents and faculty do, too. Are you going to be able to relate to the hierarchy at a university? Your heart lies with the students, but your sense of professionalism must be able to cross boundaries. These working professionals are going to provide direction, and it is best to think of them as very experienced colleagues. In other words, you can learn a lot from these people, whether you like their approach or not.
This type of student support role calls for a person that is very organized, simply due to the fact that there will be so much on your plate. You want to have good record-keeping practices in place, too. Not only do you want to be able to refer to your notes, but there are times when you need a paper trail for documentation purposes. There will be students in distress, too, and so your capacity to absorb issues and help others is going to be put to the test.
Think about whether you will thrive working with students one-on-one. Do you have any experience doing so? People sometimes think this type of setting is ideal for them, but then they find out otherwise. One thing you will not have to worry about is the subject material. You are more of a life coach in this case, but you are going to be assisting students with all kinds of issues relating back to their course studies.
You need patience, lots of patience, and you need empathy, too. No doubt, you are going to feel as though people are pulling you in multiple directions. That type of workday can be quite challenging, especially on repeat. Policymakers at the university aren’t always going to make your day either. You will not always see eye to eye with staff because you are in a different type of role. Do you have what it takes to stomach that and help the students thrive?