A year or two ago, I would have called the job market in student affairs robust. Positions in the field were readily available to interested and qualified candidates. But the same economic pressures that have hit the faculty market have dampened opportunities in student services as well.
Until the recession began, academe saw both steady growth in the number of positions in the field and significant attrition among newcomers. Now, however, newcomers who entered our field and learned it wasn’t for them are hanging on to their jobs “until something better comes along” because they see few options elsewhere. Despite growing enrollments and increasing demands for student services, the number of positions in student affairs seems fairly flat, and movement within the profession, relatively stagnant.
In short, the job market is tight, and likely to stay that way for the next few years.
In the past, if you came to student affairs through the traditional route of a graduate degree in the field, you didn’t have to worry much about the cost of graduate school; entry-level jobs were readily available in student affairs, particularly in the areas of residential life or student activities. You just had to make sure you spread out your practicum experiences so that you could try out a variety of specialties and find your niche.
But with those entry-level positions no longer readily available, if you are still interested in a position in student affairs, here is what I would suggest.
At many institutions, a master’s degree—preferably in higher education, student affairs, or a related field—continues to be the minimum required credential for entry-level positions. But the potential is all too real for graduating from a master’s program with a degree, debt, and no immediate job prospects.
Nonetheless, if pursuing that traditional pathway makes the most sense to you, be prepared to be flexible in your job search. You might be interested in positions in leadership, service learning, or honors education, but your search may need to be extended to include student activities and academic support. You may have to be similarly flexible about location, given state and regional variations in economic condition. You may find that a part-time position—or more than one—becomes the path of entry into student affairs.
While you’re in a graduate program, consider whether it would be wiser to seek diverse experiences in a variety of offices than to specialize in a particular area. The pool of candidates for entry-level positions is likelier than ever to include people with previous professional experience, and it may help your chances to have a varied background rather than a narrow one.
Graduate school is not the only launching pad into student affairs. Alternative pathways are accessible to those coming straight from a bachelor’s degree or wishing to enter student affairs from another career track. While many institutions require candidates to have a master’s, others (including many community colleges, small colleges, and rural colleges) do not. Taking a job at one of them will give you valuable experience—and you may find that you like it there. It may also be the kind of position that provides support for you to pursue graduate study.
Postbaccalaureate certificate programs are a small but growing phenomenon in student affairs. Formal education in the areas of budget and finance, theory, and law are important in the performance of student-affairs functions. Certificate programs can provide that training short of a master’s. If you scan job announcements online, you won’t see many that specifically require applicants to have certain certificates. However, just as more-focused practical experiences or work as a volunteer might help distinguish one candidate from another, having completed a certificate program may make you more attractive to potential employers.
Whatever your pathway into student affairs, it is more important than ever to be familiar with the financial circumstances of the colleges and universities to which you are applying. Knowing which states or private institutions are experiencing budget problems can be important in avoiding exposure to furloughs or staff reductions while you are a relatively vulnerable new professional. And knowing which states or private institutions have stable, or even robust, budgets can be important in knowing where to find openings.
If your search for an entry-level position goes on at length without success, you may need to find work elsewhere to pay the bills. For those taking on temporary employment outside the field, there are a few things you need to do. First, stay in touch with the profession by maintaining your network of professional contacts. They can help you learn about new job openings.
Second, maintain membership in at least one student-affairs professional association. As a consequence of the recession, a number of associations in our field now offer discounted membership rates to unemployed student-affairs professionals or to those just out of graduate school but not yet working.
Third, keep up on with what’s happening in academe and in our field through publications like this one, journals, and other publications. Staying mentally engaged in the field will be helpful when it comes time to interview.
Finally, consider volunteering with a local college’s student-affairs division. Any added experience you can demonstrate to employers, even if it’s volunteer work, can improve your prospects on the job market.
