Gavin Farber, The College of New Jersey

Thirteen years ago, I started my career in academic advising. After my fifth year, I began to get discouraged as a rising mid-career professional with few opportunities for mobility. I began researching middle management in higher education and learned this has been an issue in the industry since the 1950s. The struggle that mid-career professionals face centers on sustainable leadership. How can a professional gain experience to assist in their possible career bump if one does not have the opportunity to do so?

Despite their large numbers, mid-level administrators often feel invisible. They desire to play a supportive role in achieving their institution’s mission. They want to be recognized for their expertise and participate in the planning efforts of the college or university with which they are associated. (Johnsrud & Rosser, 1999, p. 123) 

During my almost 12 years at my last institution, I decided it was essential to keep learning skills to add to my professional toolkit. I started to believe in the concept of horizontal branding. I began building my experiences up both within that institution and outside of it to ensure I had the know-how necessary for the day when I felt I was ready to begin applying for new opportunities. While the concept was scary to me, I knew there had to be a catalyst for why I would seek new opportunities.

The fall 2022 term provided some sign that change might be on the horizon. I previously worked in a large city that experienced increased crime since the pandemic started. I did not feel safe and began coming to work earlier, which would allow me to leave earlier. I rarely left campus and kept a simple path going back and forth to the train station. My anxiety increased as a result and left me feeling tense at work. The stress of the pandemic meant the students I saw in my advising appointments were sometimes blunt, demanding, and even abusive. I remember having my first panic attack at work in November 2022 after a negative interaction with a student on Zoom. The student was mistakenly added to our afternoon on-call advising schedule when she should have been directed to transfer orientation processing. She was not happy with me, and she screamed at me for over ten minutes—it got so bad, I remember saying to her, “I’m sorry, I need to end this call for my mental health.”

While not the most professional response to a student, I needed to think of my well-being. I was tired of the verbal abuse from students who were ill-prepared for appointments and wished to take out their frustrations on a singular person who had nothing to do with their admission to the institution, let alone was responsible for sending out the correct next step instructions to that pupil. I was sick of being a punching bag—and that day changed my outlook on my career. I saw my general practitioner a few days later, and I was prescribed anti-anxiety medication.

My experience is not a singular one. According to Soria et al., (2023), “Academic advisors are experiencing high rates of burnout­­—and this concerning, urgent issue should be prioritized on campuses” (p. 117).

I needed to start taking better care of my mental health. Far too many student services practitioners need more support, which is a factor that makes some leave the profession and seek employment from adjacent or unrelated fields. I wanted to figure out a strategy that would keep advising healthy for me.

The weekend before my regional conference, I saw a job posting on HigherEdJobs.com for a position that intrigued me. I took that weekend to research more about the institution and position. That following Monday, I went into my then-supervisor’s office and asked if we could talk. I shut her door, and we discussed it. She told me, “You need to apply for this job!” I had so much anxiety just having the conversation with my boss of almost 12 years.

The only other jobs I had applied for were internal promotions within my former advising center. It was my imposter syndrome that was setting in. I had past memories of my last job search after graduate school, which was long and arduous (18 months) before I found the position I had. I thought that because of the kindness of that first institution, I needed to give them more years of service than planned. Or is it because I am a loyal Taurus?

When I got home that evening, I started working on my cover letter and polishing my resume. I reviewed my advising philosophy and created my list of references. I was fortunate to have friends in the industry who reviewed my materials and gave me feedback. After thinking it through and finalizing my packet, I applied for that position at the end of the week. It was a feeling of pure euphoria; there was a lightness to me. Who knew an HR website would offer such calming relief?

The next six weeks included an invitation for an in-person interview, negotiating a day around priority registrations. When I arrived on campus, I met the school's search committee and dean for just over two hours. A week later, I had a call from the college’s human resources specialist with a job offer. I was surprised, and it was an emotional few days where I thought long and hard. After that representative answered my questions, I accepted this new position on my 37th birthday, and I started telling my supervisors and officially resigned. At the end of that week, I shared with my entire team at the bi-monthly staff meeting that I was leaving after almost 12 years of employment. There was a sense of shock.

And so began the start of my closing out that chapter. I gave four weeks' notice to my former employer, partly because my past union required that time frame in order to get paid for my remaining vacation time. But I also wanted to complete my teaching assignments, attend my final Advisor Appreciation Day, help out at commencement, and attend all of those many end-of-year events one last time.

My last month on the job was one of the longest I've worked. I needed to clean out over a decade’s worth of stuff. So much needed to be shredded, thrown out, or taken home. I took a rolling suitcase with me on the train each day to transport my books and other items home. I gave away fun tchotchkes to colleagues, including Funko Pop! Figures. I took my Gilmore Girls Collection (Lorelai, Rory, and Sookie) with me, though!

One of the nicest surprises was having my former work colleagues plan a farewell celebration in my honor. My former supervisor invited people from all across campus, and so many came! It was such a lovely final Wednesday on campus. I was even given meaningful gifts, including an art deco print of the clock tower at the center of campus, a notebook filled with messages from my colleagues, and some time just to sit down and reflect. I also came home with a leftover chocolate cake from a fancy city bakery. I’ve looked at that notebook a lot during my first year away; it’s given me some fantastic inspiration when I doubted myself.

I am learning that it is okay to leave a position. It takes so much confidence to do it with class and grace; these may no longer be my colleagues at the end of the day, but I wanted to maintain my professional relationships with all of them. I am learning to navigate new relationships with colleagues, especially my former supervisor. We are now connected on social media, and I miss chatting with her because I have always learned so much from her. Now, I can solve many problems in my new role because she has taught me how to do so.

I recently read a new description of mid-career professionals. It called us sunflowers because sunflowers

not unlike other plants – grow by turning towards the sun to receive the necessary nourishment provided by photosynthesis. They sense what the need is and then turn to meet that need. Likewise, professionals can become so attuned to each other’s needs within and across units that they make a habit of sensing and meeting those needs instead of offering platitudes like “I’m here if you need me.” (Graglia et al., 2021, p. 134)

I am calling out to all my fellow sunflowers that you are some of the bravest and hardest working professionals in the garden of higher education. Keep your heads up, and you will continue to overcome any challenges that come your way. Remember that you have a squad ready and willing to help you at a moment's notice!

References

Graglia, P., Pérez-Vélez, K., & Stewart, D-L. (2021). Whose ideal worker? Student affairs and self-care in the neoliberal academy. In Margaret W. Sallee (Ed.), Creating sustainable careers in student affairs: What ideal workers norms get wrong and how to make it right (pp. 119–139). Stylus.

Johnsrud, L. K. & Rosser, V. J. (1999). College and university midlevel administrators: Explaining and improving their morale. The Review of Higher Education, 22(2), 121–141.

Soria, K. M., Kokenge, E., Heath, C. A., Standley, E. C., Wilson, S. J. F., Connley, J. R., & Agramon; A I. (2023, December). Factors associated with academic advisors’ burnout. NACADA Journal, 43(2), 105–120. https://doi.org/10.12930/NACADA-23-14