What an Associate Director of Global Programs at Lehigh University Wishes They Had Known Before Entering Higher Education
Julia, an Associate Director of Global Programs, advises that the higher education hiring process is unpredictable, with some positions filled quickly due to internal candidates or remaining open for extended periods due to hiring freezes. The interviewee recommends applying widely, directly checking university websites, as "it's a little bit of a numbers game" to find roles actively seeking external hires.
Job Search, Higher Education, Hiring Process, Persistence, Internal vs. External Candidates
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Julia Aughenbaugh
Associate Director of Global Programs
Lehigh University, College of Education
UC Santa Barbara
MA in International Higher Education from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Environmental & Related Sciences
Education
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. The job search process in higher education can be lengthy and unpredictable, with some positions only open for a short time due to internal candidates.
2. Many university positions aren't advertised on sites like LinkedIn or Indeed; you need to check university websites directly.
3. Landing a job may require applying to many positions due to hiring freezes, transitions, or internal candidates already being considered. Persistence is key.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
I wish we knew a little bit more about the hiring process. It can be a very long process.
Some jobs may only be posted for a week because they have an internal candidate. They want to get as few applications as possible. If you're interviewing for one of those positions, you know you're going up against someone who is already being considered for that role – an internal candidate.
Other jobs could be posted for a year. Maybe the university is in a hiring freeze or there's something in transition. You don't really know when those jobs are actually going to hire someone.
So, it's a little bit of a numbers game. You probably need to apply to a lot of positions to find the ones that are actually looking for external candidates to hire in the next few months. It takes some determination.
Definitely go directly to university websites to look for job postings. Not all of them are going to post them on LinkedIn or Indeed, or any of those other third-party websites.