What a Professional Development Manager at University of San Diego Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Education Industry
Konnor wishes someone had emphasized how challenging "helping professions" like education can be; while driven by passion and a desire to help others, these roles are often shorthanded, lower-paid, and easily blamed, a societal issue exemplified by the treatment of teachers. Despite this reality, Konnor doesn't regret the career path, but believes it's crucial to "come to grips with" these challenges before fully committing.
Industry Realities, Workplace Challenges, Compensation, Passion vs. Reality, Education Sector
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Konnor McMillen
Professional Development Manager
University of San Diego
San Diego State University
University of California- Santa Barbara
Psychology
Education
Education
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Helping professions, like education, are often shorthanded, leading to extra work.
2. These roles may be lower paid despite requiring a deep passion for working with and helping people.
3. Individuals in these positions can be easily blamed for issues, reflecting a societal trend.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before entering the industry?
I think before entering what I would call education as my overarching industry, it's just hard. A lot of people go into it and similar helping professions because they have a passion for it, a deep love for working with and helping people.
But often, these are the jobs that are shorthanded. So you get a lot of extra work. They tend to be a little bit lower paid, and then they also get blamed for a lot of things pretty easily.
We see this at a societal level when we're talking about our teachers. That was something that I didn't have a full understanding of going into education. I don't regret it in any way.
I just think it's important to come to grips with these realities before you fully commit to the career.