What is your ideal salary? That is a thought that would run through my head upon graduating from my undergrad and embarking on my professional journey. At the end of the day, getting invested in the higher education setting and becoming a student affairs professional is not about the money, it is about the PASSION. Student affairs professionals are such an integral part of students’ experiences. We are the makers and the doers. We are there to provide support and mentorship in different capacities. However, sometimes the passion starts to dwindle because salaries at colleges and universities have stagnated and higher ed institutions often do not pay their employees nearly enough to sustain a comfortable lifestyle.
Working in the higher-ed adjacent space or corporate setting seems appealing because of flexible (sort of) work hours, salary, bonuses, benefits, etc. I cherished all of the moments of my student affairs journey, but as I was beginning the job search in January 2022, a few short months away from graduation, I wanted to put myself out there. The pressure from peers in the cohort was tricky because the typical trajectory is to pursue a job in housing, advising, orientation, etc. I was not sure if I wanted to put myself into a specific functional area, so I toyed with the idea of leaving higher education. By working for a higher ed adjacent company, I could have the opportunity to work with college students in a close capacity but experience a corporate environment.
My Journey
Coaching and mentoring students has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I will never forget for my birthday when I was about six years old, my parents bought me materials to play school with my imaginary students. I would create lesson plans, work with my imaginary students on issues arising in class and lend my advice about how to be a good student. In that moment, I knew that I was meant to pursue education in some way.
Initially, I aspired to be a 5th grade teacher. Throughout my field experiences in college, I quickly learned that my leadership skills and excitement for mentoring extended outside the classroom. My experiences as an orientation leader, membership vice president in my sorority, admissions guide, conduct board member, vice president of the leadership honor society, and student affairs intern fueled my decision to pursue the field of Student Affairs.
I wanted to gain a year of experience before committing to graduate school (which by the way, Clemson University was the best decision that I ever made!). I worked as an Educational Leadership Consultant for my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta and traveled across the country to support over 20 chapters. I coached collegiate women on recruitment efforts and leadership skills.
The Graduate Preparation Program Experience
Soon enough, I stepped foot on Clemson’s campus in February 2020 and truly got a flavor for the school spirit and community at Clemson University. A goal that I had for myself in my graduate work was to step outside of my comfort zone and do something I had never done before. Sure enough, I received an Academic Advisor position in the College of Business. I remember thinking, “Advising?!?! Not orientation or conduct- ugh!” However, I learned so much about a new lens of higher education which propelled me to want to pursue the equivalent of advising, in the corporate world… recruiting!
Throughout my time in tiger town, I was intentional about what I wanted in a career and the types of internship experiences I wanted to have to continue to grow my skills. As the president and active member of our student affairs honor society, I got to engage with my cohort, the faculty, and staff in numerous ways. I made connections with some of the student affairs folks at Furman University and fell in love with the school because it reminded me of my undergraduate institution. It sparked fond memories from my college experience, and I had the opportunity to train and lead the orientation leaders throughout the summer and into the fall.
I enjoyed my experience so much at Furman that I assisted the Dean of Student’s office and contributed to writing a strategic plan, surrounding the idea of wellbeing on a college campus. I reflected numerous times throughout my experience and thought, I am meant to be at a small, tight knit, community school. If I could have picked up Furman and moved it to New York, my home state, I would have!
Attending a graduate program is to continue to grow your expertise in a certain area. Higher education is a special field, because it allows for numerous opportunities and functional areas that really play to your strengths. My graduate assistantship and internship opportunities were pivotal moments where I could evaluate what I was hoping for in a career. I began to think about what kinds of jobs would allow a person to have a strong connection or partnership with a university but learn in a different type of environment… aka corporate.
I will never forget a conversation that I had with a trusted mentor who always believed and supported my decisions. He asked me several questions about why I thought this shift to corporate would be for me and if this was something I really wanted to do. I knew selfishly, I had dollar signs in my eyes, but I also was ready to have a challenging yet thrilling first job experience.
Higher Ed Adjacent a.k.a. Corporate Work
I started thinking about how I could blend training, mentoring, and supporting students and began my search outside of the field. Sure enough, I landed an incredible opportunity working for a big four accounting firm as a recruiter! I thought to myself, “I just won the lottery!!” This job is one of the coolest opportunities I have ever had, and I need to jump and take it. I accepted the position and relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina.
To know me, is to know that I am a homebody, so that had been a hard pill to swallow since I had envisioned going back to New York, but you know, in your 20’s you are meant to take risks! As a whole, the job was an excellent steppingstone into my career as a student affairs professional, it just did not end up meeting my needs as I was expecting.
It didn’t take long for me to reconsider my decision. Leaving the higher education world, I gave up my comfort. Student affairs has been what I have known for years. Being an involved student leader, leadership consultant, graduate assistant, working in my internships in student affairs, I knew the skills and techniques to be in the college setting. Passion, passion, passion. Remember I said that earlier?
In my corporate job, I could tell that a lot of my coworkers had a connection to the accounting space. I was not invested in accounting like they were or my students, and it made it difficult for me to connect. I missed the deep student interaction I was fortunate to have and making an impact on their lives. Meaningful relationship building matters to me and is what drives me as a professional.
As I have reflected on my experience, not only have I thought about what is best for me individually, but how corporate and higher education worlds overlap. As I’ve reflected, I have put together a list of transferable skills between higher education and corporate environments. Table 1 below highlights these.
Table 1
Transferability of Student Affairs Skills
| Skills | Student Affairs Examples | Corporate Examples |
| Advising | Meetings with students | Recruiting conversations with students |
| Assessment | Assessing workshops | Sending out a survey to students post interview with partners |
| Communication | Class presentations | Communicating with partners on hiring decisions |
| Event Planning | Career fair | Planning events to “sell” the company to prospective interns |
| Financial Management | Event budget oversight | Knowledge of monetary compensation |
| Leadership | Spearheading various committees | Leading conversations with different stakeholders |
| Mentoring | Participating in a program to guide newer professionals | Participating in a program to guide new employees |
| Social Justice | Coordinating pride week on campus | Working with underrepresented students and assisting in providing access into a corporate setting at a young age |
| Navigating software | Tracking notes through system to be shared with others on campus | Using a system that is complex and stores the applications from students |
You can see that the comparisons between student affairs and corporate work are similar, but they require a different way of thinking and support than we may be used to. We use the same skills that are engrained in us throughout our education and experiences, but this different work context requires us to look at and explain our skills through a different lens.
A corporate job can give you some work life balance because you are the driver of your own schedule, your salary is much higher, inordinate number of benefits (free gym membership, unlimited vacation, yes I said unlimited, oh and a stipend to use towards wellness and wellbeing, free mental health counseling), and connections to other large scale companies.
I feel incredibly grateful for the experience, and I was able to nail down what I want and need from a workplace.
Bloom Where you are Planted
Plot twist- leaving the corporate world isn’t goodbye… it is just a see you later! I have aspirations, goals, and dreams of owning my own consulting business and blending together my network of people from different walks of life and career paths. Reflection is an integral part of the job search process, but also crucial once you begin the opportunity. I challenge each of you to write out your career journey goals in a note on your phone. Then look back once you receive the job offer, and keep evaluating for the first several months, to ensure that it is meeting your needs. If not, the best thing to do is ADVOCATE!
I do not regret my decision to leave the field for a short stint of time. It felt exhilarating to get a taste of something completely different than what I was used to. But I missed student affairs more than anything. Student affairs felt like home. I am forever grateful for the path that I chose out of grad school. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. No job is ever going to be perfect, but it is up to you to make it work for YOU. My final piece of advice is to take the job search process slow. Do not let peer pressure overwhelm you. It is not race. You will find what is meant to be whether that is for two months, six months, a year, etc.
Application of Information
Thinking of leaving the field of student affairs? Ask yourself these questions first:
- What are your career goals?
- What are your work life balance goals?
- What does upward mobility look like in a corporate setting for you and how does it align with your values?
- What transferrable skills do you have that will make you a strong candidate for the role?
About the Author
Olivia Battinelli, M.Ed. (she/her/hers) A born and raised New Yorker, Olivia earned her BA in Communication Studies from Rider University. After graduating from Rider, Olivia took a one year position as an Educational Leadership Consultant with the National Headquarters of her sorority and traveled the country visiting over 20 colleges and universities. Following that, Olivia received her M.Ed. in Counselor Education/Student Affairs from Clemson University. After graduation, Olivia briefly left higher education and worked as a Campus Recruiter for a Big 4 accounting firm. Olivia currently works for New York University as an academic advisor and internship coordinator in the media, culture, and communication department.