Going Nonprofit: Working for Universities, Colleges & Schools
If you’re currently in college or are a recent graduate, then it’s likely you’re already familiar with the communications your educational institution has already sent your way. From quarterly magazines and annual reports to websites and email newsletters, the volume of both printed and electronic communications from colleges and universities as well as private, independent and parochial schools of all kinds is large and seems to grow with each passing year.
As institutions compete for donations and charitable gifts — a competition that is considerably tougher today than in years past as individuals and corporations tighten their belts — they must communicate in more creative and effective ways to attract the attention of potential donors, friends and institutional givers.
Ample Opportunities for Writers & Editors
What all of this means is that colleges, schools and universities need the help of quality writers and editors to create the communications that help them attract funding and put their best foot forward in communicating both their day-to-day efforts and successes as well as their larger missions.
Those who work in this capacity for educational employers produce a wide range of materials, including:
- Campus periodicals and magazines for students
- Magazines and reports aimed at alumni, donors and potential donors
- Websites, intranet sites and email newsletters
- Website copy or special section content
- Newspaper and magazine ad copy
- Public relations writing (e.g., press releases)
- Presentations
- Speeches
And while many schools, colleges and universities often hire freelancers to help them create the materials listed above, they also usually staff communications offices (especially at the larger educational institutions) to handle their year-round communications, donor and alumni relations and public relations needs. Though these of course vary by institution, the full-time positions for which they hire typically include:
- Communications Directors/Managers
- Communications Writers
- Grant Writers
- New Media Specialists
- Public Relations Directors
- Web Content Managers
- Web Content Specialists
- Writer/Editors
What Do These Employers Look For?
As someone I spoke to recently told me about his employer’s needs for a communications manager position, “here it is in a nutshell — they want someone who’s smart and flexible, who knows how to write and edit and work with a Web content management system, and who can basically handle lots of different things that come up.”
That’s a very accurate description of what it’s like to work at a school or a college, which has different communications needs and tasks that change throughout the year, depending on the season/where you are in the school calendar. Educational institutions often hire new or recent college graduates for their entry-level communications positions — especially recent alumni when they can hire them, as they have an insider’s knowledge and can use that to speak to fellow alumni and donors effectively.
Colleges and schools also prize creativity and flexibility, as well as the ability to do “more with less.” Because they’re nonprofit institutions, universities don’t have the kinds of budgets available for their communciations staff that for-profit corporations have at their disposal. That means that their writers, content and communications managers have to think creatively and bring their best ideas and best writing to their work, because they often don’t have the dollars to produce the flashier, multimedia communications that their for-profit colleagues can.
What Are Salaries Like?
As a general rule, salaries at educational institutions tend to be lower than at for-profit companies and corporations. Those in entry-level jobs can expect to earn between $25,000 and $35,000 per year, while those with mid-level experience can expect between $40,000 and $60,000, depending on both the city in which you live and the size (and financial health) of the college or university. Though salaries for highly experienced employees can of course trend higher than these ranges, it’s far more common to see salaries in these ranges than higher.
Of course, employees at schools, colleges and universities often enjoy a number of perks that their colleagues in the corporate world never receive, including free or reduced tuition for their children, free lunches at campus cafeterias, and the ability to audit or take classes for academic credit for free — all of which can add up to major savings over the course of a year or two.
What’s the Culture Like at Educational Institutions?
This is often the aspect of the job that many applicants find most appealing. While employees at for-profit corporations often have to make long commutes to drab downtown office buildings in large cities, putting up with traffic congestion and “Office Space”-like working conditions, those who work at universities instead often work in pastoral campus settings with plenty of trees and green space, and can enjoy walks on campus to and from meetings.
Work hours for employees in campus settings are also typically shorter. While there are of course busy times in any job, many schools and colleges open their offices at 9 A.M. and close by 4 or 5 P.M. In the corporate world, hours like that are nearly unheard of, as business-world workers are often lucky to leave by 6 or 7 P.M.
Where Can I Find a Job at a College, School or University?
The best place to start your search for a job at a school or college is to make a list of the educational institutions in the city in which you live and visit their websites. Nearly all colleges and schools post their employment opportunities online on their own websites, as well as through the major job search sites like Monster and CareerBuilder.
There are also online resources devoted exclusively to jobs in higher education, including:
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