financial aid coordinator

hvac technician

assistant vice president of human resources

assistant vice president

Antelope Valley College

orking at the front desk of a college is a dynamic experience that keeps you on your toes from the moment you step in until you wrap up your day. Each day brings its own set of challenges and rewards, making it an engaging role overall.

One of the most significant aspects I learned on the job is effective communication. Whether it's answering phone calls, responding to emails, or assisting students and visitors in person, clear and concise communication is key. Additionally, I gained valuable organizational skills by managing schedules, appointments, and various administrative tasks efficiently.

Management at the college is supportive overall, providing guidance and resources to ensure tasks are completed effectively. There's a clear structure in place, but also room for autonomy and creativity in handling day-to-day responsibilities.

The workplace culture is vibrant and diverse, reflecting the student body and staff population. Collaboration and teamwork are encouraged, fostering a sense of community and inclusivity. Everyone works together towards common goals, creating a positive and welcoming environment.

The hardest part of the job can be handling challenging situations, such as irate visitors or managing multiple tasks during busy periods. However, these moments also provide opportunities for growth and development, honing problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.

Despite the challenges, the most enjoyable part of the job is undoubtedly interacting with students and visitors. Being able to assist them, whether it's providing information, offering guidance, or simply lending a listening ear, is incredibly rewarding. Seeing their appreciation and knowing that you've made a difference in their day is what makes the role fulfilling.

Overall, working at the front desk of a college is both challenging and rewarding, offering opportunities for personal and professional growth while making a positive impact on the college community.








A typical day here would be giving resources and assistance to students who are in need of expanding their education in order to reach a career goal. I learned how to deal with such an diverse group  and become a source of encouragement and motivation to many different personalities. The managers all work as hard as I do in providing their time and energy to the students and they teach and treat all of their employees well. The fellow workers are assistance to myself in guiding students towards their educational and career goals. The hardest part of the job is being helpful without being an enabler. The student need to learn how to be independent and make the best use of the resources and assistance given to them. However, I can not allow myself to rob them of their learning experience by completing every step for them, although it may be tempting at times. The  most enjoyable part of my job is watching a student advance academically and progress to the step of graduation, knowing that I had a hand in their success.

Usually my days were divided between the Student Development Office and the gymnasium's snack bar. Part of the time I would do data entry, student ID printing, and scheduling appointments, and the other part of the time would be spent doing dishes, cleaning cooking equipment, stocking supplies, preparing food, and handling money.

Management seemed hard-nosed at first-- at least in the snack bar-- but after getting used to both the office environment and the food service environment the job became easier. I liked the people I worked with, and I'm still friends with a few of them to this day. 

At times it was difficult to handle the lunch rushes in the snack bar, but even that became manageable after a few months of getting used to it. Also, at the time, having to answer phones in the Student Development Office was daunting as it was my first position where I had to answer phones (I've become well acquainted and comfortable with phones since then).

It was definitely a good introduction to office work and customer service, and I believe it helped spur on my proficiency in my current profession.

There was never a typical day at the Success Center. We were there to serve anyone who walked through our door, staff or student. We hosted events where new students met with current faculty and learned about local resources and held study session weekly. Every day the room was open it was a calming safe haven for those who needed it and a place to go when you needed help. As employees, it was our job to help the patrons in every way possible and if we could not help them we would personally find and introduce them to someone who could. This was not always an easy job but it was rewarding. We often would have frustrated faculty members complaining about the space being unavailable for their meeting or an upset student who was overwhelmed with their work and we had to be able to de-escalate the situation and help them in a calm and reassuring way. Overall working at the success center taught me how to help frustrated or unhappy patrons better and how to communicate clearly and efficiently so that all parties are on the same page and happy.

Everyday we would file around the clock, make appointments with counselors specific to a type of disability and speak to students of benefits they can receive to enable them into the program. Constant updating of student files was essential for future appointments and the next step in their education. I learned that working together as a team can be the best way to get the job done. Although the counselors were hard on us to begin with, it was necessary to learn the key skills needed to keep up with appointments and deadlines. The most difficult part of the job was calming down a situation where a student did not get what they wanted by the deadline, but the majority of the time the workplace was calm and a great learning environment. The most enjoyable experience was getting to know everyone and the students we were there to help. It was a very fulfilling experience.

A typical day on the job for me would different based on the time of the year. The job is more or less seasonal even though it is a year long job. During the season months of baseball ,which would be January thru June the days are ; game days leaving the school around eight game starts at two and home around nine. Within this time frame I have under my direct supervision thirty five young adults from the age of eight teen up the of thirty. I love the job for one its a game that i grew up watching and playing ,but two i get to be around young adults that i get to help guide them as they deal with a wide range of emotions.Thru the guidance of the management staff of antelope Valley College I feel I have learned a great deal of character and leadership skills that I will be able to use in any new challenges that life might throw at me. The hardest part of the job is that it is only seasonal meaning i only get paid for a hundred days of the year.

The employees were amazing, and sometimes harsh when stressed but otherwise very helpful when they could offer it. The supervisors were nice and semi-tolerant, always offered their assistants and their advice on projects and assignments. Showed how to get the job done and still have time to breathe when it got a bit stressful. A typical day was helping student maneuver around the school and assisting in their academic needs. Worrying about if the project that were assigned would be favored by the students. Checking to make sure that all in-office work and all out side work was except able and not clashing with the schedule. Every so often the supervisors would come off and bit engrossed when they had full agendas and schedules to meet, but they did remain professional when they were under pressure Creativity was never rejected, if someones idea was in need of help every one would pitch in to make their vision happen. Even in stressful time everyone tried to remain positive and helpful.

I worked as a student worker for about 2 years. Work is manageable for my department; I know other departments were nonstop, like Counseling, Enrollment, or Financial Aid. I was able to do homework at the desk, which was definitely a plus. 20 hours a week at minimum wage kinda sucked, but I think the job experience was the most important part.  Coworkers were good work environment was good for the most part. I would complain about the security in that building; I believe it is severely lacking in this day and age.

Since you're going to be a student worker, you get no benefits; just understand that some staff members will treat you differently, even though their work doesn't differ too much from your own. And I found this out recently, this job doesn't work towards Unemployment benefits, so after you graduate, that's something to be aware of.

Overall, AVC is a great place to work. If your goal is to encourage, support, and celebrate student success, this is a great place to start. Unfortunately, a career pipeline does not exist in the Counseling Dept. As with most other CA community colleges, counseling positions are scarce. Adjunct positions are more often posted than full-time tenure track positions. So you can begin your career here but the full-time positions are so few and far between that the countless adjuncts must compete against each other for the single, highly coveted FT slot that opens every once in a blue moon. They usually hire from within, which is great, but again, opportunities so rarely open up that your chances are really slim of promotion even if you're an outstanding adjunct counselor. It's a shame because it really is a great campus.  Perfect if adjunct counseling is your goal!

What is the best part of working at the company?
I loved working with the students and helping them succeed. Most of the staff felt the same way. We were able to work as a team.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Being focused on the students and watching them graduate. It was very rewarding when a student came back to see me and told me they were finishing their bachelor's or Masters program and said thank you for the encouragement.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The college has many departments. When you build relationships with each department we are able  to works as a great team to help student further their education. For the most part it was a very positive experience.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Financial aid coordinator 5 salaries reported	$4,360 per month
Hvac technician 1 salary reported	$5,412 per month
Assistant vice president of human resources 1 salary reported	$183,328 per year
Assistant vice president 1 salary reported	$183,328 per year

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