director

admission representative

laboratory technician

team leader

associate director

Full Sail University

Full Sail pays below market rates, but makes up for it with a flexible and interesting work environment. The instructors are largely interesting people with diverse backgrounds that make working there a pleasure.

Issues come up the farther you go up the management chain. The top management is mostly people who just happened to be there in the early days. This is fine when a company stays largely the same over time, but Full Sail has grown from an audio certificate program to 50-something programs giving up to Master's degrees. Management should have actual recent experience in doing the types of things they oversee. Instead, they get degrees from other diploma mills to add suffixes to their titles which makes their understanding of their business more abstract and less applicable to the day-to-day.

The mission of the University is great, but the structure makes it difficult to execute on that mission. I have no issue philosophically with for-profit schools. But that status shouldn't come at the expense of student success. Students that aren't prepared for university should be directed to what they can do to be prepared and admitted then. Instead, Full Sail admits as many as possible to soak Federal aid money and they let unprepared students cycle through the same courses over and over again. Full Sail uses a one-month course structure so the student has no time to regroup and do the things needed to prepare for a course he or she has failed. The one-month course structure is designed so that the school can get the maximum student aid per month since they can get students through quicker by claiming an accelerated program.

They put on a dog-and-pony show for open houses, which they encourage new hires to attend. The difference between marketing and reality is stark though. Sure, they will show you the 100 channel mixing board, but they won't show you cramming 60 students into a room that holds 40 for a 1am class in a room that doesn't have power and is filled with mold.

Being a for-profit means that students are treated like customers at all times. If the customer complains, he gets what he wants. That works in most goods and services companies but is disastrous in education. Complaining students can get as much time as they want for assignments and can argue away cheating on assignments and tests. They move forward and don't have the skills needed to find a job at the end of the program. It's great in the short term for the school because they get the money, but that chicken has to come home to roost sometime.

Good instructors thrive despite this, but it reaches a breaking point eventually. Bad instructors rarely get disciplined or fired, so over time education quality degrades in every program. That's good for job security, I guess. Beware anyone who has been there for ten years or more.

Management once bragged how they had a student who was homeless and living under a bridge, but that student was still participating in classes. Sure, it's great that they are pursuing growth, but maybe they should get their feet under them before taking out six figures in loans? Maybe don't charge them tuition?

Everyone at Full Sail is so kind and unique and every one really seems to want the best for you. My management team, to include our department director, go above and beyond for every one. You are able to make your own schedule, they provide everything necessary to work from home and the PTO is so generous after you hit your year-mark. Every year, the company gives each team the ability to flex department work/hours to give every employee a paid week off — half the team for Christmas week and the other half New Year’s week (this week does not interfere with PTO at all). On top of team Christmas party events at theme parks and special events for each holiday and staff celebrations on a school-wide scale, there is always something unique and fun for the employees.
The only things that detract from really loving my job is that the healthcare is expensive and the pay is not at a place to equal the increasing cost of living. However, their average pay scale is unfortunately on par with the rest of the companies in the state and the health insurance is only expensive because of how health insurance works. With cost of living increasing so rapidly and the stagnant minimum wages, it makes the average pay feel even lower simply because it doesn’t stretch far enough. Managers and directors have their hands tied when it comes to hiring salaries, I’ve personally been in meetings where my leadership has advocated for higher pay and has been shut down, the pandemic exacerbating this issue even further.  
There are few drawbacks to my time here, as I said, the working environment, school culture and every staff member I’ve met have been so wonderful and unique, but I would say, the pay would be the one aspect that needs the quickest adjustment. 

With the recent increase in online student admissions, the advising department has been a bit behind. There is no admission criteria so what you end up with is a large number of students who are trying to live their dream thinking that they will not have to work hard because they have been sold on pipe dreams. General education courses have been "dumbed down" to further promote retention but even this does not work for the students. With all of this being said, advising is a very difficult department to work in with so many new rules and procedures being issued on a trial-by-error status. You are also the official dumping ground for all departments who do not want to work with difficult students. The only redeeming factor is that the department has a wonderful team of co-workers who, unfortunately, also dislike their job as much, if not more, than you do. Management is a tricky aspect since it's still relatively new and they are trying to figure out what to make of the team since there was recently a huge increase of advising staff only for it rather drastically dwindle once more. This should say something about the management and it is a reflection of their leadership. There is an issue of pay where veteran advisors are not making as much as new staff. The veterans are asked to train the new staff who are doing the exact same job as them but for lower pay. Full Sail is a fun place to work with but once in advising, it will become very difficult for you to advance because there is no place to go. Other departments may not hire you because they are aware that advising is struggling and do not want to take away from that team.

Working at Full Sail has been the most personally and creatively fulfilling chapter of my career. It’s been an honor to contribute to a place that has had such a positive and lasting impact on so many students and influenced so many creative endeavors. The work is often inspiring, the community among staff is strong, and the sense of purpose that runs through the culture is real.

That said, after nearly a decade of consistent high-level contributions, I’ve realized that dedication here often goes unrewarded unless you are on a very specific career path. Many specialized, skill-demanding roles fall through the cracks, leaving employees overworked or carrying responsibilities that are not reflected in their compensation. The irony is that Full Sail trains students in these very disciplines and teaches them to understand their value in the workforce. The same awareness and advocacy that make the university so exceptional for students are not extended to the staff who help make that experience possible.

Leadership seems to recognize how dedicated employees are to excellence and the mission, and verbal recognition is given generously. I genuinely feel that my value at the company is seen and understood. However, seeing how overworked and underrewarded many employees like myself are, I worry that Full Sail’s compelling culture and mission are being used to extract high-value work at a low cost.

Full Sail is fortunate to have staff and faculty who go above and beyond and genuinely care about its vision and purpose. That commitment benefits everyone. It should be rewarded, not held against us.

Full Sail’s culture is fun and engaging which promotes a happy environment. Also, the campus is very lively and the use of technology is impressive. However, while at Full Sail, I was asked to do some really unethical things as it relates to grading. I was told not to give below a D, regardless of what a student turned in. Students who did not turn in their work and/or did not turn in satisfactory work, automatically got a C and/or they were able to receive feedback on how to improve the assignment and resubmit without penalty. I was asked to give a student a C on an assignment that was a clear failing score, because my manager stated “I shouldn’t kick a student while they were down and they would likely fail the course anyway.” I was expected to be “understanding” that our students are not “traditional” students, so I should be lenient with the grading for those who struggled. When I expressed concerns about the ethicacy of these practices, I was called negative. Furthermore, the pay is very low compared to the average college instructor, healthcare is unaffordable with the salary provided, they do not have an established maternity/paternity leave policy, you get a small amount of PTO that does not carry over past that calendar year, and the 401k benefits are not desirable. In addition to the low pay and benefits offered, you will be strongly encouraged to volunteer your time (unpaid) to participate in events at the college on a regular basis. Overall, this is not a great place to work. 

I worked in the Admissions department for a few years and it was by far the worst experience I have ever had with an employer. I wanted to quit sooner but COVID left me stranded in this position. This job deteriorated my mental health to the point of having suicidal thoughts. Management is awful and you cannot trust a single person in that department. They say you get paid holidays, but then they force you to work. You can ask for a preferred schedule but they only give it to people they favor. I had a family member pass away suddenly and my managers response was “oof okay” and then I was expected to be back at work. You are expected to take back to back calls and they will question you if you are on a “not ready” status for more than 2 minutes at a time. I have worked in the food service industry and retail and have never experienced a management team with such little empathy for their employees. I would not recommend this job to my worst enemies. Do not work here. I may sound like a disgruntled employee but I promise you, I left on a good note and tried really hard to boost morale and culture within the department and was only met with sass and harshness from management. I was penalized on reviews for sticking up for others and voicing concerns. This is a sales job and you are rewarded for selling eduction to students. I would be verbally reprimanded for not recommending a student to the school even if it was a bad fit for them. I would give this a 0/5 rating if I could. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this job because it was in my field of study. It was a work-study job so the pay wasn't the greatest but I made it work. I was more interested in the experience I acquired from it. I learned a great deal about how to effectively research and write in professional formats. I learned a lot of ways to convey the same information because different students understand things in different ways.

I could not have asked for a better manager or co-workers. I have an immense amount of respect for everyone I worked with because they knew how to be professional but still maintain a friendly, happy, and fun work environment. They also gave great advice and took an interest in my life in a caring way.

The hardest part of the job was learning how to research efficiently. I've never been good at it and it took me a little while to catch on, but now, I can find the answer to just about anything by quickly navigating through the vast amounts of internet knowledge. 

The best part of the job was unquestionably the good feeling I got when a tutoring session went well or the student caught on to what I was teaching them. I thoroughly enjoyed the sense of accomplishment when you see the proverbial "light bulb" switch on in a students' head.

I met some truly amazing people while working here, but my experience with my managers and the work culture was nothing short of a nightmare. I was told I would be helping students, which I am passionate about, but they didn’t tell me everything. From mandatory weekend shifts, shifts over 8 hours, employee metrics that were publicly posted and evaluated, constant surprise quality assurance assessments, pressure to work faster and faster, to low compensation and little praise - I burnt out very quickly and I think a lot of employees do. My managers unfortunately didn’t seem to understand that they were creating a toxic environment where intense pressure was put on perfection and mass caseloads. It’s impossible to transfer departments without “doing your time” in the call center type jobs. Thankfully I was able to go to a job that better respected my skills and boundaries. I am positive Full Sail has departments that are wonderful to work it, but I wouldn’t consider the online departments to be among them. If you’re considering a job in enrollment, student success, financial aid, etc... at Full Sail, my advice is to ask a lot of detailed questions about schedules, daily workload, assessments, and expectations before accepting the position. 

A typical day at work is handling inbound/outbound calls from enrolled students with different financial situations that can enable or inhibit a student from starting classes. We exhaust all options to assist students to start classes in a timely manner.I work with teams that consist of a Team leaders and Assistant Team Leaders that work with us in challenging situations that may arise. Our coworkers work together in helping the team achieve a overall goal. When it comes down to it, its all about working as a team and unity we have as a team, The management consists of friendly,diligent, driven individuals that not only help as achieve our daily,weekly, and monthly job goals, but also take the time out to find out your personal goals and care about you as an individual. The hardest about the job is the stress level increase to reach a certain goal at the end on the month. Between the hour commute and inconsistent hours it is challenging to keep a healthy work and life balance. The most enjoyable part of the job is working with great people the frequent changes to our duties that keep my typical day interesting, Another great part of the job are the opportunities for growth within the company.

I want to start off by saying that college isn't for everyone. There are plenty of people who've succeeded in life by their own hard work outside of the confinements of a university or a two-year college. That being said, I haven't been as lucky as those people because my life has had more downs than ups. More failures than successes, to be specific. 

Briefly, I've held different jobs in my own city to the point of being laid off from each and every one of them. The moment my last job laid me off, I made the decision to focus on my education rather than focus on the unreliable job market in my city. After researching different colleges, I saw that Full Sail was available and ensured I had a spot in that particular college. 

Long story short, I graduated from Full Sail with a bachelor's in Creative Writing. While I haven't obtained part-time or full-time employment yet, I have learned many different skills while attending Full Sail that can be applied to all sorts of jobs. 

Again, if you're looking for a college where you can learn the skills to succeed in different career fields, then Full Sail's your best bet.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Director 9 salaries reported	$72,111 per year
Admission representative 6 salaries reported	$19.17 per hour
Laboratory technician 3 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour
Team leader 3 salaries reported	$50,000 per year
Associate director 3 salaries reported	$55,923 per year

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