academic advisor

associate

records specialist

instructor

human resources specialist

Hillsborough Community College

Working at a community college in the United States was a great experience, teaching on university level to students making the transition into a university life from multiple avenues. A typical day at work involved arriving early to check emails and print any materials needed for class that day, giving lectures and seminars for several hours during my teaching hours, remaining for office hours afterwards, and then continuing home where I would grade assignments and detail lesson plans for the next few days.

Teaching there was highly demanding, taking your work home with you and never truly feeling as though you're off the clock, students often calling if they needed assistance or answer emails from earlier in the day. I required constant availability, a true dedication to the craft. Although sometimes draining, see your students engaged in the topic, actively learning and knowing you've improved their lives someone made all that effort worthwhile, making the most grueling and satisfying aspects of the job one and the same. Teaching is more than simply instructing a class, you make a personal investment in the people you're working with and want to do everything you can to help them succeed. It requires a personal commitment and goes beyond merely 'punching in and punching out', long, unpaid hours of thought and effort but when it's over, many of those students know how hard you worked for them care that you gaze them so much. Because of that, they aren't merely satisfied customers but headed to a better place in life. Teaching made me a better person.

My coworkers and managers were very similar to myself, passionate about teaching, often to the point in which it inhibited their ability to prosper given the lack of financial security the job provides in the US. Everyone I met  cared about their students, fellow employees and their craft but were at the mercy of the tight budgets and the constraints of the administration. Consequently, the vast majority of us were poorly paid, had little job security, knowing we could have our hours cut simply because there was no budget for us that semester, and no benefits to speak of. As much as I loved teaching there, I felt it was best to return to the UK and continue a degree, given the lack of guarantees.

A typical day at work here included managing the science labs that students attended throughout each day. This included chemistry, physical science, biology, nutrition, anatomy, and so on. I was responsible for setting the labs up and making sure everything was out, ready to use, and fully stocked. Behind the scenes, I cleaned up, made sure various things were in working order, disposed of science-related waste properly, and developed various media for lab and student use. I learned all kinds of things here including making the varying media for lab work and student use, proper protocols in relation to lab chemicals and use, different information in regards to each class being taken, and how to keep track of everything in a lab setting in order to keep things in an organized and working order. The management was pretty understanding for the most part and worked with you on anything you may have needed whilst there. Culture in the workplace was varied, relaxed, and at times a little tedious, even. The hardest part of the job was keeping up with the constant demand for new materials and making sure they were absolutely ready for lab use at every given moment that they were needed. The best part about this job was being given the chance to learn new things each day, retain age-old information I learned in school by practicing it on a regular basis as part of the job, and knowing that my work made a difference in so many student lives.

Departments are incredibly insular, and a lot of the departments are insular BECAUSE they cultivate that environment intentionally. Advancement within the college is a lot more likely than them bringing someone in, but people stay here for decades so expect to have to switch departments/campuses to see any upward momentum. 

Student services is very much a numbers game, academic affairs side of things much more relaxed. What you experience in one department (toxic environment, harsh supervisor, etc) will be incredibly dissimilar to what you experience elsewhere (supportive supervisor and team, friendly coworkers, lots of diverse tasks, etc). It's hard to review the entire college when what I experienced from one job to another (had multiple different positions over my time here) was different each time. 

Overall it's a good starting point because of the low barrier to entry and great benefits, but pay is very poor. 

I took notes for disabled students. I wouldn't say it was a "common" work environment; I took notes sometimes in classes that I was already in, and squeezed work in between my class schedule. It was a full "work day", 9-5, sometimes even longer. I was taking classes at the same place I worked, it was most convenient option.
My bosses were always lenient, and understanding. The most difficult part of my job might have been getting along with the student I was taking notes for; it was a very interactive job. But it was a rarity that it ever came to a point that I didn't get along with someone. Students were always kind and it was easy to be understanding as a disabled person myself. The most enjoyable part of my job at the time was waking up every morning and knowing that someone was depending on me. However selfish that sounds, I helped those students and I learned lots of valuable lessons during those 5 years. Not just from the classes took notes from, but also the students themselves.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Most of the people were great to work with.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
A supervisor with no people skills was permitted to continue to manage people with disastrous results. The pay and compensation was abysmal. Don’t work here unless you enjoy being treated in a dehumanizing way.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
If you do your job well, don’t expect anyone to remember. However, if you make a mistake ( and we all do, we’re human) no one will forget. Don’t expect any recognition for long and loyal service if you are part-time. Part-time people are considered a dime a dozen. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
It is a defeating experience. You can spend the day doing your best and working hard and only hear criticism at the end of the day.

Working at this location on a typical day could be relaxing at some points and then quickly change to many different jobs needing attention at once. It was a fun environment to work in and there was so much to learn everyday. I learned about proper hazardous waste disposal, various media in conjunction with bacteria including agar plates and slants, and I even learned about different chemicals used and how they're made. My co-workers were very nice and helpful for the most part. The hardest part about the job was making sure everyone had everything they needed at the same time. I was running two different labs at once that sometimes had same-time lectures, so that made it a bit stressful giving help to both. It was like trying to be in two places at once. I mostly enjoyed the overall work environment and the helpfulness of the staff and my co-workers.

The regular teaching load for an instructor is 5 classes per semester.  This semester I am teaching 4 different courses.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I am with students from 8 AM until 4 PM.  Besides the classroom time, the load for grading papers is very heavy for composition teachers.  I have strengthened my classroom pedagogical and classroom management skills.  I have also developed additional confidence in myself as a teacher.  My co-workers are very collegial,scholarly, and supportive.  The most enjoyable part of the job is working directly with students and guiding their improvement

As a tutor the amount of work you do depends on how many students come through the door. During exam times you can expect a high volume of students and it can be overwhelming keeping track of who raised their hand first and making sure that everyone is being taken care of. During slow days, you're free to study and work on your own things (work related, school related, or just personal development projects) as long as you don't let it interfere with helping with students or other work related duties. Supervisors are very nice and are supportive and you can always go to them with any questions. The atmosphere is very inclusive and everyone feels welcome. 

HCC has a horrible workplace culture!  It is full of cliques spearheaded by leadership that determine your success or failure within the organization.  Management is selected based upon favoritism versus competence and then they only hire individuals who will support their agenda.  This creates a vicious cycle of employees maligning other employees in order to stay in the good graces of incompetent administrators.  This of course ensures the employee’s promotional chances and furtherance of a culture that forces out people who don’t submit to bullying tactics or willingness to be part of the clique.  If you are someone who is of moral, ethical, and righteous character, you may want to pass on working here.  This organization is a true example of the fish being rotten from the head down!

A typical day at work involved maintaining the organization of materials in the reception area, assisting faculty and staff, directing any student inquiries as well as phone calls, and maintaining the queue of students scheduled to meet with advisers and staff members. I learned a great deal about how to appropriately interact with customers/students in a service capacity. The most difficult aspect of the job was having to manage large amounts of student inquires at any given time and learning to assist students who were angry or frustrated. The work environment was very professional, and I was able to form wonderful working relationships with many of my co-workers.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Academic advisor 3 salaries reported	$39,467 per year
Associate 5 salaries reported	$22.22 per hour
Records specialist 1 salary reported	$20,000 per year
Instructor 1 salary reported	$67,500 per year
Human resources specialist 1 salary reported	$42,446 per year

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