instructor

program specialist

student worker

support technician

student technician

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

POOR MANAGEMENT, INDECISIVE SUPERVISOR, MICROMANAGED MY WORK, NO OFFICE SPACE OR AREA TO WORK IN ON FIRST DAY AT WORK, OFFICE SPACE WAS SET UP BY MYSELF AND CO-WORKER IN A CLOSET/STORAGE AREA.  WE BUILT AND PUT TOGETHER OUR OWN DESKS, CHAIRS, COMPUTERS AND STORAGE AND FILING SYSTEM. 85% IS TRAVEL OR OUT OF OFFICE.  GLORIFIED SALES PERSON HAVING TO MEET A NUMBER EVERY QUARTER TO TEACH A GRANT FUNDED CLASS THAT IS NOT INFORMATIVE NOR HELPFUL TO THE UNDERPRIVILEGED  AND EXPENSES FOR MARKETING COME OUT OF POCKET INITIALLY AND REIMBURSED IF APPROVED.ODD HOURS AND VERY LATE HOURS AND FLEX TIME IS OFFERED BUT SUPERVISOR WILL APPROVE UPON HER DISCRETION.  IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR IS NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE ON GRANT AND GRANT MANAGER IS NEW AT GRANT PROGRAM.  CONSTANT CHANGES ON RULES AND  CREATIVITY OR PERSONAL FEEDBACK IS FROWNED UPON ON.  MORALE IS LOW AND UNCOMFORTABLE AND HIGH STRESS FOR LITTLE PAY. HARD WORK IS NOT APPRECIATED AND HOLIDAY SCHEDULE IS THE SAME AS THE COUNTY'S. NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT TO WORK IN, CONSTANT TRAVEL AND CONSTANT CHANGE BY PROGRAM MANAGER AND IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR, VERY CLICK-Y MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL WHICH PROMPTED TO GOSSIP AND BIAS DECISIONS.  NOT WORTH THE COMMUTE, STRESS, AND CONSTANT MICROMANAGEMENT WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM.  TERRIBLE PLACE TO WORK AT, CONCERNS AND OPEN DOOR POLICY DOES NOT APPLY, YOU WILL GET YELLED AT AND TREATED LIKE A KID.  INITIAL PERCEPTION IS POSITIVE BUT ONCE YOU MAKE A MISTAKE (LEARNING JOB ON YOUR OWN) YOU WILL BE SCOLDED AND THE NEGATIVE CHANGE WILL SLOWLY BEGIN.

A typical day at work stars driving to my destination that day, sometimes in San Benito, TX, Los Fresnos, Port Isabel or Brownsville. Once I’m get there I set up my space and get ready to received my students with a smile and positive attitude. I teach the Nutrition class in a entertaining and enjoyable manner so my students can learn in a nice environment  the importance of a balance Nutrition and a good exercise. I have seven co-workers, I have a very friendly relationship with everybody, I like to work in a relax ambient. If some of them is in a need with their work I always help them, I enjoy working as a team. What I like about my present job is the opportunity to teach people about good health and help them understand the importance of a healthy diet. I like for my students to make questions that means there are in the learning mode, that’s make fell satisfied with my job. During my present Job I enjoy knowing people every day, is fun an a very nice experience.. I think the hardest part is that I do not have the opportunity to grow and promote my self to a higher level.

Fast paced, many interruptions.  Account reconciliations, re-allocation of pro-card expenses, issued Purchase Orders, assist counties with account information or Contract and Grants, accounts payable, backup receptionist, assisted District Manager with Budget as needed throughout the month, assisted with upcoming meeting setup.

Learned several different types of software and operating system, learned to run the Postermaker machine and the many steps an accounts payable goes through before it is finally paid.

Hardest part of the job was not having requested information available to assist County Extension with questions regarding their Contracts and Grants.

Very enjoyable part of the job was listening to the District Manager's stories about her childhood during break time.

•	Provides leadership for an effective educational projects and program that supports families and youth in Kaufman County.  
•	Recruits, develops, trains and manages stakeholder-based committees, staff and volunteers who provide assistance and directions for Extension programs. 
•	Responsible for planning, marketing, implementing, and evaluating an effective outcome-based educational programs and projects that supports identified issues and needs of the communities in the county. 
•	Budget and Grant Management
•	Accountable for effective reporting and interpreting results of programming efforts to local and statewide stakeholders. 
•	Works with community based organizations to effectively link Extension programs and community needs. 
•	Demonstrates professional and technical competencies in family resource management, food & nutrition, food safety, health and wellness, child development, and family consumer economics.   
•	Creates successful educational experiences for adults and children in the areas of Foods & Nutrition and Health & Wellness, according to USDA Guidelines.

I loved my position with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Services! The job included emailing representatives across the state to record data they collected and place the information in files for A&M records. I helped with shipments and financial disbursments between representatives and A&M Agrilife and acted as a record keeper to streamline their business. I loved my job, I had a wonderful office I shared with another student worker and was able to contact any office personel any time I needed help and felt welcomed everyday I worked there! The hardest part of the job was overcoming my own personal anxiety handling phone calls but this was also rewarded with the enjoyable part which was having the confidence that I always knew I was doing my job well. Nothing I did made me feel inadequate or unsure of what I was working on, it was straight forward and easy to manage while I was in school.

This was the one of the most rewarding positions that I have every had.  Because I am a breast cancer survivor, it gave me the opportunity to assist women who needed a breast or cervical exam at no cost to them because of their inability to pay due to no insurance or high deductible.  I was able to follow the women who were diagnosed with either cervical or breast cancer.  I was also able to provide transportation for ladies that did not have any to get to the venues to be screened.  I could refer ladies to the mobile mammography van that was in their areas without them having to travel too far (if they lived in or around the areas that the mobile van traveled to. If I could not get them screened, I was able to refer them to other services that could get them screened.

Typically day at work consist of checking and responding to emails.  Plan programs for you and adults.  Prepare newsletters for low income families and programs.  Organize and demonstrate different food and clothing workshops.  At the beginning of each month you have to prepare online reports.  The hardest part of the job is trying to balance work with life.  There are so many things you have to do plus all the things I have already mention.  Prepare for contests on each event such as food, clothing, consumer decision making., duds to dazzle, nutrition quiz bowl, and food challenge teams.  The most enjoyable part of the job is to see the joy of an individual learning how to complete a task and do well with it.  Co-worker is okay.

typical day at work - receptionist in the mornings as well as administrative support for the 2 Regional Program Leaders and the Associate Department Head of Entomology.  In the afternoons I get away from the front desk area and go to my office.  I still answer phones most of the time.  I work with great people.  My co-workers are all great team players.  We plan and set up refreshment tables for large groups.  The hardest part of my job would have to be sitting at the front desk and having lots of interruptions, not being able to concentrate and complete a task very quickly.  The most enjoyable part of my job is working with really good, kind hearted people and having POPCORN Fridays!!

What is the best part of working at the company?
Paid time off; assisting the public with relevant concerns; team culture at the admin level

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Low pay; dotted line relationships governed by EGOS

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Disorganized and sometimes retaliatory.  There is no formal training and no promotion opportunities.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
If the dotted line Program Specialists are in a good mood then the day can be okay.  Most of the time they are disorganized, angry, and abusive.  One just never knows.  They will complain to your supervisor and you have no idea until it's too late to improve the concern..

My job was usually a mix between field work and lab work.  There was a period of a year where most of my work revolved around lab work.  During this time I managed my own research project in sugar beet pathology.  Field work included collecting data/samples for research and maintaining the current research crops.  Lab work included various molecular protocols that involved DNA/RNA synthesis and PCR work.  I enjoyed my co-workers and we had a great team of people that worked hard and always got our work done with quality and in a timely manner.  The hardest part of the job was working in the field during the summer months under intense heat.  The most enjoyable part was working in the lab.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Instructor 26 salaries reported	$45.00 per hour
Program specialist 3 salaries reported	$59,809 per year
Student worker 7 salaries reported	$13.14 per hour
Support technician 4 salaries reported	$21.55 per hour
Student technician 4 salaries reported	$14.74 per hour

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