administrative specialist

administrative associate

postdoctoral associate

administrative assistant

graduate researcher

University of Tennessee

My duties included answering student questions, scheduling advising appointments, answering the phone, catering, giving presentations/informational sessions on the College of Business, and many other things. 

I learned how to manage my time well and how to handle people because of this job. For example, parents would come into the office wanting to know how their child is doing in school. FERPA laws state that this is private information, so I was unable to tell them, despite them having paid for their child's education. Because of this, I quickly learned how to handle situations involving angry parents. 

My boss was wonderful. I was in school while doing this job and she would often let me study or do homework when I had finished my duties for the day. 

My co-workers were definitely very nice people. They were all in the same situation that I was in (going to school/working), so we were able to understand each other a little better. 

The hardest part of the job was figuring out how to do new things. People leave the position as soon as they graduate from college and the coworker (who had more experience than me) left one semester in. That left me knowing about things that were needed for the Fall semester, with different things being needed for the Spring and Fall semesters that I had never done before.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the flexibility of the schedule. My boss allowed my coworkers and me to come up with our own schedule that would work for us. If we needed time off, we could just make it up later by holding information sessions, working during school holidays, etc.

Interning at the University of Tennessee was an unparalleled experience brimming with growth, learning, and camaraderie. From the moment I stepped onto the campus, I was embraced by a vibrant community driven by a shared passion for knowledge and excellence. The university's commitment to innovation and inclusivity fostered an environment where creativity flourished, and boundaries were constantly pushed.

Throughout my internship, I had the privilege of working alongside esteemed faculty members who generously shared their expertise and insights, igniting my curiosity and inspiring me to reach new heights. Whether collaborating on research projects, assisting in classrooms, or engaging with students, every task felt purposeful and rewarding.

Beyond the academic realm, the University of Tennessee provided countless opportunities for personal and professional development. Networking events, workshops, and mentorship programs allowed me to connect with industry leaders and gain invaluable advice for my future career path.

Moreover, the sense of community at the University of Tennessee was truly remarkable. From spirited football games to community service initiatives, I felt a profound sense of belonging and pride in being part of such a vibrant and diverse campus culture.

Overall, my time interning at the University of Tennessee was transformative, equipping me with the skills, knowledge, and memories that will undoubtedly shape my future endeavors. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such an esteemed institution and will carry the lessons learned with me throughout my journey.

At the department level, there is room to work your way up to coveted positions as a paid GTA, but not a lot, and applications for the jobs are scattered, not distributed, and appear to be handed down in a sort of hierarchy. In other words, this is a somewhat "who-you-know" department. Promises made to student workers were not always kept when it came time to hand out class assignments. A little extra money is available here and there in terms of awards. 

At the institutional level, though TAs are expected to navigate campus the same way adjuncts, lecturers, and staff are, TAs are not given instructor-level parking passes. TA's recently received a raise of about $1000 per year; before that, the last raise had been granted over 10 years ago. A person cannot live in Knoxville on the wages provided TAs. Shared offices are provided, with technology and [mostly] working heat, a/c, and lights; the building is also full of asbestos warnings. A new building provides graduate students with a lot more comforts and amenities than the previously assigned offices, which is a really appreciated update. Provided insurance is okay, but only pays campus health services, which cannot do much but make recommendations if the illness or injury is mildly unusual; the insurance does pay for any external treatment provided as a referral by the health center. 

The typical work day involves maintaining a computer lab and printers, interactions with students and faculty at the university and answering any questions posed by those individuals. 
-Through this job I gained an increase in self-initiative in addition to obtaining a better understanding of the importance of commitment. As well as being a student, I worked the 4am-8am shift. There were many times that I may not have wanted to get up at 3:30 am in order to be at work on time, but I made a commitment when I accepted this position so I honored it.  This job was not one in which we had tasks that were constantly overseen by direct supervisors. It was more self-motivated, yet there were things that needed to be accomplished every shift. I found that I learned much about taking initiative through this position. 
-I enjoyed working under Mrs. Knaff as she was a great communicator and one always knew where you stood with her. 
-As far as culture goes, it was a relaxed environment.
-The hardest part of the job was that sometimes I would be asked to assist someone with a task I was unfamiliar with. Fortunately, we were provided with all of the tools in order to find the answers to the questions. 
-The most enjoyable part of the job was the one-on-one interactions I was able to have with a variety of different personality types.

I love LabCorp as I have been with the company for 6 years now. The benefits are outstanding as well as the management and my co-workers.  There are many perks to working for LabCorp such as their insurance they provide, their 401K, paid time off, holiday pay. We have week end pay, as well as shift differential. There is always overtime to pick up and career advancements. When I need a day off, there are always co-workers willing to switch with you so you don't have to use vacation time. I work M-F with week end rotation which gives me one day off during the week. And it varies which is nice for Dr. appointments and such. 

The hardest part of my job is not working in the hospital setting, but what goes on behind working in the hospital setting. Each day, I realize that life status changes from day to day. You get close to your cancer patients, trauma patients, and NICU babies. It is great when your patient gets discharged from the hospital and is able to go home. But when your patients last home is the hospital, you hope you were able to make enough of an impact in their life as well as the families life. I learn to be thankful for what God gives me and the courage to be strong. 

LabCorp is not just in the hospital setting, that is just where I happen to love to work. LabCorp has many different service centers from every kind of doctor office to work at. I definitely recommend working for LabCorp.

A typical day at work:

You get to work and NO ONE speaks to you! Very politically correct and unprofessional.

What you learned:

I learned much about the SAP system and accounting, which is required for your job. Exempt workers have zero concern what non-exempt workers have to do. They can care less!!

Management: 

Absolutely a joke! There are people in management there that can care less of the lower non-exempt employees. Professional morals are non-existent!!! 

Beware, if you apply for a position at UTK make sure it is an overpaid exempt position, otherwise, you get NO respect!

Your co-workers:

Kind of friendly, but very Political about everything. Not understanding about lower position worker's life issues. What went on in their lives was way more important!

The hardest part of the job:

Doing your many required tasks and exempt employees, not turning in receipts, time sheets, etc., into to you. These items were needed by your DEADLINES!!! They know this, yet don't do it! Then your boss yells at you if not completed, like it was your fault!

The most enjoyable part of the job:

Running past my boss's office with paperwork for deadlines, and seeing them reading the paper, TV on, and feet propped on the desk!!
No direction, or any help! You are literally on your own!!

I wouldn't not work at UTK again, if my life depended on it!!!!!!

A typical day of work was answering phones, providing administrative assistance with Microsoft Office by creating spreadsheet and comprising documents and correspondence, scheduling of meetings, event planning and project organization. I did not have a full-time position with the university even though I applied for many full-time positions and have a degree from UT. Instead of hiring someone who gave their all for Tennessee it was more important to have a more diverse culture therefore people who had not been affiliated with UT in any capacity were afforded the opportunity to work there. Human Resources felt that although I had graduated from UT, I was only qualified for temporary help to different departments when needed, therefore, what I learned was that loyalty did not exist and that was the hardest part of the job. Many of the departments for which I worked were very positive but there were a few that where the staff was extremely rude. The most enjoyable part of the job that although it was on a temporary basis I had the opportunity to represent my alma mater until I realized that the feeling was not mutual.

As a student at the University of Tennessee I was given the opportunity to work at in the RecSports department. While there I worked as an intramural official, intramural supervisor, intramural office assistant, water safety instructor, and as a lifeguard. This job provided me with many different avenues to learn and grow as a student and person. I learned how to not only officiate many different sports but more importantly how to deal with difficult situations that frequently arose. The job that I learned the most from was my manager or supervisor position at intramural sports. As a supervisor I was in charge of anywhere between 10-50 employees per night, and at times upwards of 500 student-participants. I loved this job because I was able to learn how to properly deal with conflict management and was able to make many personal connections with participants. The hardest part of being an intramural supervisor was enforcing rules that I did not agree with, but I understood that my job was not to create the department policies but rather to enforce them for the safety of the participants as well as the well being of our employees.

There are things that I like about UT...Benefits, paid holidays, etc. 
UT does try to organize many events where employees are welcome to participate, lots of freebies and UT gear, which is really nice. However, due to my department's lack of planning ahead and hiring enough people so that we are even close to being fully staffed, we are not always able to be included in these events. It is fun and exciting to be a part of the UT campus, hearing the band play or football season. 

Things that I DON'T like...Low pay, MANAGEMENT, the building where I work is disgusting and old with many health hazards, cockroaches, rats, mold, etc.
Lack of consistency with manager towards coworkers including OT, clocking out for lunch or allowing certain people to take off time and not allowing certain others to do the same. Obvious display of favoritism towards certain coworkers. 
Yeah, this dept. is so far from professional it's appalling. Many unhappy employees. Oh this department is Parking Services, by the way. The lowest paid department and toilet bowl on campus!! ;) 
Literally. It's behind the TVA wastewater treatment plant.

I'm sure the other departments are more professional!

NOTE: This is not a place I worked. I volunteered here, and because this is a foreign owned NPO supported by the Chinese government, Americans usually can't work for them other than as a student representative with a small stipend or a language tutor (varies by location).

Loved to volunteer here. Mostly just helped the employees set up and advertise events. Would get to plan events when cooperating through the local chapter of Project Pengyou and the Chinese Culture Club.

Employees are extremely kind and welcoming. Very interested in helping accomplish goals however they can. Most of the work is very simple physical labor for 20-30 minutes before/after an event. Always gave me leftover food after events. Great way to learn about Chinese culture. Often got free access to the events, but that became less common as more volunteers from the Chinese community took part in Confucius Institute events. 

Big downsides are your limited interaction in coordinating events when volunteering, not much chance at real employment, and abundance of volunteers leads to an overall decline in volunteering opportunities.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Administrative specialist 22 salaries reported	$18.90 per hour
Administrative associate 32 salaries reported	$19.15 per hour
Postdoctoral associate 52 salaries reported	$65,848 per year
Administrative assistant 8 salaries reported	$17.83 per hour
Graduate researcher 3 salaries reported	$33,232 per year

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