Ignite Your Career

By Sally Benford posted 01-31-2019 05:19 PM

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It’s that time of year—all hearts, flowers and candy. It’s a holiday for love: between couples, between families, between friends. And it can also be a time to remember why you fell in love with your job.

Think back to your first day on the job in admission and enrollment. What was it like? Did you fall in love with it—head over heels or, like most anyone starting in a new profession, did you scratch your head and wonder what the heck you were thinking? Chances are, it was somewhere in between. You love helping students and their families, but you don’t love the crazy days and nights—particularly at this time of year when you’re buried in applications. Almost everyone falls in—and out—of love with the job many times over the course of a career. It may be time for you to get back the passion for what you do and fall in love all over again. Here, we offer five tips that can help rekindle the spark.

Make it Meaningful
Almost every job has tedious tasks that have to be done. It could be that someone on your team has a knack for those to-dos and actually enjoys them. If so, ask if they could take on the tasks—a win-win for both of you. If you can’t delegate those tasks, see what you can do to make them more exciting and meaningful. You don’t have to do a complete overhaul, just tweak them to suit your personality, even if it’s only to change up the time of day that you tackle them.

Attitude is Everything
Start your day by doing something kind. Bring coffee and donuts to the office, offer to help plan a meeting, or offer to lead a meeting. Smile at everyone you see—especially when you don’t feel like it. Thank someone. Creating a pleasant atmosphere can do wonders for you and for your co-workers.

Focus on the Positive
Some days are crazy busy and you’re frustrated that you can get it all done. Don’t let those times cloud the real purpose in what you do. Think about the overarching idea that you’re really setting children on the best path for their future. How many people can say that about their jobs? Take a minute at the end of each day to think about one awe-inspiring thing that happened. If you truly can’t think of anything—think about one thing you wished or wanted to happen, then focus on that. It may just happen tomorrow.

Advocate for your Profession
Being an admission and enrollment leader means you’re advocating for your school every day, but what about the profession? Think about how you can help colleagues grow and learn. Can you mentor someone who’s just starting out? How about sharing information or ideas with your peers? Have you attended a conference or offered to speak at one? Helping others see the high points of their chosen profession may remind you why you love the job.

Keep Learning
Lifelong learning is more than a catchphrase. In fact, being employed in education is one of the best reasons to improve your knowledge and skillset. Even if you’ve been in the job for many years, there’s always something new to learn and it gets you away from the day-to-day tasks. Sign up for a webinar, take certification classes, attend a conference or regional event. You might be surprised by the new and exciting ideas you’ll discover.

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