So, what’s it like to work at a community college (CC)? I enjoy talking about work, so I am happy to answer this question. However, I never would have guessed I would answer this question so often when I started working at a CC last fall, and it is the frequency of this question that serves as the inspiration for this blog post. I hope you’ll enjoy these metaphors as I attempt to paint a picture of work at a community college.
It is like working at the DMV. Before you run away in terror at the thought of the DMV, allow me to explain. All visitors to the DMV take a number. Everyone takes a number. Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, gender, ability, country of origin, and other identity components do not factor into the number selection. DMV patrons walk in, take a number, and are seen accordingly. And, so it is with community college. All persons are accepted, and everyone is permitted to take classes and receive the services of a community college. There are exceptions, of course, but they are rare, and community colleges truly serve all members of the community.
It is like working in retail or serving at a restaurant. Community colleges provide an education to many students, whether 18-year-old high school seniors or 65-year-old senior citizens. Just as in many service sector jobs, such as retail or restaurant wait staff, the clientele can vary widely, even more so than at other public educational institutions. No two community college students are alike. My students are studying everything from Accounting to Welding, including Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, and Medical Office Administration. Some want to transfer to a university, and some want to get a(nother or better) job with as little education as possible. Some barely know how to turn on a computer, and some are programming and building computers. The students are all so different, which is my favorite part of working at a CC, and this fact cannot be overemphasized.
It is like working for the legislature. In comparison with working at a community college, I never heard so much reference made to the regulations of the state government and legislature at the large public universities for which I worked and certainly not at the private institution where I worked. Of all the types of higher education institutions, community colleges have the strongest ties to law-making bodies of their respective states. And, with the current emphasis on job preparation as the purpose of college by state and local governments around this nation, it is prime time to be working in a community college. This also means that accountability is high as well, so CC student affairs educators may find themselves empathizing with their K-12 counterparts in regard to the record-keeping requirements of a community college.
It is like working at a library. Librarians are knowledgeable in a variety of subject areas. Similarly, community college employees can be expected to help students, who are possibly the college students shortest on time and money, by, as the overused saying goes, “wearing many hats”. As a community college student affairs educator, I’m even required to complete a series of cross-trainings dedicated specifically to this purpose. In this cross-training series, I get to learn about all of the different areas of the college, including Financial Aid and Registration and Records. So, if you’re interested in being more of a student affairs generalist, then come and learn at a community college.
There you have it. If working in a legislatorial DMV retail library-esque environment appeals to you, come join me in the wide world of community college and see for yourself what it’s like to work at a CC. You’ll be glad you did.
Deanna Knighton is a 2014 alumna of the Higher Education Administration master’s program at NC State University. She currently works as a Career Specialist at Wake Technical Community College. You can contact her at deanna.knighton@gmail.com.