Why is it so hard to get interviews/land jobs at colleges & universities?

[displacedmom]

Many of the state universities have unions. I called the HR person in charge of processing the online applications and resumes at our local universities to ask why I have not gotten an interview for the last 10 jobs I applied to, and she told me that many of the jobs are going to the union members transferring from other departments. I also know many people who work there (have them as references) and they all say the same thing: you have to have really good connections to get in.

[avg12]

Originally Posted by lovetheduns

Personally-- I did not like working for the universities. At the state run schools, the tuition benefits were miserly as was the pay.

The universities that I'm come across offer decent tuition benefits, but better for another member in the family: the spousal and children benefits. However, many state schools prohibit tuition remission into law school, med school and most other expensive programs for that spouse, and I think only undergraduate studies for children.

The benefits for the employee are ok - the employee will still have to work full-time, so at most, might be able to take 2 evening courses each semester for free (~4 grad classes/yr), but is limited of course to programs at the university. That individual could get a job elsewhere that pays more (that helps with salary history), and if that employment offers educational benefits ~$5000/yr (~2 grad classes/yr), it could go towards a program at any university.

If none or only half is covered, the individual could qualify for a tax deduction.

However, at a university job - one is in an environment where pursuing grad courses is more understood, and it's easy commuting from work to class also.

In a private sector job that is away from a university, a supervisor might not like why one is leaving early, can't stay until 9pm to finish something. There might be a lot of travel involved that interferes with classes.

[avg12]

Originally Posted by displacedmom

Many of the state universities have unions. I called the HR person in charge of processing the online applications and resumes at our local universities to ask why I have not gotten an interview for the last 10 jobs I applied to, and she told me that many of the jobs are going to the union members transferring from other departments. I also know many people who work there (have them as references) and they all say the same thing: you have to have really good connections to get in.

Aren't the positions listed as union or non union?

[Jeromeville]

If you are interested in getting an administrative job at a university, try applying for a secretarial or administrative assistant job.

University administrators have often worked their way up from the secretarial pool over many years. It's not really about "connections" so much as it is about having knowledge of the institution that only comes from having worked there for a long time.

[brightdoglover]

I think a lot of college jobs are being taken by people who held them part-time while in school, or who take them upon graduation from that school, for the same reason as the OP- people often prefer a college environment to a strictly business one. They can pick and choose, I think.

[VelvetFedora]

At the college I went to, it's because the Human Resources department is controlled by angry women who have puffed themselves up thinking they're the President because they "control" hiring. I am on a local forum as well, and one of the girls there has posted mean remarks about the people hiring for the positions, made fun of them, discussed their characteristics that made them unfit, etc. It's so tempting to report her, because she IS violating the disclaimer on the University hiring portal which says "Your application info is confidential and will not be shared with anyone," but I won't – I'll let her hang herself by her own rope instead.

In my experience dealing with HR, as well, too many people in this industry are very self-important and vindictive. It's best to go around them. Universities typically require you to go through their hiring portals to apply for jobs. Don't. That's how you get stuck in the HR game. Find an inside contact in the department you want to work for (LinkedIn is GREAT for this) and go from there.