Pros
Dept management that actively invests in employee growth: goal-setting is taken seriously and evaluations reflect actual observed performance rather than checkbox exercises. Genuine opportunities to take initiative and have it recognized: projects like co-creating tools, leading outreach, and pursuing credentials are encouraged and noted formally. The work is meaningful: you're directly impacting students by helping them navigate one of the most stressful and confusing systems in higher education. Strong professional development culture within dept: webinars, NASFAA credentials, and external trainings are supported and tracked. Telework flexibility exists within dept and can be adjusted around personal needs, if documented. Permanent status process is clear and the probationary period, while real, is fair and well-documented. Cross-functional exposure through the Bronco Advising Center adds breadth to an otherwise specialized role.
Cons
Busy periods are genuinely intense and stack in ways that can feel relentless: July, August, and the stretch from January through May in particular. Fall Conference week (typically the week before fall semester) is a known pressure point that is hard to plan around. PeopleSoft has a somewhat steep learning curve if you're brand new to it, and hands-on training can be inconsistent depending on who you're paired with. The pace of federal and state policy changes means you're constantly absorbing new information, translating it for internal and external stakeholders, and (recently) existing in a state of fluidity while the feds maneuver things, which is energizing for some and exhausting for others.