Andy Hibel 0:03
Welcome to the HigherEdJobs Podcast. I'm Andy Hibel, the Chief Operating Officer, one of the co-founders of HigherEdJobs.

Kelly Cherwin 0:09
And I'm Kelly Cherwin, the Director of Editorial Strategy. Today we're talking with Mark Coldren about strategic career decisions. Mark is a leadership and engagement specialist with CUPA-HR and is a retired associate vice president for human resources at the University at Buffalo. He held previous senior roles at Ithaca College and Syracuse University. For those of you who aren't familiar, CUPA-HR stands for the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. Thanks, Mark, for joining us today. We're so glad to have you here.

Mark Coldren 0:37
My pleasure to be here, Kelly.

Kelly Cherwin 0:38
Today we're going to start with a listener question, asking for advice on how to make strategic career moves as they consider their long-term growth. Mark, here is the question for today. I began a position five months ago in enrollment management at my university after completing my master's degree at the same institution. As I think about my long-term career growth, how do I go about looking for other opportunities at my current institution while maintaining strong relationships and not burning bridges? Mark, what are your thoughts on that?

Mark Coldren 1:07
I think people make a commitment to working someplace, especially when they get an educational benefit. You feel like you owe them. Some people have called it the golden handcuffs. You provided this resource, now I owe you to stay where I am. I think this starts with how you're interested in your career trajectory, which means you may have ongoing conversations with your supervisor about what you see next. Some people find that easier than others, depending on their relationship with their supervisor. The other thing I would ask is to take a look at your current job. As you read the job description, do you see it as constant growth, or do you see it as a job where you think, this is what I signed on for when I started my master’s a few years ago, and I’m ready for something else? I think a combination of those two can help someone think about what to do next. Do I start to look at open jobs, or do I start to talk to others about where I might go?

Kelly Cherwin 2:10
Following up on that, in terms of looking for opening jobs, what is the process? I know it probably differs at every institution. This person is in enrollment management. Maybe they look at their job description and think, I don’t think this is what I want to do. Maybe I want to try working in student affairs. Do they go to HR and apply as an internal candidate? Do they network? Do they talk to their current supervisor? How do they navigate this kind of delicate situation, since they don’t want to burn any bridges?

Mark Coldren 2:49
I think the important element is, if you're looking to change a particular profession on a campus, a set of work, waiting until postings come up can work against you. If it's something different and you apply, many may not see you as a viable candidate because they don’t see your previous or current experience, such as enrollment management, preparing you for that role. I encourage people to start to look at other areas that interest them. For example, if it’s student affairs, reach out in that division and find somebody you could have a conversation with and say, tell me a little bit more about what you do. The first reaction might be, I don’t have a job right now, and you can respond, I understand that. I’m just trying to see where there might be a match with my skills and interests. One caution is that if you're further along in your current role, this may not be a lateral move. It may feel like a step back into an entry-level role in a different part of the university. Be careful of that because you may have to take a lower job level, maybe even sacrifice some salary, and that’s not always easy. One of the best transitions can be moving into an administrative role, such as a coordinator position or project-based work. Be aware that if your experience is very specialized, it may be harder to make that transition.

Andy Hibel 4:41
Mark, I think that’s so important to talk about the mechanics of switching between departments. You probably shouldn’t wait until a position is posted. One of the common pitfalls is the idea that the employee’s perception is the employer’s reality. In many cases, the employer’s perception becomes the employee’s reality. How your employer perceives the situation is really important. No matter how good your reasons or how well intended your request may be, you need to think carefully about how the employer will see it. You may be justified, but if the employer doesn’t see it that way, it becomes difficult to move forward.

Let me be more specific. This is a great question because there are many perspectives. You’ve been in the position for five months. The best way to position yourself for your next role is to prove yourself in your current one. If you’re in what sounds like an entry-level administrative role, give yourself a year or a year and a half. If conversations about growth are not happening, then it may be appropriate to raise them when the timing is right. Bringing it up too soon, even if you’re performing well, can be a concern. They just hired you. From your perspective, you may feel you owe them for your education. From their perspective, they’ve invested time and effort into hiring and training you. The last thing they want is to replace you or create a new role just to keep you. If you’re strong in your role, in two to three years they may worry about losing you if they don’t offer opportunities. If you’re not seeing that, that’s something to evaluate. People often feel pressure to move up quickly, but you have an opportunity to prove yourself. Do that and wait for the right opportunity. You can revisit this conversation over time without damaging the relationship.

Mark Coldren 7:38
I agree. One key point is understanding the life cycle of your job. In enrollment management, five months in, you need to see the full cycle of the institutional year. That context helps demonstrate your impact and growth. Another piece is how you approach your supervisor. If you bring this up too early, they may think you saw the role as a stepping stone. That’s not why they hired you. These conversations take time to develop. Supervisors may also feel you are not appreciating the opportunity they gave you. Many departments do not see their role as preparing you to move on. They focus on keeping you. I wish more supervisors embraced development over time. Instead, they may think, it took so long to find you, and now you want to leave. That’s why timing matters. Five months may be too soon, but you can start by saying, I’m interested in growth. What would that look like?

Andy Hibel 9:28
I agree with that point. Many supervisors do not see it as their responsibility to prepare you for your next role. If we looked at this from a supervisor’s perspective, retaining strong employees should be a priority. If someone has done well in a role for the appropriate amount of time, they will get other opportunities. Their work will stand out, and other institutions will value their experience. Early-career professionals are especially mobile. Leaders should pay attention to that. If you want to retain talent, you need to be aware of it. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be surprised when they leave.

Mark Coldren 10:37
Another point is that if you are surprised when someone comes to you with a job offer, it likely means you didn’t understand what was important to them. If they are on a growth path, you should anticipate that. Many supervisors are surprised and try to respond with a counteroffer. Money may help, but it’s not why they were recruited. They were recruited because they are strong employees. You should know who your people are that are attractive in the market.

Kelly Cherwin 11:16
I really have nothing more to add because you have summed it up so well. Mark, this has been a fantastic conversation. We appreciate you joining us and hope this listener and everyone listening finds this helpful. Thank you again for joining us.

Mark Coldren 11:33
My pleasure, Kelly. Great talking with you.

Andy Hibel 11:36
Thank you, Mark. Thank you all for listening. If you have any questions or thoughts about this podcast, or questions for Mark, please email us at podcast@HigherEdJobs.com
or send us a direct message on X @higheredcareers. Thank you for listening, and we look forward to talking with you again soon.