Running head: CAREER TRAJECTORY PAPER 1

Career Trajectory Paper

Marie Jarra

Georgia Southern University

EDLD 7430: American Higher Education

December 5th, 2016

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Career Trajectory Paper

My career aspirations in higher education began after I graduated with a BA in

communications from Georgia State University. I quickly found out that it was difficult

to find a job in my area of study. To be able to pay bills I took a temp job as a specialist

in the registrars office at Georgia State University dealing with financial aid, admissions,

and student accounts. After this position ended I took another temp position as a research

assistance in the College of Arts & Science assisting Grants and Contracts Officers and

the Associate Dean of Research. After a year as the research assistance I moved up to

Grants & Contracts Officer I. I quickly moved to Grants & Contracts Officer II within a

year. Obtaining a masters degree in Higher Education Administration will help me

achieve a future position in a foreign country as a Director of Research Administration.

Influences

My experience as a research assistance in the College of Arts of Sciences at

Georgia State University was the primary influence for my choice of a career in higher

education. Before this position I had not considered a career in higher education. My

supervisor at the time frequently advised me in research administration and opened my

eyes to the different aspects of higher education. She frequently gave me articles relating

to higher education career to read and then we would discuss them so she could better

understand my interest. From my interactions with her I developed a greater appreciation

for higher education administration.

I debated whether receiving a Masters in Higher Education Administration would

be beneficial for a career as a Director of Research. I questioned if it was worth me

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getting a graduated degree because I was noticing that many of the higher up

administrators in my department only had an undergraduate degree. In my current

department when it was time to hire a new CFO (Chief Financial Officer) in research the

candidate that received the position only had an undergraduate degree and it was in fine

arts. This observation led me to believe that with a little bit of experience and knowing

the right person I could achieve a position that I want without getting the degree. After

thinking on it for a while and assessing my finances, I decided to pursue my graduate

degree in higher education. Being a young African American woman, obtaining this

degree is mostly likely to get me a well-paid job than an undergraduate degree (New,

2015).

Goals

Short-Term Goals

I typically dont make short-term goals, but Im finding out that its helpful to

establish them as stepping-stones to my long-term goals. By the end of 2017 I plan to

graduate with a Masters in Higher Education Administration. I would like to continue

working at Georgia State University and continue learning as much as I can from the

current director of research in our department. For professional development I want to

continue attending regional and national conferences in research administration and

higher education administration. Attending conferences will allow me to become part of a

network of sharing of knowledge and experiences, as well as develop professionally

(NCURA, 2016).
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Long-Term Goals

About a year after graduation I will be applying to director positions in research at

an international research university. For the past two years, Ive been doing a lot more

international travel and I would like to work in another country and experience the

culture as much as I can. To become a director, I will search for jobs on Higher Ed Jobs

by filtering the location sections and narrowing it down to three cities, Melbourne,

Australia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Perth, Australia. Through attending

international conferences and personal traveling I have had the opportunity to meet

people in the same field of work and manage to keep in touch with them. My dream

would be to move and settle into one of these countries that Ive had the opportunity of

visiting and living there for at least five to six years.

Job Qualifications for Future Career

The director of research in a university setting is responsible for the management

of a group of research administrators and finance administrators for one college within a

university or the main university research office. This position requires a bachelors

degree and at least five years experience. Some institutions will take experience and

certification as a Certified Research Administrator (RACC, 2016) if a person does not

hold a bachelors degree. Most companies will seek a candidate with excellent written

and oral communication skills, ability to work with diverse types of people and having

the ability to multitask. From most of my research and job searches for international jobs

in this position most are seeking a preferred qualification of a Masters degree

(HigherEdJobs.com, 2016).
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A Director of research will be responsible for managing a staff of research and

finance administrators. The director will mentor and train team members in all aspects of

the proposal and award review process, including: understanding the principles and

policies which underlie award terms, promoting positive negotiating processes, and

developing effective use of work management tools. At an international university, a

director of research will also be responsible for international negotiations on grant

contracts and they must have the knowledge to train staff on international rules and

regulations.

Strengths and Areas Needing Improvement

Since Ive been in my current position as a grants and contracts officer at Georgia

State University, Ive taken many training course to learn and improve my skills in my

field. My strengths are as identified: the ability to produce reports in a timely manner,

manage a portfolio from different funding agencies with over three million in combined

budget. Some other strengths include the ability to work with a diverse group of research

professors, and having excellent verbal communication skills. Through training offered

by Georgia State University, the Society of Research Administrators, and the National

Council of University Research Administrators I was able to gain the skills and

knowledge to be able to apply uniform guidance rules, a set of cost principles, and audit

requirements for federal awards, to all awards under my management (Grants.gov, 2016).

When I take a position internationally, areas that I will need improvement will include

learning the language of a different county, understanding the culture and different

operational practices of that University. To improve on my weak areas, I plan on taking

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training classes whiles Im overseas, these classes will include: language classes, cultural

classes, and the universities best practices courses.

Professional Development &Organizations

Since Im already part of the National Council of University Research and the

Society of Research Administrators I want to continue being a member of both research

organizations. SRA has an international chapter that has been beneficial in my

professional development and has provided comprehensive information about research

management from over 40 countries (SRA.org, 2016). NCURA has been beneficial to

me by providing me with on-demand resources that have featured new and up to date use

of technology in research administration in my university (NCURA.org, 2016). An

organization that I am not a member of but plan to join is the American Academics and

Higher Education. AAHE is an organization different from the current two that Im a

member of because AAHE has a focus on higher education academics (AAHE, 2016).

This organization will benefit me in being a well-rounded administrator by implementing

skills in higher education to keep me competitive and successful in the workplace.

Mentoring

At my current institution, Georgia State University, I have a mentor Dr. Johnathan

Gayles who is currently holding the position of Associate Provost of Institutional

Effectiveness. I have worked with Dr. Gayles for the past four years and have been a

witness to his growth at Georgia State University. Its important to have mentor or role

model that is in a position that you seek to be in or similar. In the four years that I have

been at Georgia State University Dr. Gayles has went from Associate Dean of

Undergraduate Studies in the College of Arts and Science to his current position. The
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knowledge and advice that he has bestowed upon me are some that will help me in

establishing the foundations for my future goals. Dr. Gayles has also introduced me to

many professionals within research and higher education administrators that have proven

to be great networking aids for my current profession and future professions. I hope that

one day Im able to become a mentor to a young professional that needs aid and advice

on their career track just as Dr. Gayles has been to me. Paying it forward is a goal that I

must also reach once Im in the position that I want to be in.

Collaboration Opportunities

Collaborations are an important part of professional growth in higher education

because they allow professionals to work with different departments in aiding the

university in accomplishing its missions and goals. In my career, I would like to

collaborate with faculty and graduate student organizations to create systems within

institutions that aid in grant education and management. I find that this is something that

we lack in some institutions and its apparent with first year researchers who have a

difficult time understanding how their grants work.

Outside of my profession, I currently collaborate with AGERA (Atlanta

Gambians Emergency Relief Association). This organization is important to me because

as a Gambian I always want to aid my services to my community and help grow the

organization. In AGERA I am a member of the education committee, and collaborate

with other members in different professions to keep the Gambian youths up to date on

education changes and policies. We work with current college students, perspective

college students and grades 10th -12th to aid them with all aspects of higher education

from admission applications, to internships and scholarships. Because most Gambian

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parents in the U.S. are not in tune with the current education trends, and policies this is a

way for me as an administrator to give back to my community. As an African we have a

firm belief that it takes a village to raise a child. My overall goal in life is to contribute

as much as I can to the growth of society and the development and evolutions of mankind

in any way I can.

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References

AAHE. (2016). About AAHE Retrieved

from: http://www.aahe.org/

Grants.gov (2016). Uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit

requirements for federal awards. Grants.gov Retrieved from

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grant-policies/omb-uniform-

guidance-2014.html

HigherEdJobs. (2016). Job search advice. Retrieved from

https://www.higheredjobs.com/career/resumes.cfm

HigherEdJobs. (2016). International positions. Retrieved from

https://www.higheredjobs.com/international/

NCURA. (2016). Core purpose and mission. National Council of University Research

Administrators Retrieved from: http://www.ncura.edu/AboutUs.aspx

New, Jake. (2015, March 6). Still at a disadvantage. Inside higher education: Retrieved

from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/03/06/elite-college-degrees-

give-black-graduates-little-advantage-job-market

Research Administrators Certification Council (2016). Why hire a certificant. Retrieved

from https: http://www.cra-cert.org/whyhireaCRA.html

SRA. (2016). About sra international. Society of Research Administrators International

Retrieved from: http://srainternational.org/about-sra-international