Making the Switch from Corporate IT to Higher Ed

Many people get to a point in their career where they are ready for a change. If you plan to make the change from corporate IT to Higher Ed, it may be more difficult than you expect.

Making the Decision

I quickly realized that education technology was where I wanted to focus.

I had spent most of my IT career in finance. When the time came for me to take a break, thanks to a generous severance package, I seized the opportunity for change. After some time in a creative field, I realized that I really missed IT. I happened upon a consulting position working with Learning Management Systems. I quickly realized that education technology was where I wanted to focus. Lucky for me, I had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of Learning Management Systems clients across the country and globe. While I was building my experience, colleges and universities were also growing their experience with Learning Management Systems. Some were expanding their online course offerings, others were experimenting with MOOCs. The timing felt right and the Higher Ed world seemed like the next obvious step for me, so I decided to make the switch. Imagine my surprise when this move was much more difficult than I had anticipated.

Advanced Degrees are a Requirement

I quickly learned that years of IT experience, even learning technology experience, meant nothing without the correct education in the Higher Ed space.

For years, I moved freely around corporate IT, learning new languages and landing new projects based on my skills, not on my degrees. Work experience counted for more than education. A lot of us were very successful with only an Associate’s degree and a handful of certificates, as opposed to the Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees that are required in other fields. I quickly learned that years of IT experience, even learning technology experience, meant nothing without the correct education in the Higher Ed space; for obvious reasons, they place a greater emphasis on education. At that point, I went back and finished my Bachelor’s degree, and am now working on a Master’s degree in Learning Technology. In hindsight, this makes sense; since I am taking courses in technologies that did not even exist back when I had originally been in college. That is the way with technology. It constantly evolves, so you must keep up. Now we must get a degree and go to work and then earn an advanced degree and adjust our course and then take other classes and adjust again. It is more of a winding path than it used to be, and working in Higher Ed only highlights this new reality.

Getting a Foot in the Door

In addition, Higher Ed places great emphasis on bringing in people who already have Higher Ed experience. Years of working in IT are not enough. Even years of working with Learning Management Systems are not enough. This brought me back to the original problem that everyone faces when they first begin working. You cannot get a job without experience, and you cannot gain experience without the job. Higher Ed is a very exclusive club. After working harder to gain entry than I ever had to do before, I finally started a contract at a university. At that point, I was still in for more surprises, but at least from that point on, they were all good.

Quality over Quantity

This is such a refreshing change, and creates an environment that is an absolute pleasure to work in.

The corporate IT world is all about time and money – projects must be done at a breakneck speed, sometimes sacrificing quality for quantity. The Higher Ed world is all about doing it right – quality always takes precedence over quantity. This is such a refreshing change, and creates an environment that is an absolute pleasure to work in. There is also great flexibility in Higher Ed as compared to the corporate world. Systems and tools are presented and supported, but not always mandated. This allows faculty, staff, and students to feel comfortable experimenting with various options, while not feeling like they are being rushed or forced. I like change, but not everyone does, and Higher Ed is much more sensitive to this fact.

Making the Switch is Worth It

In summary, success in the corporate IT world does not automatically translate to success in the Higher Ed world. Education and experience requirements are very different, but if you do manage to make the leap, you are in for happy surprises.