Heidi Ellis
Administrative Officer - Examinations & Course Profiles
The University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia)
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
As an undergrad, I was inspired by my Academic Advisor to pursue a career in Higher Education.
After graduation, I took my first "professional" job as an Office Manager for a Catering Company.
Applied for an Administrative Assistant role with the University of Colorado Foundation.
I was encouraged by my bosses to do my Master's Degree.
To gain experience working with students, I volunteered as a study skills workshop instructor at CU.
After a long job search, I was hired as an Academic Advisor with Colorado Technical University.
Then I decided I hadn't traveled MY road enough, so I quit my job and moved to Australia.
I was hired as a temp, then transitioned to a permanent role with UQ in Brisbane.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Columbus State University
Columbus State University
Career
Administrative Officer - Examinations & Course Profiles
I format and edit exam papers for the University of Queensland's School of Economics.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Writing
Education
Working with Others
Day to Day
I am the exam guru. My work load fluctuates, building up from the beginning of each semester with a final push to hit deadlines as the semesters conclude. I primarily liaise with Professors, assisting with publishing course profiles prior to the start of each semester and collecting exam drafts for review. I also work with outside vendors and other units across campus and cover other administrative duties as needed.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for professionals
Higher education administration is so diverse, the more diverse your skills, the more opportunities you will find. A University is often like its own little city, so no matter what type of background you have (non-profit, marketing, teaching, administrative, etc.) there is likely to be somewhere your skills can be utilized.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You can't make any money in education. "Academic Advising? Never heard of it.""
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
Being a Military Spouse
