What You Should Know When Taking a University Job?

FyreWyr asks: "I've been working professionally for more than 10 years, and recently returned to school to refine my skills, and potentially, to change careers. In the meantime I'm seeking income from my University in the most practical fields, i.e., my old technical career (programming, networking, etc). So, a programming job has become available, and with it, questions. While I've done my share of business consulting, I've never worked within a University pay system, and further, project interviews have not revealed a clear project scope. Wanting to accept the project, I'm now working on a basic project overview WITHOUT compensation so that I can (get it reviewed, and) kick out an appropriate time estimate and salary. Can anyone provide 'wish-I-would-have-known' issues regarding the politics, expectations, and monetary realities of working for a major department within a large University?"

Comments

Same as any job

[rd4tech]

(1) smile, nod... repeat...
(2) While doing (1), watch out carefully for impossible/stupid features proposed by the middle management
(3) Return to (1).

Re:Same as any job

[Hogwash McFly]

(4) If anything goes wrong, blame it on the guy who doesn't speak English.

Ahh, Tibor...

Re:Same as any job

[hoggoth]

> don't molest the students

I'm out.

It was either get a job at a University or play lead guitar in a band. Now I guess I'll have to learn how to play the guitar. A little.

Re:Same as any job

[robertjw]

> don't molest the students

Is it molesting if it's voluntary?

Re:Same as any job

[circusboy]

if they are of university age, I don't think it qualifies as molestation any more.

one tip though. don't work at a miltary university.

Re:Same as any job

[The Great Wazzoo]

I'm sorry, but that sound like Marvin got himself employed as the new university mascot.

Pffft pssst you will be working with management that does not know anything pffffft psssst and will have student help that does not know anything pffft pssst pain in my diodes pffft psst...

It must be hell working for a university.

Re:Same as any job

[iphayd]

No, and as this is slashdot, you misspelled s-o-l-i-t-a-r-y.

Stay Away From

[$criptah]

Freshmen hotties, drunk sorority chicks, raging parties that involve underage drinking and streaking.

Holy shit, what the fuck am I talking about? I am getting old :)

UserFriendly

[chill]

Please go thru the last week or so of http://userfriendly.org/static/ cartoons. It will prove enlightening.

-Charles

Re:politics... and more politics

[sconeu]

Userfriendly has gotten stale, but this week's User Friendly seems to be relevant...

Re:Money

[sharkey]

Don't ask for anything.

You have to know how to ask. Instead of asking for the University to pay for your housing, ask if you can sleep in the lab.

Re:don't work so hard!

[Anonymous Coward]

If you're working for the University, forget all that real world experience.

Okay...

Just do what you feel like, look busy, and program something crappy right before they ask for it.

How can I forget my real world experience when you won't stop talking about it?

Re:politics... and more politics

[wallykeyster]

And why is "Linux Admins" not "linux admins"... they're NOT God.

Clearly you've never worked with a linux admin :)

Re:Watch out for the Parking Nazis and students

[JohnnyGTO]

At CSUN we had a small school that closed next to the campu so people started parking there. One of the lots, the one nearest to CSUN had only one entrance so of course during finals some moron parks his/her car right in the entrance and blocks everyone else from leaving. Fortunatly for the car owner there was never a big enough crowd of pissed of students to roll the car. By the end of the day nothing look like it worked on that car, busted lights, bent antenna, flat tires and of course a parking ticket. HAHAHAHAHAHA Ooooo the sweet memories of school life.