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Moving Up in the Profession: Personal Essay 1
by Kathleen Massey, university registrar and executive director, enrollment services, McGill University
People arrive at being a leader in our field via many different
paths. I’m proud of my record so far, but I think
one of my strengths has been that I have never intended
to model my career on that of others. I tend not to promote
the traditional way of doing things; I’ve always wanted to
differentiate myself.
As a young person, I did not originally plan to be a registrar,
executive director of enrollment services or assistant vice
president of enrollment. Who does My plan was to study
political science and make politics my career. At a key point
in my life, I became disenchanted with politics. To expand
my horizons, I plunged into the “real world” after graduating
with my BA, trying several different work and volunteer
positions—including positions in marketing and government—and
I opened my own business. Eventually, for very
practical reasons, I applied to work in the registrar’s office at a
university in Toronto. To my surprise, I landed the job. With
bills to pay, this was going to be a two-year stint while I found
my “real passion” and “true calling.”
That was in 1989. It is mildly shocking to me that 25 years
have passed since then. My decision to stay in this field was
deliberate, and I continue to learn as my career evolves. Here’s
why I made that decision and what I’ve learned.
• I gradually became clear about my values and principles.
About two years into the entry-level role, I realized that the
work we were doing was helping people transform their lives
through education. It occurred to me that I could buy into
that for the long term. My values were really well connected
to what I was doing at work on a daily basis. This is a bit ironic,
because I had avoided the registrar’s office when I was an
undergraduate out of sheer fear of the power of the registrar
to de-register me for my own administrative slip-ups. It never
occurred to me that the people in that office were actually interested
in my academic success. Now I realized that many of
them did care, and I wanted to be part of that process. Today,
I actively and routinely reach out to students to let them know
we care about them and the quality of their postsecondary
experiences.
• I have found ways of furthering my knowledge, skills and
experience.
I sought out a variety of work experiences in the registrar’s
office, including in recruitment and admission. I actively diversified
my knowledge, skills and experience and worked to
avoid being pigeonholed in a particular area.
I began to say “yes” to virtually every new opportunity that
came my way. A new project A new system implementation
A chance to integrate teams to create a new service area Work
closely with students on a project Yes to all. I learned while
doing, and I continue to learn this way.
Albert Einstein said, “We can’t solve
problems by using the same kind of
thinking we used when we created them.”
I try to explore new ways of thinking and
doing. I try to make sense of people’s
needs, opinions, new technologies, and
new research, facilitating the emergence
of a new vision. In our world, that can
mean creating new service models, a new
organizational structure, new technologies,
new policies, or eliminating bureaucracy.
I have also taken responsibility for my own formal learning.
While working full time, I returned to school to complete an
MA in Leadership. I have also completed a senior university
administrators’ program. Each year I set formal learning goals
and achieve them.
• I take risks; I support risk-taking in others.
Albert Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the
same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” I try
to explore new ways of thinking and doing. I try to make
sense of people’s needs, opinions, new technologies, and new
research, facilitating the emergence of a new vision. In our
world, that can mean creating new service models, a new
organizational structure, new technologies, new policies, or
eliminating bureaucracy. Risk is a necessary aspect of thinking
and doing in new ways.
• I ask the people who do the work and who experience
the services to share their ideas; I have learned that it’s
important to hold people accountable for achieving goals.
My career evolved, and I joined the admission and recruitment
team. I loved the work in this area, too. The first thing I did
National Association for College Admission Counseling • Career Paths for Admission Officers: A Survey Report Page 18 of 55