Career Advancement Checklist for the Financial Aid Professional

No matter how long you have worked in financial aid, there are steps you can take to keep your career on track. Here are a few tips for advancing in the financial aid profession, and some ways NASFAA can help you achieve your goals:

Attend training.

You know the regulatory requirements today, but you must stay on top of the changes constantly. When you seek training at the state, regional, and/or national levels, your knowledge stays up-to-date. Asking your boss for approval to attend workshops and conferences shows that you have initiative and are interested in improving your skills. An added bonus to in-person training is the opportunity to build a network of peers. Whether you want a promotion or a new position, your resume should include all continuing education programs that you have completed.

Each year, NASFAA offers Fall Training, In Search of Best Practices Symposium, a Leadership Conference (by invitation), and a National Conference. You can also complete online courses at LearnStudentAid.org and/or purchase CORE training materials and lead your own training session at your institution. For more information, visit the NASFAA Training Center.

Get involved with a cause.

Working in financial aid is not just about filling out paperwork or filing papers electronically, although it may seem like it at times. Long-term financial aid professionals look forward to going to work each day because they are dedicated to helping students succeed no matter what obstacles the student faces. Early awareness efforts and programs for underserved populations take place across the country. If you get involved at the state, regional, and/or national level, you may find a deeper meaning to your work, and make great peer contacts, too.

NASFAA administers the College Goal Sunday program, which helps underserved populations fill out the FAFSA each year. Volunteers are recruited at the state level. For more information, visit www.CollegeGoalSundayUSA.org.

Volunteer.

All of the financial aid associations—state, regional, and national—rely on volunteers to accomplish their objectives. When you volunteer for a committee or serve on a board of directors, you learn how organizations are run; you gain useful management skills, especially if you lead a committee; and you make fantastic contacts for the future. The experience looks great on your resume, too.

While NASFAA has a permanent staff, the Association relies on more than 170 volunteers each year. To learn how you can get involved with NASFAA, visit the NASFAA Web site at www.NASFAA.org/Volunteer.asp.

Earn awards.

When you get involved and volunteer, you begin to get noticed in the financial aid community. State, regional, and national associations recognize their volunteers annually. Not only do awards look great on your resume, they also make you feel good.

Learn what it takes to earn awards and aim to make them your goal. Information on NASFAA’s awards can be found at www.NASFAA.org/Awards.asp.

Get published.

State, regional, and national associations have online and print publications that need articles on a regular basis. Some publications come out every month, others three or four times a year. When you publish an article, you establish yourself as an expert in the field of financial aid. People begin to seek you out. Also, you can give your boss copies of your articles and include them as a resume supplement.

To submit articles for NASFAA’s Student Aid Transcript magazine, visit www.NASFAA.org/Transcript.asp.

Teach.

At some point during your career, you will know more about financial aid than others in the field. Or, you may have developed a specialty or niche. By taking time to become a trainer at the state, regional, and/or national level, you can give back to the financial aid community and establish yourself as a leader in the field. Include a list of all your teaching experiences on your resume.

For NASFAA’s yearly Fall Training Workshops, the Association develops and prints materials and then trains the trainers, who are selected by the state and regional associations. NASFAA also seeks presenters for the sessions at the National Conference. If you are just starting out as a trainer, check out NASFAA’s Tips for Trainers at www.NASFAA.org/TrainingCenter.asp.

Do research.

If you are interested in a particular financial aid topic and you want to conduct research, go for it—especially if you are in a graduate or PH.D. program. Publishing a student aid-related research report is an excellent way to show your current and future bosses that you are serious about your financial aid career. Research papers establish you as a subject expert.

NASFAA offers research grants through its Sponsored Research Grant Program and publishes select research reports and results in the Journal of Student Financial Aid. For more information, visit the NASFAA Research Center.

Know where to look.

If you are seeking a job outside of the financial aid profession, there are many job Web sites to visit including Monster, CareerBuilder, and others. These sites allow you to search by location, job title, salary, etc. The sites also have useful tips on making your resume stand out and writing cover letters.

The NASFAA Career Center focuses exclusively on jobs in the financial aid industry. You can also sign up for the personal Job Alerts to receive job postings via email. For more information, visit the NASFAA Career Center.

Ask for a raise.

If you like where you work but want more money or a promotion, compare your salary and job description with the industry standards.

NASFAA publishes an online salary survey that can be useful in your research. Also, take a look at the 2004 NASFAA Salary and Staffing Model. Both items can be found online at www.NASFAA.org/StaffingMenu.asp.

Please direct all questions and comments about the Career Center to Membership at (202) 785-0453 Ext. 1 or Membership@NASFAA.org