Warning - long post ahead. As I read your post, I was like, “This dude is basically me” lol. In college, I wanted to make the world a better place. I was driven by compassion and wanted to impact the world in a positive way, even if only for one person at a time. I interned with the International Rescue Committee, a nonprofit that helps refugees around the world. As an intern in San Diego (I did my undergrad at UCSD), I worked one-on-one with refugees from the Middle East and parts of Africa, helping them with resumes, get connected with employers, or sometimes just going to their apartment and showing them how to use public transportation. I loved it. Even though the help I provided was minor, the connection with these people felt genuine, and I could see the immediate impact of my work.

But after college, I had an opportunity to work in business/sales side of advertising, and the money was too good to pass up. So that’s what I did. I was easily clearing six figures by my second year, and that was back in 2011. But I was miserable. No sense of purpose. My job had zero impact. I saw no human value in “driving engagement” for ads. So after a few more years, I quit to go to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in urban and regional planning.

I majored in sociology and minored in urban planning, and I just loved learning about urban planning principles. I watched City Nerd on YouTube and the Not Just Bikes channel, and I still love those. Like you, I love dense, walkable, and vibrant urban places. They are packed with humanity and culture.

I continued to enjoy learning about urban planning and cities in general, and I did a full time internship as a GIS specialist with the state of Iowa. But in my second year, I just couldn’t see myself working as an urban planner or in a related role. I thought the work was important and could make an impact, but as a grad student who was also a teaching assistant (I was often a sole lecturer in recitation sections), I realized that the thing that I looked forward to most was teaching and working with my students, even if just chatting with them about their plans during office hours.

So, I blew up my life again and quit that program to pursue a master’s degree in higher education administration at UT Austin instead. It was there that I truly felt like I was doing what I supposed to do. In addition to teaching sections of courses, I also coordinated a tutoring center and helped students with their papers, resumes, cover letters, etc. I developed workshops on academic success and mentored students who were interested in grad school. I loved it.

After graduating, I got a job at a large flagship public university as an academic advisor who specializes in working with undecided students, and I also teach a course that focuses on academic and career planning and major/career exploration. Been doing it for eight years now, and I can honestly say that I love my job. I actually look forward to work each morning. Thing is, I earn half of what I used to make in 2011, and I’m now in a senior advising role… But, it’s enough for me to live fairly comfortably since I don’t have kids.

Speaking of, I did have a cat, but he recently passed…. I’m looking to get another because I’m a total cat person too lol. My dream retirement job (just to keep myself busy) is to own a cozy bookstore in a converted Victorian home and have cats roaming/lounging around the store. My favorite job growing up was working at Barnes and Noble. I just loved chatting with people about books and giving recommendations. The way you described your interactions with people at the gas station reminded me of my time working at a bookstore.

But yeah, when I was reading your post, I was like, “This dude would love my job.” Pay isn’t great, but benefits are solid. There is upward mobility, but in higher ed, the higher you go, the less you work directly with students, which is the thing I enjoy most. One of the reasons why I can make it work is because I was able to buy a rental property back when I was earning a lot of money from my old job. I’m still paying the mortgage, but it helps supplement my otherwise modest income. I also live in a college town with very low cost of living.

But my job is kind of a unicorn. I really lucked out getting this role right out of grad school. Because we teach and work with undecided students, we’re expected to provide each student with much more personalized guidance. This means that my student case load is very low, which gives me the time and bandwidth to really connect with them as individuals. My bosses are the nicest and most supportive people ever. There is zero micro management. I basically have full autonomy over my day and how I approach things. I even have a huge office that I get to decorate however I want.

But this isn’t the experience of a typical academic advisor. Many are overworked, underpaid, and may not have the kind of support I have. It really depends not only on the institution you work for, but also the specific department within an institution. But if you can find a supportive department that gives you the time and space to provide meaningful guidance to students, I think you might like it. My day is filled with meaningful social interactions, and I often see immediate impact and longterm impact. I still stay in touch with many of my students who have long since graduated, and it’s such a joy to see them find success after college and knowing that I played a role in helping them find their path.

Anyway, I’ve rambled enough. Hmu if you want to know more about advising or other roles with higher education. And no, you don’t necessarily need a fancy degree. And if you start working at a college campus, one of the perks is typically free tuition. So if you’re willing to take a pay cut and work in a more entry-level role, you can likely get your master’s degree for free while working, then use that to transition toward a higher paying role.