If you've worked in or near Admissions at your college, you will probably have developed some of these skills and qualities:

1. You are good at finding the positives

“How’s the food?” “It’s not too bad, but my favorite restaurant in town is…” You are all too familiar with this sentence and your positive-spun replies have become a special talent of yours. If something may not be up to par, you can still play on its strengths.

2. You can sell your college

Even if you’re not an advertising or business major, you can highlight the most important and flashy things about your college. You also get really excited when things change positively and feel personally victimized if something goes negatively. If you hear your friends start to talk about the bad sides to your college, you will always try to give a solution to the problem

3. Giving tours is something you look forward to

And at that, walking backwards is one of your special talents (I plan on putting it on my resume). You know a lot of random facts about your college and sometimes go on little rants to friends and family when you walk through your tour route. You love talking about your experiences at your college that are unique to you (and parents adore it).

4. Early morning shifts = fake happy face

You are always ready with your cup of hot coffee or tea and ready to welcome someone to campus. Even if you hate everything, you just have to grin and bear it. But welcoming people to campus IS your cup of tea.

5. You become a cheerleader for your school

You’ve learned to love (nearly) every aspect of your college. When something good happens, you’re one of the first few people to know and inform the students about it. You get really excited to talk about your school and how much you love it, because working in Admissions is an excuse to geek out and get paid.

6. You actually like your job

When people ask you where you work, you beam with pride to say “The Admissions Department”. People get jealous of your job because you actually do a variety of things. Plus working in Admissions looks great on job applications because of your people skills. I have learned to talk fluently on-the-spot, trouble-shoot strange situations, and work a crowd (depending on how much the student appears to be enjoying the school). Welcoming students with a smile and understanding about how difficult college searches are is your job description . All you can do is offer them information, entertainment, and a look into your world.