Career Specialty Choice and Student Affairs: Paraprofessional Perspectives on Finding Their Career Path

Higher education and student affairs (HESA) graduate students share similar experiences to medical students to find their professional specialty during their training. This study uses a professional socialization framework to understand how 13 HESA master’s-level students at a large research institution in the Midwest determine their preferred functional area for the first full-time role. Utilizing thematic analysis on document and interview data, four themes emerged related to pre-HESA program mentorship; exposure to and experiences in functional areas; feeling connected to others through identities and lived experiences; and the student-facing versus non-student-facing nature of HESA work. These findings raise implications for faculty and supervisors to tailor coursework and fieldwork that optimize exposure to and reflections on a variety of functional areas. Recommendations for future research address additional internal and external motivations of HESA graduate students in determining their specialty choice in the profession.