We all do admin. It’s not why you did a PhD. You wanted to teach and you wanted to research. Still, institutions only run because academics also take on collegiate, non-teaching, non-research roles. It’s part of being in a team.
The point is not to do all the roles, all the time. It’s to choose them wisely so you keep time and headspace for writing. Not all admin is created equal, and structures vary by department and country, but these principles travel. As I discuss in more detail in the podcast, here are the big three pitfalls, and how to avoid them.
Roles that are too big for your seniority
Junior colleagues, especially those on probation or tenure track, often feel pressure to say yes to everything. You may be “offered” a portfolio that flatters the ego but outstrips your grade and experience. Do not expect leaders to match roles to career stage. Workload often lands on whoever seems available.
Why this hurts:
You lack the hierarchical clout to move senior colleagues. Academia is hierarchical in practice; a junior cannot compel a professor.
You lack speed through experience. Seniors prep, grade, and administrate faster. Early on, your core duties already fill the week.
You are not paid or buffered, for the fallout. Oversized roles end in tears. Yours, and sometimes the department’s.
High-risk examples for the under-senior: head of department or school, director of research, director of undergraduate studies, head of teaching and learning. If your gut says, “too big,” it probably is.
Roles that clash with your stress profile
Do not choose admin because it’s interesting or because you could be good at it. Choose what suits your temperament. Academic admin maps neatly onto burnout drivers: too many tasks, high expectations with low control, uncertainty, difficult personalities, and low autonomy.
Know your main stressor:
Too many tasks with too little time — avoid rolling, reactive workloads with constant micro-deadlines.
Expectation stress — avoid high-stakes quality judgements without clear criteria.
Risk and uncertainty — avoid fuzzy scope and shifting rules.
Toxic people — avoid committees led by people you don’t like.
Low autonomy — avoid portfolios where every decision crawls up several layers.
I chose roles that maximised agency over timing and execution. Not the least work, the most control. That preserved my writing.
Roles with the wrong people
Who you work with matters as much as the work. Some portfolios are solo with administrative support. Others tie you into committees across department, faculty, and university. If the team includes your “Brenda” , the colleague who drains capacity, the role will cost more than it looks.
Every admin line signals a narrative. If you repeatedly take pastoral roles, you can be read as less research-focused, fair or not. If you want progression on the administrative path, seek roles with visible leadership and decision-making, not just service.
Protect your career by making intentional decisions.
One role at a time. Multiple portfolios are why you can’t write.
Get scope, decision rights, support, and workload allocation documented.
Prefer predictability. Cyclical calendars beat perpetual firefighting.
Match role to your stress profile. Choose for fit, not interest.
Choose your colleagues. Less Brenda, more bandwidth.
Choosing admin is just a tiny part of the hundreds of career decisions you need to make to ensure your academic career is progressing. This is much easier when you understand the career map you want to pursue, and how to pursue it. If you want to know about the 8 domains of a successful academic career, you can get my free training - and my eyes on your career map with a free 30 minute consultation, here.
Continue reading:
The biggest career mistake ambitious academics make
Navigating Departmental Politics
The Academic Success Pyramid: Focusing Your Energy for Career Progression
What Academic Success Means To You
(Writing) Career Trapdoors
What Academic Success Means to You
5 Things I Wish I Knew As a Junior Academic
How to become an expert advisor
Building an academic brand