instructor

assistant

director

educator

transcriptionist

Langara College

A typical day at work would be like hanging out in the back of your school with your high school friends after a long day of classes. We enter the office, we get down to business, see what's done and what still needs to be done, have a recap, and then go out for dinner together. I have learned many things over the past few years from my co-workers and bosses. I have learned to be more organized through completing multiple tasks before the given deadline. I have learned how to work well with others through team management and consultation. I have learned to develop as a leader and as a business professional. My co-workers are open minded and understanding. When a conflict arises, they are willing to listen objectively to the opposition, and give efficient input on the subject at hand. The hardest part of the job is also the most enjoyable part of the job, which is to convince students to join our events. Many students see Langara College as an intermediary institution, as a passage into Universities such as UBC or SFU. Therefore, they focus more on finishing their studies rather than investigating the Clubs at Langara and seeing what they have to offer. We tackle this by pitching ourselves as an opportunity to enhance a student's education, rather than an activity to release stress.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Benefits, and campus closure over the holidays.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Poor or completely absent leadership.  unprofessional and dysfunctional leaders and staff who yell, insult, sabotage, are very disrespectful of their peers who are only trying to help them and do what is best for the institution. In general they behave worse than toddlers.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Fear, anxiety, distrust and open dislike of other departments.  Attacking those who research and propose solid solutions. Staff are allowed to choose what they want to do.  Leaders/managers never give direction.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Listening to leaders gaslight me about what was previously decided or accomplished.  Defending my staff's time and efforts at multiple meetings per day.  Reminding leaders of their responsibilities as leaders, and what they signed/approved previously so that they MIGHT actually hold up their agreements. Modifying the roadmap because leaders reneged on their commitment.

In recent years, there has been many that have come and gone. Many long time employees have mentioned that the school has changes a lot and have not kept up with the times. I have not been with Langara for all that long but I have seen new faces every few months in my area alone. Some departments are really great to be a part of, whereas others have plenty of turnover. The org. seems to be unstable from senior management trickling downwards to other departments. There have been a number of new VPs and Deans in the last little while with many going though interim positions constantly. Certain departments are functioning on nepotism to advance. Of the post-secondary institutions out there, one of the higher paying for similar roles with standard extended benefits. Some employees can take a sick day or two every few weeks depending on their manager.

Great place to work. Enjoy working with different teams, services, and technologies.

Lots of turnover here. Little opportunity for advancement. Hard to get decisions made. 

Most of the leaders I report have limited knowledge of my work and so people and culture drive decisions more than effectiveness, efficiency, and innovation best practices. Lots of external leaders being hired; overwhelmed with information and push to deliver on goals their managers have been unable to deliver. Tension and stress is transferred a lot to the teams they manage. 

Plenty of opportunities to dive deeper into your area of expertise but hard to get noticed. I love it here but will have to look elsewhere for advancement opportunities.

Provides an environment to grow, so much to learn.
A great platform to apply theoretical knowledge into practice.

Following are he highlights of what I did and achieved so far at Langara:-

•	Helped office staff with documentation; organized and manage files along with typing, editing and proofreading of documents.
•	Assisted students with various queries in international department and arranged appointments with associate directors and coordinators.
•	Sending out, receiving and replying mails.
•	Kept up-to-date information, assisted guests and visitors in various daily operations.
•	Coordinated between departments and operating units in resolving day in and day out administrative and operational problems.

There are so many departments and areas in the college, that your expereince working there really can vary depending in which area you work. However due to the union environment promotions are non-existent and the benefits a union provides are only helpful if you have settled down and this is your last career move. 

In general there is very little change and direction comes from top-down management that you will never see or interact with. They talk a big talk about being inclusive but don't follow through on anything. Colleges are just a money making scheme after all... 

This is not the place I would recommend to a friend. They have a huge turnover. There’s a quite popular saying that goes: “Employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their managers.” This is it.

There is a lack of trust as management saying all the right things but not acting on it. Bad manager that causes employees to quit by micromanaging and creating a high stress environment. They don’t care if their employees are overworked; don’t appreciate employee’s hard work, no empathy, low emotional intelligence and low self-awareness.

I worked with many amazing co-workers though.

Langara is a good place to work.  Many people coming together and working hard to make a difference in the lives of the students who study here.

Our culture values harmony over doing things right the first time, efficiency or expediency.  This has created a culture where many people are unable to navigate conflict in the workplace, making working effectively a challenge, and a challenge to navigate people's behaviours.  Everyone means well, but isn't necessarily committed to doing what they need to, to do well.

Langara has small class sizes and dedicated instructors. The college governance is new and coming up with new ideas to deliver education in the best way possible. There are new educational programs along with new Bachelor degrees in the pipeline. This school has a well known theater program and basketball program. I enjoyed my classes because I found them practical and the instructors were patient and highly knowledgeable professionals.

Volunteering at Langara College was a highly rewarding experience. I worked with the [Insert Dept: e.g., International Education/Student Services] team and felt like a valued member of the staff from day one. The environment is professional yet inclusive, and the supervisors genuinely care about your personal development. It’s a fantastic place to build soft skills and give back to the Vancouver student community. Highly recommend for anyone looking to gain experience in higher ed!

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Instructor 4 salaries reported	$87,000 per year
Assistant 17 salaries reported	$26.31 per hour
Director 12 salaries reported	$62.60 per hour
Educator 10 salaries reported	$23.35 per hour
Transcriptionist 9 salaries reported	$25.27 per hour

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