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Harvard University

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AA&D: Good pay and work/life balance; little room for advancement - Development Assistant Harvard University Employee Review

3.0
Dec 30, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good salary compared to other university and nonprofit jobs. Office culture is professional and organized. Colleagues are generally friendly and social, and knowledgeable about their work. Wide offering of professional development trainings, and abundance of resources to do your work. Benefits are excellent and there's a culture of only working within set hours, providing work/life balance.

Cons

Hierarchical with little chance for advancement, people either move up or move out and management will not make the effort to retain you. Some gatekeeping of roles and often people are overqualified for the job they're hired for, due to the "prestige" of working at Harvard. Salary does not take previous experience into consideration enough. This office is not diverse compared with the student and local population. Frontline fundraising teams are prioritized in many ways over support/resource teams. Jobs are highly specialized, meaning you will be doing the same few tasks over and over.

Explore other reviews about Harvard University

5.0
Jul 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Light work if you have the right team

Cons

Low pay for amount of work

2.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great Union and benefits for non-profits/higher ed. Wonderful colleagues outside of leadership!

Cons

GSD Development and Alumni Relations (under current leadership) is an incredibly toxic work environment. I didn't realize the intensity of the toll it took on my until after leaving, and I am not one to leave a negative review, but as they are hiring for several positions currently, I wish to share words of caution with applicants. Cons: - Absolutely not a safe space for anyone who is Black, brown, trans, queer, working-class, or disabled - 100% top-down direction. No room for personal exploration, initiative, or creativity. - Minimal guidance from leadership - Frequent pivots, even in the late stages of projects - Petty, immature talking behind your back by leadership - No upward mobility unless the Associate Dean or Dean like you - Deeply disingenuous comments, reflections, and feedback from leadership - Complete lack of transparency on direction, goals, etc. - Small mistakes are made cornerstones of performance evaluations, while leadership routinely missteps. Leadership never takes accountability. - Top-down policy decisions, completely lacking detail, thought, and care outside of legal ramifications - Ever-changing in-office requirements

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