I tried to be an ambassador but they didn’t hire me. This article makes me feel slightly better about that, in a vindictive way. I really, really, really wanted to be an ambassador

I definitely understand how overwhelming the program can be, like our motto about the University, same goes for the Ambassador Program”….its not for everybody”. I can attest that I was one of a few ambassadors during my cohort who lasted from freshmen year all the way to the very end of our stay at NYU. I’ve seen the program’s ups and downs and its inevitable domination for supremacy. However, in retrospect, as an alumnus of both the school and the program, overlooking what was mentioned in the article I do take pride of my roots as an Ambassador. The people who are a part of the program are one of the most inspiring and eclectic individuals you will ever meet within the University. Not to mention they too will surely stick by your side even after you graduate. I’m not saying that my time there was nothing but marshmallows and candy. I did have my moments where I too wanted to throw in the towel. But the point of going to NYU, at least for me, was to challenge myself. And through that program, I had one of the most tumultuous, career searching experiences that I can’t learn anywhere else.

Victoria hit the nail on the head. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if you want a fairly easy job with a semesterly raise, flexible hours, and a fun and friendly work atmosphere it’s a pretty good deal. Thanks for posting this Will, it’s really interesting to see the program from the POV of someone who wasn’t really as into the community building and bonding aspects of the program as most. (And plus I love your writing style.) That being said, you also couldn’t have picked a better time to post this because we are hiring and I feel like this will help readers and prospective applicants to get a sense of the community that comes along with the ‘job’.

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So if you actually read this article for its content and not its (embittered) tone, you’ll notice that many of the items mentioned are, well, a little off.

“social outings are planned, newsletters are sent out, and participants are split into “platoons” which accumulate “points” over a semester for good work behavior.”

Planning social outings? Sending out a newsletter? Incentivizing and rewarding good behavior? Sounds to me like the makings of a well-run organization, no? The way Will writes, you’d assume that this was the equivalent of an underground hazing ceremony.

Also: sub out “strangers” and “stiff out-of-towners” for “prospective students” and you’ll begin to better get to the heart of the job – which, by the way, is not a mechanical function. Ambassadors don’t churn out a product, but rather provide customer service, information, and leadership. Anyone who has studied organizations realizes the desirability of a distinct culture surrounding said organization. Though some may not be on board with team-building activities, they can actually be quite beneficial, especially for those working in a leadership capacity as part of, well, a team. In other words, Ambassadors don’t just “get the job done,” but do so with a sense of teamwork, professionalism, and pride.

The program definitely has its flaws – it’s not perfect and it’s certainly not for everyone. But I think that those who do go through the hiring process are made aware of what it entails – both the exciting and mundane aspects of the job, and also the pay (which, by the way, is incorrectly stated in this article). I will say that the “new management,” as you call it, recognizes the flaws of the program and actively solicits feedback from participants, so as to consistently improve upon what most participants consider to be a rewarding experience.

Just because it wasn’t for you doesn’t mean that it’s not for everyone. I’ll take my “built-in circle of friends” any day.

This is pure Will Pulos gold. LOVE.

First of all, let me get this out in the open: I am a proud member of the Ambassador program! I joined when I was a freshman, and feel very honored to have been sporting my track jacket ever since. The men and women who I have had the pleasure of working with in the past few years are some of the brightest and most talented that I have ever met. In fact, I consider these people to be a part of my family. They were there for me during the good times, and the bad. When I turned 21, they were all there. When I was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis (in suburban Paris), an Ambassador was by my side. Before stressful exams and after failed romances, there was always an Ambassador nearby. In fact, after my father passed away at the end of freshmen year, the Ambassadors helped me to get by in the weeks, months and even years after his death. Who made sure that I was not alone this year on the anniversary of his death? Ambassadors — including both Mike Mullin and “Jan” Victoria Alejado who also commented on this piece. Yes, we’ve had some rough times at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, but all families do!

So Will, if in your eyes becoming part of a genuinely amazing family means becoming part of a cult, then sign me the fuck up!

Deja vu.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BEING AN AMBASSADOR!
I get to help prospective students find out more about the University while working with some of the most intelligent and charismatic students NYU has to offer. Yea we get Track Jackets (and T-shirts and Water Bottles etc.) but it’s also a job that demands professionalism as well enthusiasm. Calling the program a “cult” is beyond an overstatement. So I’m sorry your experience was so bad but it really isn’t for everyone. That’s why we have an application process and make it so simple to leave =).

I just know for a fact I’m not alone in saying that I’m proud to be an Ambassador.

I love that all of these ambassadors are playing into the stereotype that Will so eloquently and hilariously described.

The line is deep in the sand, kids — potential ambassadors, choose your side.

After being laid off from my first post-college job and struggling to find opportunities in the nonprofit sector in this economy, I took my resume to a nonprofit staffing firm. The recruiter shrugged off the most recent addition to my resume — an administrative position at a creative company — and asked lots of questions about my experience as an Admissions Ambassador. She felt that what I had done in college was more useful than what I had been doing since I graduated. I may not have made lots of money at my work-study job, or had the luxury of getting paid to sit in the office of some academic department and do my homework while waiting for the phone to ring, but I did get a crash course in public speaking, event planning, damage control, interactive marketing, and even recruiting and hiring. I was on the other side of the table at Will Pulos’s group interview.

I agree with the other current and former Ambassadors who have commented on this article that the job isn’t easy and not for everyone. But I am convinced that my experience as an Ambassador was very similar to the experience that I would have had if I had taken another leadership position at NYU — one that also emphasizes socializing and “community building” — and become an RA. Both positions come with a lot of responsibility, whether it’s giving up the occasional Saturday morning to lead tours, or getting out of bed at 2 a.m. to escort someone to the emergency room, but both are equally good options for NYU students looking for a resume builder. I had a lot of fun leading tours, working in the office (where our admittedly higher-than-average workload never got in the way of celebrity gossip and heated arguments about baseball), and taking part in those social events which, far from being the corny team-building exercises presented in this article, make up some of my best memories of NYU. My friends from the Admissions office were like any other group of friends at NYU, and we took part in those planned social activities not because we subscribed to a “cult-like mentality,” but because we had developed friendships that did not end when the workday was done, and we took full advantage of opportunities to hang out with one another, whether they had been planned by the “management” of the Ambassador program or not. I went for the free food and to have a good time, and not because I felt any pressure to join in, or because I faced negative consequences for not turning up.

I wanted to be a tour guide from the time I visited NYU as a college senior, and I don’t regret it one bit. It’s not for everyone. But for me, it meant having a work-study job that wasn’t completely worthless and a built-in group of friends who were — and are — insanely awesome.

If there’s a cult-like mentality at NYU that needs to be addressed, it’s the negative, cynical outlook of a significant portion of the student body which derides school spirit in any form, whether it takes the form of participation in the Ambassador program, membership in a student club, or involvement in student government. It’s completely, directly opposed to everything that NYU students and New Yorkers should be, and increasingly are not: diverse in thought and action as well as in culture. I wonder what, exactly, the Ambassador program has done to Will to make him write such a derisive article? I seem to remember that everyone really liked him. Maybe it’s just the fact that actually having pride in your school and willingly promoting it has been classified by the majority of students as “gross,” and not many NYU students are willing to go against the current of popular opinion.

@ Joe: I feel like you’re missing the point. The thing is this: imagine a person goes through the application process with an organization that has a known cause and purpose. They go through an extensive hiring process, competing with 200 other applicants, and then spend several weeks training and learning about their position in that organization. They don’t go through that process of applying for that job because they don’t care for it. They do it because they believe in what is going on, and they understand the sacrifice and the dedication it requires to hold that position and to acquire that responsibility. That is not something they take likely, or else why go through the process? Now imagine a co-worker, who went through the same experiences, describe the job that this person has dedicated their time, energy, and hard work to as something “generally done by professional prostitutes.” I feel like that would warrant a strong response from anyone who believes in the work they do. Not just Ambassadors.

Furthermore, for those of you pondering Joe’s challenge to “choose”: I guess you can decide for yourselves what this article and the responses show. Will’s article was well-written in its description of his experience. On the other hand, the number and nature of both former and current Ambassador posts show how strongly their experiences and their responsibility and respect for one another, for themselves, and for their positions are/have been. This is not about trying to sway prospective ambassadors, or anyone else one way or another, to “choose” anything. Its about defending hard work, dedication, and the responsibility the job entails. Being a current Ambassador myself, there is always a great respect for the people we meet, the work we do, and the people we work with, which includes Will. In all, there is no choice “to be made” here because there is no line in the sand…there never was.

Rebecca, I’ve got to say… I think YOUR missing the point.

Wow, this is mighty unfortunate. From my personal religious experience, I know that you can make anything sound like a cult these days. But goodness, the roles he described are basic of any customer service role. Are we going to call a maitre’d or a waiter a prostitute as well?

There’s an article in Psychology Today that describes the business model of Zappos.com, and the work environment is quite similar. Studies show that encouraging camaraderie among employees (plus doing things to reward folks for their work) leads to happier employees, which in turn leads to less of a turn-over. But, Zappos recognizes, as does the Admissions Ambassador program, that not everyone fits into a certain type of business model. I think that the type of student that Admissions is looking for (which, really, is any student with a story to tell and a love for their school) is made perfectly clear from the get-go. And what student club does not have planned social outings? Special lingo? What business or service doesn’t have opportunities to grow in your job? To be current on the latest information? I don’t really see what’s the issue.

Will,

I have to say I’m a little sad to read this. Not because I have more Ambassador pride than I can hold or because I feel like you’ve insulted our group by calling us cult-like prostitutes (hey, a little hyperbole goes a long way as a creative writer and I respect that), but because I really considered you one of my Ambassador friends (built-in or no).

No, we didn’t hang out and attend social outings together, but I enjoyed being around you on Open Houses or at training meetings–you always had some crass, witty remark to make me laugh. I remember very specifically sitting in the big leather chairs in the Alumni Lounge during an Open House and whining together about how we were too tired and didn’t want to give tours! It disappoints me to think you’ve considered that (and all your other Ambassador experiences) as just surviving the cult-like mentality.

I’m also surprised to hear that you think all Ambassadors are part of this apparently freakishly-bonded community. Yes, I’m friends with some ambassadors, but most of my good friends on campus come from other communities I’m involved in–my Tisch studio, people I volunteer with, even my roommates from the res halls freshman and sophomore year. I’m not tied at the hip with every Ambassador, and to be honest there are probably only a handful of people at work that I truly consider close friends. Regardless, I have deep respect for the other Ambassadors because they really do care about what they do, as do I. They are always kind and welcoming to me, but they don’t FORCE me to be friends with them or spend all my time at Ambassador events (in fact, I spend very little time outside the office with other Ambassadors).

I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience as an Ambassador, because mine has been overwhelmingly positive. I don’t get good hours, I don’t get good pay, I’m often annoyed by oblivious callers and silent tour groups, but I work with a group of people who really love and care about our school, which for me is all the job really asks of you in the first place.

Best,
Rebecca LaChance

[...] Pulos’ Confessions of An NYU Admissions Ambassador post was attacked by a group of incredibly gung-ho admissions ambassadors last week. The beat down [...]

The other ambassadors’ eerie, systematized response to this post is freaking the shit out of me.

I’m at a loss as to what to add after what all of my friends and coworkers have already said, but I can say that this is one of the most hurtful things I can remember reading. I have had times where I have been stressed to meet my commitment to the program, or frustrated with my hours, but it is a job.

I was never shocked to discover that sometimes a job means compromise, following guidelines, working in a team, or presenting a good public face. I’m happy to learn these skills in a fun environment. I’m happy to have a way to find a smaller community within the large school that is NYU. I’m happy to know that, despite how close I may or may not be to my fellow Ambassadors, I see friendly faces when I walk around campus, have people to talk to and rely on, and those who I can actually become good friends with.

I’m not sorry that the Ambassador program isn’t a faceless, detached job. I’m not sorry that I am learning job skills in an environment that bridges the gap between the office world and the academic. I’m especially not sorry that I have a fun, easy, enjoyable job with flexible hours, advancement opportunities, guaranteed raises, affable bosses, and fun co-workers.

I’m genuinely sad that you felt so negatively about the program. I’m much more sad, however, that you held a spot for two years that could have been held by someone eager to enjoy the job they applied and interviewed for. If this rude, snarky article dissuades anyone from applying for the job, then I am glad that more people with a sense of school pride and a positive attitude will have a shot at being hired.

[...] According to her videos, Myer is a rare breed — she’s one of four NYU students with actual school spirit (the other three remain anonymous). In another video submission, she discusses her own experience of being an NYU admissions ambassador, which is slightly more enjoyable than NYU Local’s Will Pulos. [...]

[...] According to former NYU ambassador Will Pulous, his trainers said one of the toughest questions a tour guide could get [...]