Any academic advisors here at A&M?

I have a phone interview at my old department in a few weeks and was wondering if anyone had any specific insight into this position (besides what already publicly posted).

Very excited about a possible job in Aggieland!

A&M is VERY thorough when it comes to interviews...a phone interview with nine participants!

Gosh it would be awesome to work at A&M!!

I've been an advisor at TAMU for about 15 years and I love it. My thoughts: Don't do it if you don't like "college kids". I've known some advisors who don't like interacting with their students and I can't understand why they became advisors, as it sure isn't for the money. There isn't a ton of opportunity for advancement so you may have to learn to live on less money than some of your friends. That said, it is a great feeling watching students walk across the stage when you know you were a part of getting them there. That's especially true if your department allows you to bring in students who have had academic issues and they thank you for giving them a chance when other departments gave up on them. Speaking of departments, the experience varies greatly depending on which one you work for. I've been fortunate to work for one that doesn't micro manage the advising staff but I've heard stories of some miserable situations with administration.
Bottom line is go for it and you may find a great career. If it's not for you, it's still likely to be good experience for learning to deal with varied personalities.

A little late to the party here but I have been an advisor for a relatively small department in the College of Engineering for going on 2.5 years now. I absolutely love it. There is a little more administrative work than I originally anticipated; I make the course schedules, award scholarships, submit curriculum changes, etc. I would say about half my time is spent working with students and the other half is spent doing administrative stuff. It provides a nice balance in my opinion. The students are the best part of the job but also the worst part of the job. We are a very competitive department so I don't have a similar experience to fastsloth with students other departments gave up on, but I will agree that one of my favorite parts is building the relationships with students and helping to contribute to their success. I also appreciate the flexibility that it provides. My boss doesn't care when I come and go (within reason) as long as my output is what it needs to be. But I have heard stories from others about work environments that weren't as great. I genuinely love my job and would recommend it to others, while also acknowledging that some might not enjoy it.

Most of the academic advisors I know and work closely with seem to really enjoy their jobs (and are, for the most part, well liked by the students). I'm not an academic advisor, but I do work with departments on campus closely with Scholarships & Financial Aid. In fact, I'm pretty sure I email you a few times a semester, along with one other person in your department.