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Ulster University

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An appalling experience - Executive Assistant Ulster University Employee Review

1.0
Dec 12, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Absolutely no pros in my experience

Cons

I left another university job to join the Ulster University. It was the worse move I ever made. My line manager made my time there (10 weeks) hell through micromanagement which made me ill. He micromanaged every aspect of my work and no matter how hard I tried, he found fault with everything I did. He belittled a complimentary comment I made on my first day regarding one of the projects I would be dealing with. I disregarded it, thinking he was just having a bad day. But I soon learned that this represented who he was. In my old jobI was used to working for high level management and did not ever experience anything like this. I believe he was new to a line managing post and that a little power went to his head. He left me in such a distressed state in my 5th week that I went to HR for advice. HR did nothing. I had to resign the following month as he left me without guidance on important tasks I had to complete, which was his responsibility per my review documentation. It was a set up to fail syndrome right from the start. It was without a doubt the worst job experience I have had in over forty years' employment.

Explore other reviews about Ulster University

5.0
Apr 2, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Learned a lot from all the professors

Cons

the coleraine location is very remote

3.0
May 8, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The staff in the department were fantastic and very supportive. To be honest, I get this impression of most departments- the faculty are good people, but they are all under a lot of pressure with a high teaching load, high research demands, low budgets and very little support. Things get even tougher when someone goes off sick/on research leave as a full time replacement is rarely provided. These staff are providing high quality teaching and research in a very tough environment. - The university has a positive attitude to widening participation to higher education -There are good postgraduate scholarships available for anyone undertaking postgraduate study

Cons

I would wait MONTHS to be paid. I would submit my hours on time, they would be submitted by the department secretary on time and then I would wait. I once waited four months to be paid and I was teaching 8 hours a week. That is not ok. One thing that was very clear to me during my time there was the systems that exist in the university are over-complicated and it makes it very difficult to get things done e.g. the procurement system, the temporary contract system etc -Many of the staff I encountered seemed to be burnt out. -Many of the student support facilities have been cut or their budget has been slashed. This makes it difficult to provide students with the right support. - There is too much emphasis placed on the number of students retained, rather than the depth of student learning. Numbers always seem to trump quality. -There does not seem to be an ethos of staff care at this university

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