These higher education job search tips will help you to secure a college instructor or university professor position.
In a recent study, professor’s jobs finished among the top three best professions in the United States. That is interesting because it is a well-known fact that higher education instructors, who average a salary of $79,000 per annum, are not the best-paying jobs in the U.S. But, it is the added benefits and freedom of the job that is probably the greatest reason for its allure.
Professor incentives are to have their family study for free or at highly subsidized rates. The job’s flexibility also means professors have more free time on their hands than many other jobs. To be a successful professor, you must have a genuine passion for sharing knowledge with other people.
A higher education instructor must also have the enthusiasm to seek new knowledge in their field of instruction. In many professorships, you are expected to do research and other projects on behalf of the university or college in conjunction with teaching in the classroom.
Communicate Your Value as a Higher Education Professional
Professor positions are competitive; your higher education job search techniques need to be assertive to get optimal results.
Writing a college adjunct professor resume or CV that is modern, tight, concise, relevant, and communicates your value will dramatically increase your job hunting success.
Getting a job in a reputable academic institution starts with obtaining the required academic credentials for the position you wish to secure. Which universities did you attend for your Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees? Which well-known academics, researchers, and institutions have you worked for?
Your higher education resume is significantly bolstered by the institutions and people you have worked with or studied under. How well you performed as a student matters. Honors graduates and those with exceptional GPAs and high GRE scores stand a greater chance of being accepted for professor jobs.
If needed, prepare to work in a lower position if you are not eligible for a full professor role. Many college professors start in an adjunct instructor role before they become an assistant professor. Further progressing to an associate professorship before finally being accepted into a full professor job.
And remember the unwritten rule on professor positions – you cannot be first made a university professor where you earned your Ph.D. Usually, professors who eventually make their way back to their alma mater will already have been made a full professor at another institution. It may be a great place to gain lower-level experience and work your way up to a full professorship.
Another thing to consider when applying for a professor position is your research interests. Many colleges and universities would like someone that would complement the existing faculty staff’s skills and interests. Since virtually all higher-level academic institutions have an online presence nowadays, take the time to visit their website.
See if you can review the existing staffs’ credentials (check the college website) and use that to weigh your odds of finding an untapped niche in their research programs. Conducting research will prepare you for the interview to position yourself as the person who provides the best addition to their existing staff.
And speaking of the interview, do not forget to ask questions during the higher education interview. It shows you are interested in the position, and you are not willing to take up just any professor position. For instance, find out how the university’s general administration structure is organized and how the department’s key decisions are made. If a departmental report is available, ask for a copy.
Teaching at the college and university level can be incredibly rewarding and multi-faceted. Equip yourself by keeping these tips in mind during your job search to find the perfect institution.
Always start your higher education job search with a targeted, visually-appealing, keyword-rich, accomplishment-based college professor resume and cover letter that will get past the applicant tracking systems and WOW the reader to ensure you get interviews.
If you need help, contact Candace at 1 877 738 8052 or email.
