How to Become a College Teacher

Teaching college students can be extremely rewarding, but it's not an easy occupation by any means. Not only must you get a great education of your own, but you must compete with hundreds of other wide-eyed hopefuls for the tenure-track position of your dreams. There are also opportunities at community colleges and similar institutions, but these often don't pay as well and offer less security. Still, inhabiting the groves of academe can be a good way to build a fulfilling life. Here are some of the steps you'll need to take to become a college teacher.

Instructions

1. Earn your degrees. First, you must earn a bachelor's degree before moving onto a master's program. You have some flexibility here. Your undergraduate major can be completely different from the field in which you hope to teach, but your graduate degrees (master's and doctorate) must be in the field. A person with a Biology BA can definitely teach Renaissance Drama, so long as he or she earns those last two degrees in the proper field. If that seems like a lot of degrees to earn, most community colleges will hire teachers who don't have doctoral degrees. A terminal degree, such as an MFA in Creative Writing, may get you a teaching job at a four-year college if you have an adequate publication history. A master's, or multiple related master's degrees may also be enough, depending upon the institution. (There is a tradeoff, however; those jobs sometimes offer less security and lower pay.)

2. Set yourself apart as much as you can, especially during grad school. The competition is intense in the job market, so it's not enough that you simply get your degree. Do your best to become published in your field's scholarly journals. Participate in your department's studies and other outreach programs as much as possible. The goal is to build a resume that will prove to hiring committees how dedicated you are. Say yes to everything you possibly can.

3. Understand what you're getting into by being a college teacher. Randall at The Career Doctor Blog acknowledges that you'll have summers off and won't spend the majority of your time in the classroom, but "university professors must conduct research and get published in scholarly proceedings and journals and be active participants in service activities." Further, grading papers and formulating lesson plans can take up a lot of time.

4. Slide into your first teaching job in any way you can. Some graduate students are lucky enough to be Teaching Assistants, or are even placed in change of their very own classes. This is valuable teaching experience. (It will also earn you a teaching stipend.) If you're not lucky enough to be placed in the teaching pool at your graduate institutions, work your way into some kind of teaching. Many departments at many colleges have community outreach programs. Even if you tutor elementary kids a couple times a week, it's still valuable experience.

5. Network furiously within your field. While schools definitely consider work experience and publication history when making hiring decisions, it does not hurt at all to introduce yourself and make friends with professors and students from other institutions. Not only might you make some friends, but you might hear about a new position before other people, or make a particularly favorable impression on someone important.

6. Apply for jobs during your last year of doctoral work. Universities often hire far in advance. Even though it's not easy to do so much at once, send out your CV and do interviews while completing your thesis. After your interviews, you'll have to endure the waiting game. If you follow up properly with thank you notes and have a little luck, you'll get the job and be an honest-to-goodness college teacher.

References

• Career Doctor.org

Resources

• Bureau of Labor Statistics