How to Apply for a College Teaching Position in Virginia
Virginia has many colleges available for you to work at: from Radford to William and Mary to the state community college system, there are positions in every discipline in a variety of areas. Colleges in cities, in the mountains and by the beach are available to aspiring professors in Virginia. Demonstrate your experience and education to get the exact position you want. Most applications at Virginia colleges are accepted over the Internet, though interviews are always conducted in person -- usually at the school's expense.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Log on to the websites of colleges that you're interested in working at (see Resources). Read its mission statement, its teaching philosophies and the recent news. Understand the mood of the college and what qualities are valued in professors there before you create your resume and cover letter. Look at job listings -- there should be a link to "Jobs" or "Careers" on the main page of any of the universities -- to see whether there are any available positions for which you are qualified
-
2
Create a resume highlighting both your teaching experience and your education in your discipline. Include a curriculum vitae with a list of publications, committees you've been on and positions you've held at other schools where you've worked.
-
-
3
Write a cover letter explaining your desire to work at a university in Virginia. Tailor the letter to each university and area where you apply for a job. At Virginia Commonwealth University, for example, you might cite your desire to teach in an upbeat, fast-paced urban area. At Longwood, you could talk about the charm of small town life and personal connections that come with smaller class sizes.
Talk about the classes you've taught. Discuss what you've learned and how those experiences have helped you grow as a person. Do not focus too much on your dissertation. You're being hired to teach and, while publications are important, your ability to work with students is more valuable.
-
4
Contact your reference and let him know that you've applied for a job at a certain Virginia college. If he has to write a letter of recommendation, mention the qualities that the university values. Ask him to write to what the university is looking for, if he's willing.
-
5
Outline your teaching philosophy. Don't change what you believe to suit the school, but instead focus on the areas where your ideals interact with its ideals.
-
6
Create a description of your research interests. This doesn't need to be more than a page, but should focus on the work you've already done and the areas where you want to do more study.
-
7
Submit your application, resume, curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy and research interests to the university. Ask your references to send letters to the university you've selected as well.
-
8
Attend the interviews. Be polite and try to establish a rapport with the people interviewing you. Have fun on your tour of the school -- ask questions, look interested. Bring a notebook with you to write down any questions that you can ask at the end of the interview as well as to take notes about any important aspects of the job that are mentioned. Be honest in answering all the questions. Thank them for their time. Send a note to the head of the hiring committee thanking them for meeting with you as soon as possible after the interview.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You can also find teaching jobs listed in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
