If you want to go on to a graduate program after your undergrad, you should focus on being a good student and getting good grades while you are completing your bachelor’s degree.
Go to the most highly rated PhD program that you can. This will vastly improve the likelihood that you get a lecturer position after graduate school. Two of the key entrance exams used for PhD admission are the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is used for a wide variety of graduate programs. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is used for PhD programs in business and management. Taking graduate school entrance exams is much more common in the United States, but it may be required for specific schools or specific programs elsewhere. Check with the school you are applying to see if it is required for admission.
The number of classes of coursework you need to take for your PhD program will be determined by your specific program.
You do not have to develop a new drug or make a new discovery about Shakespeare, but you do have to research an original topic, come up with a new framework for thinking about your chosen area, or put together existing materials in fresh and exciting ways.
Teaching during your graduate work will allow you to develop that skill, in addition to your skills as a researcher and a thinker. If you have not gotten any teaching experience in your graduate program thus far, talk to your advisor about your desire to get that kind of experience. It may take you being proactive in order to get teaching experience, especially in graduate programs that do not emphasize teaching.
Your academic advisor should encourage you to attend academic conferences and give papers at these conferences. In some cases, you may even be able to work with your advisor and present that work at a conference with your advisor. However, if your advisor is well-known or a big name in their field, they are less likely to have the time to do this type of collaborative work. [7] X Research source
Having publications before you finish graduate school can be difficult, but it does show potential employers that you are serious about your academic research. It also shows them that you are likely to keep up with the demands of the tenure deadline.
Service to the university can come in a wide variety of forms. A few examples include serving as the graduate student representative on hiring committees and helping organize conferences or speaking engagements at your university.
Once you have publications and teaching experience, it is much more likely that you will be able to get a job as a university lecturer.
There are also specialty websites that post jobs in specific academic disciplines. It may be that you will hear about jobs from colleagues and supervisors as well. For instance, if you are in a PhD program you may hear about an upcoming job from a professor in your department or from other students in your program. You should be willing to go to a variety of locations if you want to be a university lecturer. Limiting your job search by location is not a good idea. With the limited job openings there are, going where the jobs are is important.
One of the benefits of using a CV is that is doesn’t need to be changed for each position you are applying for, since it is a thorough list of all of your work and education. At minimum, your CV should include sections for education, teaching experience, publications, and university service, as well as references.
This information is usually available online. Look for general university or college information, information about the specific department you are hoping to join, and about the faculty already in that department.
Most job applications are done online these days. There is usually a link connected to the job posting where you will turn in all of your application components. When turning in electronic documents for a job application, make sure the documents are in a format that will not allow them to be changed depending on what application is used to view them. [13] X Research source For instance, a PDF document is in a permanent form that will not be altered by the PDF viewer that is used to view it.
Review what is unique about you. While doing an interview it is important to highlight what it unique and important about you. If you can get these points across, the people interviewing you are likely to understand how you could improve the program you are hoping to join. Practice likely questions. While you won’t be able to know exactly what your interviewers will ask, there are some common questions you can practice. These include questions about your research, your teaching experience, and your experience with academic service.
Do some research about salaries at the university or college you are hoping to work at and keep your requests in keeping with existing salaries. In many cases, if it is a public institution, this information is public and can be found online. [16] X Research source When you go into negotiations you need to remember that the university or college is likely going to begin with a low offer with the expectation that you will try to negotiate for more. However, with the sheer number of qualified people applying for every lecturer position, remember that you can’t ask for too much or they might move on to someone else.
Not all lecturers will advance all the way to full professors during their careers. The position of full professor is reserved for those that have shown particularly excellent work in their scholarship, teaching, and service. Advancements are usually attained when an existing position opens, when department heads nominate a lecturer for advancement, or when a lecturer applies for advancement.
