Career Goals to Become an Adjunct Teacher

Employers look for adjunct teachers with experience teaching in a classroom environment.
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Employers look for adjunct teachers with experience teaching in a classroom environment.

If you have a lot of experience working in a particular field and enjoy teaching others, consider a career as an adjunct professor. They teach courses on a variety of topics including business management, dancing, nursing and culinary arts. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average salary for this position was $64,310 in May 2011. Your career goals statement on your resume should provide pertinent details about your skills and interest. Also, you want to add information about your background that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Education

The education level for adjunct teachers varies according to different employers. Most positions require a Ph.D. and ample experience working in the area that you are interested in teaching. Some two-year colleges and technical schools may hire teachers with a master's degree and experience as a teacher or working in particular field. For your resume objective, you can say, "To use my PH.D. in English as an adjunct teacher at New York University."

Experience

Since employers look for job candidates with extensive experience working in a specific field and teaching adults, you should highlight your accomplishments on your resume. For example, you can say, "A marketing professional with 10 years' experience seeking a position as a marketing adjunct teacher at the University of Michigan." Focus on your strengths if you are a recent grad or have limited work or teaching experience. You can say, "A recent grad from UCLA seeking a position as an adjunct teacher working at a vocational school."

Working Environment

Whether you want to work for an Ivy League college or a vocational school, you should include this information in your statement. Some teachers prefer to work for a two-year college or technical school. Provide details about your ideal working environment. For example, you can write, "Seeking an adjunct acting teaching position working for Yale University's School of Drama." This statement informs the employer that you specifically would like to work at Yale University's School of Drama as an adjunct teacher.

Location

If you are interested in relocating to another city or even working abroad as an adjunct teacher, consider adding this information to your goals statement. You can provide general information about your ideal location such as working for a "college or university in the northwest." If you have a specific college as your top choice for employment, you can also add this information. This will inform the employer about your ideal work environment and specific location. However, remember that being too specific about your ideal location can hinder employers in other locations from seeking you for job openings. Based on your preference and what you would like employers to know through your goals statement, you can decide whether it is beneficial to provide details about your ideal location.

2016 Salary Information for Postsecondary Teachers

Postsecondary teachers earned a median annual salary of $78,050 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, postsecondary teachers earned a 25th percentile salary of $54,710, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $114,710, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 1,314,500 people were employed in the U.S. as postsecondary teachers.

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