mercredi 18 février 2015

What are some effective ways to increase the chance of getting hired as a lecturer?



Note: I'm from Australia. When I say 'university', I mean the thing you go to after you finish high school/secondary school.



Context


I am graduating from a Bachelor's degree (Computer Science) at the end of the year from a fairly large university (top50 world). I am keen for a lecturing role at the university I am graduating from, specifically in the introductory computing subject (equivalent of Computing 101).


I am uncertain of how academia works. I'm not sure what my hirers are looking for. I'm not even sure who exactly my hirers are.


I have a great deal of previous teaching experience in computing areas, notably two years as a course tutor for the same subject I plan to lecture for. This will help a bit in my application.


Things I am aware of



  • Lecturers normally get picked from the researchers. I imagine this is to save the costs of hiring a dedicated lecturer (correct me if I am wrong).

  • Lecturers normally are PhDs. My faculty has had several exceptions, notably in the COMP101 subject and the Programming Competitions subject. (bachelor's lecturer and undergrad lecturer respectively).

  • Even if I am successful, my job security will be nonexistent. I am okay with this.

  • My faculty is on a fairly tight budget.


Things I am doing



  • Trying to get a recommendation from existing lecturers I know. This may be difficult, because they are risking their reputation on a somewhat dodgy applicant.

  • Asking existing non-researcher lecturers how they got hired

  • Actively undertaking volunteer work in educational groups


Questions I am often asked



  • Why don't you teach for high school instead? Because I would be teaching on a much smaller scale (i.e. class of ~10 people) and making little impact. Because Australia's technology curriculum is miserable.

  • Why don't you do a PhD? I wish to avoid research. I believe I can be a good lecturer, and that I can make the course more interesting, and I think I can do that without a PhD. Sorry if I offended anyone.

  • Aren't you unqualified for the job? Are my academic qualifications substandard? Yes. Am I unlikely to get the job? Yes. Would I be a worse lecturer? Absolutely not. For an introductory subject, enthusiasm, empathy and communication are far more important than a postgraduate qualification.


So, my concluding question is:


What can I do to improve my chances of being hired?





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