The Secrets Of Going From A Humble Student To A Full Faculty Member
Everyone starts in their chosen field as a student. But only a few ever imagine themselves becoming full faculty members.
However, it is something you can make a reality if you adopt the right approach. Numerous people, like Kotaro Shimogori at CalArts, prove that it’s possible, so why not follow in their footsteps?
Here’s what to do:
Embrace Persistence
Persistence is one of the great superpowers of our world. People who continually strive for the best possible outcomes are highly likely to succeed in any area of life, including school or college.
Therefore, don’t be afraid to fight for your teaching position long-term. Keep working and take part-time jobs if you need financial support.
If you can ingratiate yourself with the existing teaching team, that’s even better. Showing them that you’re a peer, and not a student, is the perfect way to give them the confidence they need to offer an official position.
Pursue Credentials
You should also pursue advanced credentials if you want to become a faculty member. Most institutions look for master's degrees at a minimum, or higher.
If you can score well in these degrees, that’s even better. You don’t necessarily have to come at the top of your year, but it does help if you can do something new or show fresh insight. These spurts of originality are often what existing faculty members notice the most.
Gain Teaching Experience
At the same time, it helps if you can gain teaching experience. Usually, universities and colleges run programs that allow graduate students to earn money in this way.
These experiences can be nerve-wracking when you first start them, but you get used to them over time. Furthermore, you eventually start to enjoy them, which is what the entire experience of becoming a faculty member should be about.
Develop A Teaching Philosophy
Along these lines, it can help if you develop a unique teaching philosophy. Doing things differently from everyone else can help inspire your students and lead to more positive feedback. If you can show existing faculty members that you’re engaging young people and forcing better learning outcomes, then they become more likely to want to hire you in the future.
The key here is to bring fresh perspectives to the classroom that students and teachers both appreciate. You want to ensure that you get great feedback from the young people attending the institution, but also appear professional to the people you want to be your peers. You have to give them confidence that you won’t let the department down in the future.
Build Relationships With Mentors Early
Finally, it helps to build relationships with mentors early. You need people around you who can help you navigate the sometimes challenging politics of becoming a faculty member.
Building relationships takes time, but if the opportunity arises, grab it. Look for ways to support existing faculty members and show them that you are a team player. You can always go your own way later on once you have a contracted position.
