Tips on an Adjunct Faculty Presentation

• Increased university enrollment creates a need for adjunct instructors. Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images

  If you have a graduate degree and a wealth of knowledge in your field, you may want to consider becoming an adjunct professor. Unprecedented college enrollments have created opportunities for professionals to become part-time instructors. Members of the business community, high school teachers, government administrators and retired executives are taking advantage of this chance to create a secondary source of income and serve their communities.

Transcripts

• To teach for a college or university, you will need to have a master's or doctoral degree. A master's degree will qualify you to teach entry-level courses in your field of expertise. If you hold a doctoral degree, you will be eligible to teach more advanced courses. Make sure you have unofficial and official copies of the transcript from the university where you earned your degree.

Resume

• Revise your resume to reflect your teaching goal. girl with papers image by starush from Fotolia.com

  Make revisions to your resume with the goal of teaching at a college or university. Highlight aspects of your professional background that relate to the subject you want to teach. Mention any experience you may have had as an instructor, including employee training and workshops. Also list any published works you have written such as papers, guidebooks and by-lined articles. If you have been quoted as an expert in the field in which you want to teach, make copies of these articles.

References

• Compile a list of at least three references. These should be people with whom you have worked who believe you have the skills to be a good college-level instructor.

Search

• You can apply for adjunct teaching positions online. woman working on a laptop computer image by Julia Britvich from Fotolia.com

  Most colleges and universities have websites where you can search for openings for adjunct instructors. Search for schools in your metropolitan area, and don't overlook online universities. This is the fastest growing higher-education sector, and you can teach for any school on the Internet. Apply for positions on university websites, and upload copies of your resume, cover letter and articles. If you know someone who already is teaching for a school, ask if she would be willing to recommend you.

Interview

• Dress professionally, and show that you are a good communicator. thinking image by nutech21 from Fotolia.com

  When you are asked to come for an interview, you will probably meet with a human-resources representative and the chair of the department for which you want to teach. Don't try to impress them with your creativity. Most adjunct instructors are required to use a curriculum that already has been prepared for the course, with lecture guides and textbooks that already have been selected. Be prepared to show that you have a solid working knowledge of your field and that you are a good communicator. Your interviewers also want to know that you are well organized and that you can meet deadlines. Dress professionally, and prepare a portfolio of any work you have done that relates to the subject you wish to teach. Take hard copies of your resume, list of references, and clippings.

Follow-up

• Send a well-written thank-you letter to your interviewers, letting them know how much you appreciate their interest in having you join their faculty as an adjunct.