An academic career is unlike any other in that the ultimate goal is intellectual, rather than financial, security and freedom. Professors' salaries can be comfortable, but many academics would be better compensated selling their ideas in the open market. Intellectual security is the higher reward that comes with tenure, allowing exploration in research and ideas without aprehension of political consequences. Given the process of reaching tenure, and the limited number of tenured positions, there must be other motivations behind those who seek a career in academe; successful professors are those with a strong desire to learn, and to share with others through teaching.
When applying for a teaching position, you will want to include all of your experience as a teaching assistant, at conferences and note anything you have published in your resume. You should also include a brief summary of your thesis and several strong references.
This is where your work at learing, networking and writing for publication should pay off. When you receive your PhD, you will have to decide whether to pursue a tenure-track position. As only 35% of faculty nationwide are tenured or tenure-track, this can be difficult both to persue and complete. Should you choose not to seek a tenured position, it is almost guaranteed that you will be paid less. You will also never have the security to intensively pursue your academic interests.
The focus of a University is largely determined by the professors who reside on committees and boards. These are empowered decision making bodies that posses the ability to redirect the trends in education. Professors like Niel Storch of the UMD History department are needed to teach, advise, research, and motivate others to understand that students should be the primary priority of colleges and universities nationwide.
Check out our references for more detailed information about becoming a professor:
Ohmann, Richard (1999). Historical Reflections on Accountability.
Academe.
Retrieved February 24, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.aaup.org/
JF00Ohma.htm
Perley, James E. (1997, April 4). Tenure Remains Vital to Academic
Freedom.
Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved February 24, 2000 from
the World Wide
Web: http://www.aaup.org.jeped44htm
Prost O’Leary, Diane (1996, 1999). A Professorship in
Your Future? Retrieved
from
the World Wide Web February 24, 2000: http://www.cs.umd.edu/~oleary/gradstudy/
node11.html
Bellah, Robert N. (2000). The True Scholar. Academe. Retrieved
from the World
Wide Web February 24, 2000: http://www.aaup.org/JF00Bell.htm
Benjamin, Ernst (2000). Some Implications of Tenure for the
Profession and
Society. Academe. Retrieved from the World Wide Web February 24,
2000: http://
www.aaup.org/ebten2.htm
Here are some related links to those further interested in becoming
a professor:
http://www.cs.umd.edu/~oleary/gradstudy/
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