Is it difficult to get hired for online adjunct position???

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by hal123, Aug 22, 2011.

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  1. hal123

    hal123 New Member

    I have been applying to many colleges for online teaching position; but not getting any response. I have masters degree in acctg & taxation; certifications such as CPA, and enrolled agent. Is there anything that I am NOT doing correctly to get a response?
     
  2. emmzee

    emmzee New Member

  3. fiveAboys

    fiveAboys New Member

    A simple answer: Yes. I have a Doctorate from a state university, three Masters Degrees, eight years classroom experience at state universities, etc. After a year I have finally gotten "hired" on. I still have to go through the training course and wait for a class, meaning I've been "hired" but it is going to take another semester or two to actually get assigned a class. The result will be a year and a half wait.

    Most school advertise to keep a good stream of applicants in the pipeline. Their advertising doesn't mean there is an actual job opening, but that they are advertising to make sure they have someone in mind should a job come open next year.
     
  4. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    I've been trying for over a year now with no luck.
     
  5. Princeofska

    Princeofska New Member

    Besides it being decently hard in a normal environment, with lowering rates of new students and pressure from the Federal government to show legitimacy, the major online are not hiring as much. The rate of new notices coming up for positions has dwindled significantly over the last two years.
     
  6. hal123

    hal123 New Member

    In fact, I got one offer after sending almost 100 applications. I was expecting to get some more response; apparently, there are more instructors in accounting than the market can absorb. I found one more interesting point, Online colleges requiring Phd in accounting to teach undergraduate courses.
     
  7. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    What teaching experience do you have? Have you tried:

    Community Colleges

    Trade Schools

    DETC Institutions

    Your local colleges and universities?

    My first adjunct teaching gig was at Southern Ohio College (now Brown Mackie) in Akron, OH, immediately after I earned my MBA. Very low pay, but it got my foot in the door...
     
  8. hal123

    hal123 New Member



    Hi, Shawn. Yes, I tried mainly to B&M schools with online program; that includes community college and universities and got an offer from Southern New Hampshire University. Likewise, the pay is not great, but accepted it just to get some experience. I have limited teaching experience from another country and conducted tax training course for a commerical tax preparation chain in fl.

    May be vocational and DETC schools would be a better option at this point. But, it seems they have very limited opportunity available.

    Perhaps, Phd is a basic requirement for a teaching position and I am lacking this degree.
     
  9. cdhale

    cdhale Member

    I had zero success getting online jobs, until I first taught as an adjunct for a local community college. Then things started picking up.
     
  10. Daisha Moore

    Daisha Moore member

    Your degrees and certifications are perfect. But the only thing I would like to add is that you should start your career as a regular teacher first. Because most of the colleges look for an experienced teacher for online adjunct teaching. So first you have to begin with a full time career in teaching, otherwise the employers would doubt on your genuineness. Rest other things are good.
     
  11. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    It took me about 6 months to land my first online teaching job. I highlighed my substitute teaching position at a local tech school and my experience as a corporate field trainer.
     
  12. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    You have a very good package, I would try first local schools rather than online teaching. Online schools hire internationally so your competition is tougher, you also have the fresh online PhD graduates that are starving for work.
    Local Universities in a face to face environment are easier to get, once you get some teaching experience try the online schools. You could also register in an online PhD just to include the "PhD student" entry in your resume, some schools look for key words such as PhD so this might help to.
     
  13. adampictor

    adampictor member

    I am currently pursuing an MBA and I was thinking I could be an accounting online instructor in the near future. I figured with the meager pay for accounting instructors that the job market wouldn't be so tough.
     
  14. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Unfortunately, in the teaching business, things change very quickly. I'm an IT instructor but at some point there was not enough work so I trained in accounting. Now things seem to be picking up in IT and only teach accounting once in a while.

    If you want to become a full time instructor, my advice is to get enough credits to qualify to teach in two fields. For example, you could teach accounting and a related field like Finance.

    I still see jobs in accounting but before most schools would only ask for 18 credits at the upper lor graduate level. Now, most schools ask for a CPA in addition to this. The CPA is not so easy to get and is expensive to maintain (CPD points required and high membership fees) so I don't know if it is worth it to get just to be able to teach.

    If you specialize in management accounting, you can do a CMA that is a bit less difficult than the CPA and not so expensive to maintain. I also see once in a while work in forensics that requires a CFE but this type of jobs occur very rarely.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 24, 2011
  15. adampictor

    adampictor member

    Gaining CPA designation is definitely a goal for me. CMA is also a good idea. I plan on switching to a Masters in Accountancy. I might get an MBA - Finance degree in the future. But would a graduate certificate in finance be a good idea to supplement a MAcc so I would be able to teach in two different fields? Finance is also another field that interests me.
     
  16. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    That is true for people with masters in accounting. Those with a Ph.D. or D.B.A. in accounting are in serious demand.
     
  17. hal123

    hal123 New Member

    I am seriously considering Ph.D. or DBA. Now, the issue is B&M or Online. Do you think online/DL PhD/DBA will be considered as a sub-standard degree? Thanks for your input.
     
  18. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    It depends which one.
     
  19. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I think the issue of online versus face to face is slowly becoming less relevant. The bottom line is credibility, I rather an AACSB accredited earned by DL from a top school such as University of Manchester (UK) than a face to face degree earned from a non AACSB accredited school with no name.

    The problem with some online doctorates is not so much that they are online but that they are offered by institutions with little reputation.

    There are some AACSB accredited doctorates offered via DL but they are not cheap. Be ready to spend more than 60K for an accredited doctorate.
     
  20. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Online positions tend to be more competitive because they are flexible and can be done from home. If you apply to teach at your local schools, you will find more responses.
     

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