Advice to Crack First Online Teaching Position

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by Zealot4Truth, Jun 29, 2012.

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  1. Zealot4Truth

    Zealot4Truth New Member

    Hello everyone, I've been reading this forum off and on for a little over a year now, and I've found it quite informative. Thank you to everyone who has made posts in the past that have helped out!

    So anyway, I've been scouring the internet searching for online teaching positions in Criminal Justice, and I've applied to a good number of listed positions. I have a few questions for some of you, since it seems as if many of you are already teaching online.

    First, how long did it take you to get your first online position? Was it quite some time from when you applied to when you obtained your first position?

    Second, do you have any recommendations for resumes or CVs? Any recommendation on what schools to look out for?

    Third, any recommendations for interviews (assuming you get one)?

    I do have teaching experience, as I currently teach for UOP on campus, but it's in Religion instead of Criminal Justice. I also have 19 years of professional experience in law enforcement, and I'm currently employed full time in law enforcement at a federal agency.

    Thanks in advance for your assistance!
     
  2. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    About a year and a half / I waited about 6 months from application to the time they contacted me.

    List your education first and experience after that. Highlight your teaching experience.


    Think about retention and what you do to help students learn, enjoy the class, and help keep their business by delivering first class education. Good luck-
     
  3. Zealot4Truth

    Zealot4Truth New Member

    Thanks!

    Thanks Randell! I do appreciate it. I have taken to heart your suggestions regarding my CV (I actually basically had it like that already). It is good to know it generally takes some time to hear back. That makes me feel a little better.

    I also have scanned in all of my transcripts, do you recommend just sending them if you send out an email to an HR department?

    Thanks again.
     
  4. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    It took me about one year and half, I applied to every single position that I found till I was able to get my first gig.

    My problem was my lack of doctorate as many prefer a PhD even for adjunct positions but you seem to have one so you should be able to find something pretty soon.

    The turn over in online teaching is huge, many people want to get in but many people also leave once they find the job is demanding.
     
  5. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I wouldn't send my transcripts as many of the schools that advertise are just fishing for information such as diplomas, transcripts, etc.

    I would just list the graduate courses taken in my CV. If the schools issues you a contract, then it might be safe to send a transcript.

    It is easy for me to post as an ad calling for online instructors as a way to fish transcripts and diplomas and then open a fake diploma and transcript site and use photoshop to customize diplomas and make good money.
     
  6. Zealot4Truth

    Zealot4Truth New Member

    Thanks RFValve. I actually haven't finished my Ph.D. yet, I'm about half-way done. That's why I put "Ph.D. Student." I'm part of the initial cohort for Nova Southeastern's program in Criminal Justice.

    Thanks for the advice. I would never have thought about people doing that. Thanks for the info!

    Any other advice is always welcome!
     
  7. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    I would personally stay away from any school soliciting a transcript before an interview and any sort of formal employment offer is made.

    I would personally recommend looking for online schools that also have on-ground campuses in your area and trying to get your foot in the door on-ground first. Your chances are much better this way because you will be competing locally for a spot. These schools usually offer the ability to transition to online internally where you would not have to jump through the same hoops as someone fresh off the street. You will undoubtedly be limited to schools like UoP, Strayer, DeVry, etc., but getting your foot in the door is the hard part and you cannot afford to be too picky until you start building your portfolio.

    Once you do that - take all the faculty training you can, learn as many courseware platforms as you can, and generally do a GOOD job and you will be able to leverage less-than-wonderful school experience into progressively better gigs. I started this way locally at UOP and now teach for several schools, all of them except one being non-profits.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 2, 2012
  8. Zealot4Truth

    Zealot4Truth New Member

    Thanks for all the great advice everyone! I do appreciate it!
     
  9. Zealot4Truth

    Zealot4Truth New Member

    Here's another question for you guys. Do you think having a M.Div. from Liberty is something that could hurt my prospects at non-Christian schools for Criminal Justice, or it doesn't matter? Basically, should I maybe take that off my CV for no -Christian schools?

    Thanks again.
     
  10. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    For teaching, it doesn't make a difference if you leave it or take it off. As distance education is becoming very popular, it is common to see people with more than 4 degrees in different subjects.
    For teaching what it matters the most is your teaching experience, graduate credits and publications.
     
  11. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Zealot,

    I expect that it would slightly help you, that the people who would like it would really like it, and the people who dislike it would mostly shrug at it. In fact, as a non-Christian who's been part of a school's faculty hiring process, I would simply have taken it as evidence that you have persistence, since an MDiv is no walk in the park.
     
  12. Zealot4Truth

    Zealot4Truth New Member

    Thanks guys! Your comments were quite encouraging. I'll just continue to leave it on there.

    Thanks again.
     
  13. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    Here is a posting that I wrote for the Capella University Career LinkedIn board almost 2 years ago. (Note I am no longer a division chair, but IMHO, the advice still applies)

    Shawn Ambrose, Ph.D. • As a division chair at a small community college, let me offer some advice on how to break into the field.

    1. Don't overlook teaching at a traditional college; community colleges especially. Community colleges, by their nature, tend to have more evening/weekend classes than traditional colleges do. You might be able to find an evening/weekend teaching adjunct position to get experience.

    2. Look for continuing education courses (again. many community colleges offer these). Offer to teach a continuing ed course.

    3. I assume you want to teach in January. If so, you want to apply for teaching positions now. When you follow-up, follow-up at least twice: shortly after you submit the application materials, and a week before the semester starts. Often times last minute things happen where a school needs an adjunct, and if you are fresh in someone's mind, and your qualified, you increase your chances of getting an opportunity.

    4. Although this may sound a bit insulting, please follow the directions for applying for an adjunct position at the schools you are applying for. I am amazed at the number of "educated people" who are unable or unwilling to follow directions.

    5. Don't overlook "career schools." My first teaching position was with a school that was accredited by ACICS. In addition, you should consult the DETC accreditation directory for schools. DETC schools are all Distance Learning schools.

    Getting a teaching position requires a great deal of work. The competition is intense. Good luck!


    In addition, I posted this a few days ago on the same board:


    My current university has just finished hiring new faculty for the upcoming school year. After observing the process, I thought I would share some advice.

    For the record, I did not participate in the screening process as I am not a member of the leadership team that screens. However, I did participate in the interview process with the finalists, which included observing a teaching presentation. As a junior faculty member, I make my observations to the Assistant Dean, who makes the hiring decision.

    1. At a small teaching university, the teaching presentation is going to be a MAJOR factor in the decision process. You need to come prepared to teach your assigned topic, be able to answer relevant questions, and have a "classroom presence." I was flabbergasted to see that many of our candidates took the teaching demonstration lightly. Many of our finalists that I thought looked very good on paper...did not demonstrate competence in the classroom during the teaching presentation.

    2. Do some homework on the school before your interview. Sounds basic enough, but some of our candidates did not know basic information about our school which is readily available on our website. (Note - when I interviewed last summer for my current position, I reviewed the latest AQIP System Portfolio - which is an accreditation document ). I was able to learn a great deal about the school, as well as being able to ask questions beyond the basic questions that are on any "what questions should I ask list."

    3. Don't misrepresent yourself - schools will verify education, jobs, etc.

    Now for some general advice:

    1. About two years ago, there was a great discussion thread on how to get your foot in the door in Higher Ed. Here is the link:

    http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=1713&type=member&item=29484511&qid=02ee747c-e4a1-4af2-ac5c-7ede999b7d70&trk=group_items_see_more-0-b-ttl

    2. If teaching at a teaching university is a goal, I highly recommend the book, Scholarship Reconsidered, by Boyer. Many teaching universities have a different viewpoint on scholarship and use Boyer's work as a guide. Speaking of scholarship....

    3. If you a doctoral learner and you have not presented papers at conferences or published papers in academic journals, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage, IMHO. Look for conferences in your field and start presenting. You should be able to have several papers based on your coursework and comp exams. Doctoral students at "traditional" schools are attending conferences and presenting their work - you need to do the same.

    4. Accept the fact that for your first full-time teaching job you may have to move, and the job may be low paying. Case in point...I moved from Wyoming to Wisconsin for my first full-time teaching position at a small tribal community college. While at that little college, I took on leadership roles to include curriculum and assessment work, along with accreditation. The experience I had at a small college of 500 students was invaluable when I decided to look for a position after completing my PhD.

    Good luck!

    Shawn
     

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