I know it's not always easy to maintain a positive attitude when trying to achieve something and things are not going how you would like. However, I think if we really want it and we remain persistent, we are more likely than not to achieve it. I was recently hired at SNHU as an adjunct faculty for social science research courses. You can view the expired ad here. The courses I've been hired/approved to teach are listed in the ad. Why am I sharing this? I applied to 11 positions at SNHU since 2019. About half were online adjunct gigs, and the other half were full-time. I withdrew from two full-time remote positions and was not selected for an interview for 8. It was the 11th position that was right for me over four years later. I know maybe some people would have written off the school after their first few rejections. However, I kept applying whenever I saw a position that I believed was a good fit. I have three peer-reviewed articles, four under review, and a book being co-edited with two Tanzanian colleagues (one being an associate professor at my university and another being an associate professor/chair at a university in Kenya). Perhaps my scholarly work was advantageous in my candidacy. Based on this experience, I recall my job search in 2018 when I was trying to get a college-level faculty position. I applied to 63 positions, mostly at community colleges and other two-year or small universities. Most of the positions were either for a lecturer or instructor. Looking back on my application tracker Word document, only three were for an assistant professor. When I started applying in January 2018, I had my MBA and more than 18 credits in my M.S. in Criminal Justice. I received six interviews (at least two I had to pay for my airfare and hotel), and they came around April and May when I was about to finish my master's in criminal justice. I theorize that having a master's in a different field and 18 credits in the field you want to teach is not that attractive. You are competing with people with a master's or doctorate in the discipline. Needless to say, I didn't get any of those positions. Just around August 6th, 2018, I saw a position for a business and criminal justice teacher position at a prestigious Catholic all-girls high school. The position required a master's degree (and I had one in both disciplines). But it also said the ideal candidate would have three years of high school teaching experience. I had none, but I was hired. I served for three years before accepting my first tenure-track position. The other lesson I learned was never to disqualify myself. Certainly, employers will list their required and ideal/preferred qualifications. However, it doesn't mean you can't be the top candidate even if you lack some qualifications. No candidate is perfect. So, my advice is: let the employer disqualify you. Do not disqualify yourself. Today, despite not going the traditional route and earning a Ph.D. from a "fancy school," I am on a tenure track at a high research activity (on the way to an R1) university. I also teach online for one of the nation's top criminology/criminal justice schools (#2, USNRW). I earn (cumulatively) six figures, which is good for me as a single person with no kids. I dislike when people say I am lucky. I don't believe in luck. I believe in God, hard work, and persistence! If you have any success stories you would like to share, please do. Let's encourage and motivate each other!
