In the past couple of years, you have been diligently working to complete your master’s degree to help you progress toward achieving that long-term goal of becoming a university professor. In the meantime, you plan to use the master’s degree to get your foot in the door as a college instructor in hopes of developing some experience teaching adults. The demand for college instructors is on the rise, and by 2020, it is anticipated that half of the students attending college will participate in some form of online course during their degree program. Realizing the opportunity, finding the right position to enter the field of college instruction is your goal, but it is one that will require hard work, patience, and diligence. Getting your foot in the door is not an easy task if you lack teaching experience.

Applying for an online instructor position follows the same process as searching for a campus position. There are many websites that advertise a wide variety of faculty positions nationwide and, sometimes, worldwide. You simply create an account, free of charge, and upload your resume as well as other requested materials, and you are set. You also can sign up for a subscription for new job postings related to your area of interest. If you are interested in online instructor positions, be sure to include the word “online” or “remote” in the key words section of your job search. When new jobs are posted, you will receive an alert message in your e-mail notifying you of these new positions. This is a great time- saver for those who don’t have time to search for jobs on a daily basis; simply let the site do the work for you. Some of the job search websites available for online instructors are as follows:

• SimplyHired.com: Provides a wide variety of jobs ranging from entry-level summer positions to advanced degree positions.



• HigherEdJobs.com: Provides jobs associated with academic institutions ranging from administrative and faculty to executive. Allows personal account capability and provides news briefs related to academic careers.



• Indeed.com: Provides a nationwide listing of a variety of available jobs by job title, keywords, or company name. The web presence is similar to Google and is easy to navigate.



• CommunityCollegeJobs.com: If community colleges are your area of interest, this website should be at the top of your favorites list. You can locate any community college job by keywords or by state. There is an advanced searching option to refine your target area, too.



• TeachAwayInc.com: This website is dedicated to teaching jobs available in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Africa. Teaching jobs range from paid faculty positions to volunteer positions.



• LinkedIn.com: Establishing a professional profile online is a great way to network with professionals in the same field. LinkedIn provides the capability to receive endorsements from connections, recommendations, and by joining groups who share your interest. Creating a LinkedIn profile and posting the link to your resume is a great way to promote your talents.

These are only a few of the sites available online, so take some time to review this list to determine which ones suit your needs best. Do not become discouraged if a month or two pass without any response to your application; your time will come. Meanwhile, try to gain some teaching experience by tutoring, training, or providing some other form of mentorship. These are all different forms of teaching, and the lessons you learn will greatly enhance skills you can apply once you finally land your first online instructor position.


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+Patricia Pedraza-Nafziger