Are you pursuing your doctoral degree with the goal of teaching in higher education?  Tarana, a Doctor of Business Administration student, shares with us what she did that led to two offers as an adjunct instructor― one at a community college and one at a four-year college. She had been applying for non-academic positions with no response, so she reached out to Walden Career Services and made an appointment.  She said by meeting with a Career Advisor, “I gained a wealth of knowledge on how to reduce clutter on my resume.”  She took the advice about her resume and applied it to her curriculum vita.  To “test out her newfound knowledge,” she applied for a higher education adjunct teaching position posted on a job board. She kept her CV focused on her expertise and experience “essential” to the position.  Within a day, she received an invitation to interview.  With one success, she was motivated to try for another position and her strategy worked again!

This is what Tarana discovered through working with a Career Services advisor:

Clean Up Your Curriculum Vita:

• Use consistent and clear formatting throughout so that the document looks polished and professional.
• Include a brief professional summary focused on relevant skills and experience.
• Edit out irrelevant information. Irrelevant information distracts the reader from what is important.
• Include “streamlined” statements that start with a strong action verb and describe your achievements and accomplishments.
• Add special sections such as “Conference Presentations Delivered.”

Prepare for the Interview:

• Research information about the student population and policies of the institution that affect classroom dynamics. Know the mission of the institution.
• Review the job description and requirements and use them as your guide.
• Prepare questions to ask during the interview such as “What student services are available to support students?”
• Practice answering scenario type questions such as “What would you do if a student was caught plagiarizing?”

The time and effort that Tarana invested in strengthening her curriculum vita and preparing for her interviews worked! She received two offers and accepted both positions. Her final advice is to: “Take advantage of Walden’s Career Services, their advice is “absolutely priceless.”

We thank Tarana for sharing her story, and we wish her much success in her DBA program and her new adjunct teaching positions!

For more information on creating a curriculum vita and searching for a higher education teaching position visit the Career Services Center Doctoral Resources.

Written by Denise Pranke, Senior Career Services Advisor