Anonymous
08/30/2025 21:49
Subject: Help me break into academia
Academia is declining. Not a lot of jobs with stability.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 09:56
Subject: Help me break into academia
I will echo the need to adjunct to get experience/foot in the door. Become known as a desired professor among students who is fair, accessible, brings in real-life situations to the classroom, and actually teaches subject matter well.
Then, look at where you are applying. Community colleges, online/nontraditional colleges (like UMGC), and teaching focused smaller colleges would be more likely to hire you, and you wouldn't be required to publish/research to keep you job.
If you work at a for-profit college and are not also adjuncting at a non-profit, there is a good chance you will never be considered for a non-profit position later. The for-profits are renown for grad inflation, customer service rather than education, and lower academic standards (even when they are regionally accredited). That being said, there is a reason and purpose for schools like University of Phoenix and Strayer, so as long as you are comfortable staying there, it would give you an in.
Then, look at where you are applying. Community colleges, online/nontraditional colleges (like UMGC), and teaching focused smaller colleges would be more likely to hire you, and you wouldn't be required to publish/research to keep you job.
If you work at a for-profit college and are not also adjuncting at a non-profit, there is a good chance you will never be considered for a non-profit position later. The for-profits are renown for grad inflation, customer service rather than education, and lower academic standards (even when they are regionally accredited). That being said, there is a reason and purpose for schools like University of Phoenix and Strayer, so as long as you are comfortable staying there, it would give you an in.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 04:06
Subject: Help me break into academia
Look into the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown. My husband went there and had several really remarkable professors with experience similar to yours, including a former Secretary of State, former CIA and DoD officials, etc.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 03:33
Subject: Help me break into academia
Just to add that I know a bunch of (former) Professors who have left academia recently because the quality of students has dropped so precipitously. Most need constant handholding and reassurance, and will lodge complaints over any small disagreement. AI is making things worse. It’s not a “fun” job anymore.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 22:29
Subject: Help me break into academia
I think your best best would be to look for an adjunct role at your Alma mater. If yuh are just doing this to stay sharp and connected to your field you may be able to do that more easily through mentorship opportunities.
I went to lunch every couple weeks with a few other students and a distinguished alum throughout medical school. Looking back I don’t quite remember how I ended up in that cohort but the gentleman who was hosting us had clearly made some arrangement with the school to have a little group of students with special interest xyz to mentor/lunch with.
I went to lunch every couple weeks with a few other students and a distinguished alum throughout medical school. Looking back I don’t quite remember how I ended up in that cohort but the gentleman who was hosting us had clearly made some arrangement with the school to have a little group of students with special interest xyz to mentor/lunch with.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 22:22
Subject: Help me break into academia
GMU was recently looking for professors for their ROTC classes. Class topics are leadership, team management and ethics. Maybe something like this could be a fit for you?
Anonymous
08/23/2025 20:34
Subject: Help me break into academia
You could easily adjunct. But unlikely to pivot into a tenure track role or a full time role. It just doesn't work like that, unfortunately.
That said, you may be able to teach full time at a community college where research is less important to the credentials (that's not a knock). Are you open to that?
What's your goal?
That said, you may be able to teach full time at a community college where research is less important to the credentials (that's not a knock). Are you open to that?
What's your goal?
Anonymous
08/23/2025 20:23
Subject: Help me break into academia
Why is everyone mentioning tenure? Of course OP isn’t landing a tenured position at this point and that wasn’t in his original post anyway.
In addition to others mentioning adjunct roles, there are full-time lecturer or instructor positions that may be a good fit, especially in business and policy schools and potentially at places like military colleges. You would have to do some legwork, though, and it would be better to adjunct now while still working in order to get some teaching experience under your belt.
In addition to others mentioning adjunct roles, there are full-time lecturer or instructor positions that may be a good fit, especially in business and policy schools and potentially at places like military colleges. You would have to do some legwork, though, and it would be better to adjunct now while still working in order to get some teaching experience under your belt.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 18:36
Subject: Help me break into academia
Anonymous wrote:You need to have the background and job experience that universities WANT in order to break in at 50+ years old. They're not looking for someone to actually team. What they ARE looking for is someone who has a high-profile professional reputation that will: (i) bring in more students; (ii) bring in more alumni donations; (iii) bring in more grant money; and (iv) dramatically boost the department's reputation.
There are thousands of candidates who have published, many extensively. Likewise, there are just as many who have PhDs from top universities.
Think about the people who get tenured or tenure track positions in their 40s and 50s. They are leaders in government, business, non-profits, diplomats, etc...
You're asking a university to pick you over someone who is willing to slave away in obscurity for 10 years, all the while doing the grunt work (teaching freshmen) that tenured professors don't want to do AND publishing lots of articles in peer-reviewed publications.
I'm in my mid-50s and had a dream of being in academia about 20 years ago. Went through the interview process for a few years, then realized that it wasn't worth it. Big business paid a heck of a lot better, and the name(s) of my various employers opened a lot more doors to conference panels, academic journals, and adjunct faculty roles than I could ever get if I went the traditional route. A tenured professorship offered me nothing more than shackles to a specific university in a specific part of the country. No thanks.
Sorry. Team = Teach.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 18:36
Subject: Help me break into academia
You need to have the background and job experience that universities WANT in order to break in at 50+ years old. They're not looking for someone to actually team. What they ARE looking for is someone who has a high-profile professional reputation that will: (i) bring in more students; (ii) bring in more alumni donations; (iii) bring in more grant money; and (iv) dramatically boost the department's reputation.
There are thousands of candidates who have published, many extensively. Likewise, there are just as many who have PhDs from top universities.
Think about the people who get tenured or tenure track positions in their 40s and 50s. They are leaders in government, business, non-profits, diplomats, etc...
You're asking a university to pick you over someone who is willing to slave away in obscurity for 10 years, all the while doing the grunt work (teaching freshmen) that tenured professors don't want to do AND publishing lots of articles in peer-reviewed publications.
I'm in my mid-50s and had a dream of being in academia about 20 years ago. Went through the interview process for a few years, then realized that it wasn't worth it. Big business paid a heck of a lot better, and the name(s) of my various employers opened a lot more doors to conference panels, academic journals, and adjunct faculty roles than I could ever get if I went the traditional route. A tenured professorship offered me nothing more than shackles to a specific university in a specific part of the country. No thanks.
There are thousands of candidates who have published, many extensively. Likewise, there are just as many who have PhDs from top universities.
Think about the people who get tenured or tenure track positions in their 40s and 50s. They are leaders in government, business, non-profits, diplomats, etc...
You're asking a university to pick you over someone who is willing to slave away in obscurity for 10 years, all the while doing the grunt work (teaching freshmen) that tenured professors don't want to do AND publishing lots of articles in peer-reviewed publications.
I'm in my mid-50s and had a dream of being in academia about 20 years ago. Went through the interview process for a few years, then realized that it wasn't worth it. Big business paid a heck of a lot better, and the name(s) of my various employers opened a lot more doors to conference panels, academic journals, and adjunct faculty roles than I could ever get if I went the traditional route. A tenured professorship offered me nothing more than shackles to a specific university in a specific part of the country. No thanks.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 17:49
Subject: Help me break into academia
Teach an ROTC program? Or try for one of the military academies?
Anonymous
08/23/2025 10:59
Subject: Re:Help me break into academia
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Echoing others here--either adjucting or possibly a position at a university research institute, research professor, etc. Unfortunately, academia, despite its long history of questioning the status quo, is extremely closed minded when it comes to hiring for tenure-track positions.
While this is true for tenure track, I am a finalist for a Lecturer full-time position with similar career (20 years work experience). However, I am well-known to many faculty and the Dean, and have published recently. I think connections are very important to help them trust you can handle the position and would be a good teacher. OP, do you know any academics? Meet them for coffee/lunch/a drink and talk about the field and your interest in it. See what they think your options might be.
PUBLISHED. OP, academics do research and publish as well as teach. You can maybe adjunct teach but your goal of "finishing" your career isn't very academic.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 09:01
Subject: Help me break into academia
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You should be able to get an adjunct teaching job
+1. Adjunct jobs are fairly easy to get. The pay is unfortunately close to volunteer work. Teach for a semester or two and see what your options are-because getting hired to teach without any experience I think would be difficult unless you’re a bold faced name.
Because adjunct positions weren't (originally) designed for those making a career out of it. It was for someone who already had a job to teach a class on the side, for their professional benefit and the benefit of students.
Typical example is a lawyer with a specialty like maritime law or bankruptcy law. The law school may not need a full-time professor for that, but having someone come in one evening a week to teach a class on the topic works well for both sides.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 08:41
Subject: Help me break into academia
Anonymous wrote:If you could somehow get a grant approved to take with you to a university then they would probably just create a tenured position for you on the spot.
I have worked for over a decade at a senior level in academic grant management. It’s almost impossible to get a significant grant without an organization behind you, and very difficult to get a position based on a single few-$100K grant that wouldn’t cover a year of a tenured position.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 20:00
Subject: Help me break into academia
you'd make more money selling naked videos of yourself on onlyfans. and let's be honest, the garbage tier school that would let you teach incoming freshmen would just have you standing in front of endless seas of zoned out eyeballs or looking at screens instead. at least the people looking at you naked would be interested in you.