Get an A+ on your next interview with our tips and tricks for a stellar resume.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, College Professors make over $80,000 on average. This occupation is also growing quite fast, at 9%. But even more important than the money, College Professors are critical to educating the leaders and creators of tomorrow.
But before you can climb the ivory tower, you need to get your foot in the door first. And we can help you do that.
In this article, we’ll discuss
College Professor, Princeton University
Associate College Professor, Boston College
The first step to drafting your resume is deciding which resume format to use. This depends on your career experience and skillset.
You have 3 main options for your resume:
Tip: only include jobs relevant to the position to which you’re applying, so leave out any former jobs that don’t fit. Do include all your teaching jobs. If you’re just starting out, include courses you taught as a grad student or even courses you assisted as an undergraduate.
Tip: Read our advice on How to Explain Employment Gaps on a Resume.
Tip: When in doubt, choose the Reverse-Chronological resume format. For more details, check out our guide on How to Write Your Resume in Reverse-Chronological Order.
For a College Professor career, hiring managers want to glance at your resume and get a sense of the following:
The best format for a College Professor is the Reverse-Chronological resume format. This is because it shows the trajectory of your career -- how you’ve grown professionally through publications, research, and promotions. Check out our advice on How to Show Your Job Promotions on a Resume for more details.
A resume summary is one or two sentences at the top of your paper that summarizes your entire resume. It’s the punch line that gets the resume reviewer wanting to know more.
For a College Professor career, include the following points in your summary:
Here is an example of a bad resume summary:
Experienced history professor with a passion for students. Led some research projects and published author of several papers.
This is a bad resume summary because it is very vague. There is nothing here that identifies you as a unique individual with special talents and experiences to offer.
Here is an example of a good resume summary:
Enthusiastic College Professor with ten years of experience teaching European history with an emphasis on British royalty. Published author of a McGill textbook with innovative teaching strategies that immerse students in the learning process. Committed faculty member with a passion for ensuring the academic integrity of the institution and achieving tenure through administrative service.
This is a good resume summary because it offers specifics about your academic prowess -- you teach European history and specialize in British royalty. You also have demonstrated success in your field by publishing a textbook that not only informs students about the subject but also excites them about learning. Lastly, the resume summary has an objective -- that you want tenure.
A Resume Objective tells the employer what kind of position you are seeking.
While this is certainly optional, it can help employers understand what you want from them and what you can offer. Put another way, a resume objective clarifies your intentions to employers. Plus, it can help to show why you are a good fit for the job.
For more information, checkout our guide on How to Write a Killer Resume Summary. Or, browse our Resume Summary Examples.
The next step to drafting your resume is to list your work experience. This includes the names of your positions (See: The Right Way to List Job Titles on a Resume), the names of the locations at which you worked, and the length of time in which you’ve worked.
You should also quantify your resume whenever possible. This means adding a number -- such as a dollar amount or percentage -- to your accomplishments. Quantifying your resume gives the hiring manager a more concrete idea of your workplace performance. For example, say that you “taught 4 classes a semester,” “improved the class average grade between semesters by 20% due to innovative teaching techniques,” or “brought the institution $300,000 in research grants.”
Tip: One way to quantify your resume is by listing your accomplishments and awards. For example, name any grants you’ve received, teaching awards, publications, etc.
For more information on how to format your work experience, check out our guide on How to Describe Work Experience.
Don’t have any work experience? We have a guide for that too!
Skills show the hiring manager what you can do for the institution -- without taking up too much space in the “work experience” part of your resume.
There are two types of skills -- soft and hard. “Soft” skills are those that are not quantifiable and are more indicative of your personality. Examples include leadership, problem-solving, and communication. In contrast, “hard” skills are those that are learned through formal education. Examples include computer technology programs, languages, and certifications.
College Professors need both hard and soft skills. Soft skills come in handy when dealing with students and other faculty members, while your hard skills represent your research and teaching abilities. It’s a good idea to include a mix of both on your resume, instead of relying overly on one type.
Relevant Soft Skills
Relevant Hard Skills
If you want a more complete list of skills, read our guide on 100+ Key Skills for a Resume in 2021 with Examples for any Job.
Most institutions require that College Professors have a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in their field. However, a master's degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges. Additionally, some specialties or part-time positions may hire those with a master’s degree or those who are doctoral degree candidates.
Still uncertain on what to include in this section? Review our guide on How to List Education on Your Resume in 2021.
Institutions want you to bolster their reputations. This means that you need to demonstrate you can add to their wallet and public image -- by publishing your findings in journals and books.
While most resumes are one page, a College Professor who has been teaching a while might have two pages. If so, list your “research and publications” on the second page.
How to format publications on your resume:
Should I use APA or MLA format?
While this is up to you, these academic styles take up more space. If you have a two-page resume then that’s not a problem. Otherwise, simply list each work’s title, publication name and date.
For example: “Analyzing Elizabethan Attitudes Towards Continental Trade,” The English Historical Review, June 2018.
Tip: If you only have a few publications, not enough to warrant an entire section, or if you have too many things to add and you’re crunched for space, make a section that’s more general, such as “additional activities” or “accomplishments.”
Now it’s time for the fun part -- picking the aesthetics of your resume!
Here at EasyResume, we offer several different templates.
Your resume template should reflect the job to which you’re applying. For a College Professor career, try an Academic or Professional format in order to match the gravity of the institution. However, if you’re applying to a more unorthodox college, try out our Modern or even Creative templates.
If you want to create your own template, read how with our Step-by-Step Guide on How to Create a Resume Template in Microsoft Word.
We’ve done it! Almost.
Now it’s time to get down to business -- actually creating the resume.
Here’s what you need to do:
Start from our resume example and be done in as little as ten minutes.
You’ll be well on your way to teaching your next course in no time!
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