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The 8 Biggest Job Search Mistakes 

Angela
Photo of a male with his hand over his head. Text: The 8 biggest job search mistakes.
Dorothy Miraglia, VP of Academic and Professor Services
Dorothy Miraglia, Ph.D., VP of Academic and Professor Services

You’re trying to find online teaching jobs without getting interviews, callbacks, and offers. Searching and applying for online teaching jobs can take hours every week. You need the right tools, application materials, and support. Dorothy Miraglia, Ph.D., is the Vice President of Professor Services. Miraglia understands the academic job market as she mentors others in finding positions and as an experienced online instructor.

These are the 8 biggest mistakes Miraglia sees applicants make when searching for an online teaching job.

1. Skip the Big Job Boards

Don’t rely too much on the big job boards. Job boards such as InsideHigherEd, Indeed, and HigherEdJobs all target professors. These job boards are updated regularly as schools open positions. The issue is they are free and highly visible, meaning everyone else uses them too! This means more competition. Miraglia notes, “School administrators tell me it’s not unusual to receive more than 1,000 applications for each open position on the big job boards. Doing your own search is important.” Miraglia suggests visiting the Careers and Jobs pages on individual schools’ websites to find open positions. 

No time to search school websites? Professor Services finds you targeted leads. 

2. Use LinkedIn Instead of Google

Miraglia suggests trading Google searches for LinkedIn. She says, “LinkedIn is becoming a hub for online teaching jobs. Recruiters regularly search LinkedIn to find qualified candidates. Make sure your profile stands out.” Miraglia tells clients to clarify on your profile how you will contribute to a team. It’s also essential to use keywords so you appear in hiring managers’ searches. When you search for positions, make sure to use key phrases like “distance learning,” “e-learning,” “remote,” and “online.” 

Get a LinkedIn Makeover and Stand Out To Hiring Managers. 

3. Expand Your Search Beyond Your Discipline

While you’re an expert in your discipline, you might be qualified to teach in other areas. Miraglia encourages applicants to think beyond their field of study and include their work experiences. For example, your expertise might be in marketing, but you also have experience with business management. Or you’re a nurse but have experience with biology, anatomy, and human resource management thanks to years of managing schedules. You can teach a variety of courses. Typically, schools look for 18 graduate hours in a specific discipline. You can also justify your ability to teach a subject area with your career experience. Miraglia says, “If you feel you can make a solid contribution to student lives, go for it and apply!” Some schools will require your highest degree to be in the specific area of study, but not most. It can’t hurt to apply! The school could hold your resume for future opportunities.  

You might also like:  For more insight, check out the article How Submitting Your Transcripts Helps Get You Hired

4. Follow Up On Rejection Letters

Hold onto those rejection letters and check back in six months. Miraglia says she has personal experience with reapplying to positions. She says, “Circumstances change, needs change, hiring demands change, people leave jobs, enrollments grow. You don’t know what the future holds. It is not unusual to be hired years after applying. Check back until you’re told not to!”  

5. Make Sure Your CV is a CV

Miraglia regularly sees applicants missing opportunities because they think they have a Curriculum Vitae (CV). But their document is a resume tailored for education and missing the essential elements of a CV. A professional and complete CV, that showcases your professional and academic achievements, is critical to obtaining an online teaching position. Some HR sites will still ask for a resume in addition to a CV because they use an automated system. Hiring managers for academic jobs expect a complete CV, not a resume. 

You might also like:  4 Ways a CV is Different from a Resume

6. Stick With It

You may be frustrated by sending out over 100 applications, but this is the average to land an academic job. Professor Services clients report that, on average, it can take 80-120 applications per interview. You don’t have control over many circumstances, such as enrollment, other candidates, hiring manager preferences, and internal hires. Keep updating your CV and professional social media and keep applying. Hiring comes in waves. Make it a priority to complete a certain number of applications per week, every week, until you feel confident that number can slow down a bit without risking your financial health. 

7. Maximizing Your Experience

We talk to clients of our mentor program who assume that they won’t get hired because they need college teaching experience. Not true! Every single professor started with no experience. Everyone has to start somewhere. You can tutor, create and teach your own online courses, work as a subject matter expert, or contact your local community college to teach an on-ground course or guest lecture. Consider the possibilities!

8. Don’t Settle for the Status Quo 

Don’t get too comfortable. Change is a constant. Schools consolidate, shut down,  and merge. Enrollment is up and down. Treat your adjunct work like a sales pipeline and keep it packed with positions in different stages. Be prepared with applications in the pipeline and other schools on your target list. You may have too much work in some semesters, which balances out lighter terms. You also need to plan for slower months or quarters. Summers tend to be lighter in pay and workload; holidays are very slow and often unpaid. 

Need help navigating the online academic job search? Chat with Professor Services today and get your academic career started! 

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Angela

Angela Britcher is a writer, communications professor, and instructional designer. She works with The Babb Group and Edusity.
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