I often receive emails from individuals looking to pursue a career in online education. My personal journey to a career in online education was a winding one, and I definitely don’t think or anticipate that it is the path that most people take when deciding to teach online.
In order to teach online, one must possess a Master’s or Doctorate in the field in which they wish to teach. Obtaining this advance degree is oftentimes the first step for those who want to break into the field.
Most online jobs require two to five years teaching experience, often at the college level. Building experience and expertise is vital in order to be hired online. Many online instructors began their career by adjuncting for various community colleges or other colleges or universities in a traditional fashion. Developing a strong teaching background and having several years of teaching experience is important for those wanting a career in online education.
If you already have an advanced degree and several years of teaching experience, you are reading to begin the process of applying to teach online. There are numerous schools that are constantly hiring online adjuncts to their faculty pools. I would suggest that individuals apply to numerous schools and apply often. Online colleges and universities are often revamping their hiring procedures so while your resume may not make the initial cut the first time you send it, it might when you send it six months later (with six months more experience under your belt). In order to find schools, I would suggest Googling “Online Universities” or “Online Colleges” and clicking through to the careers page and searching for your specialization. If the online application process is too arduous for you, you’re probably not destined for online education.
Once a school expresses interest in you, you’ll most likely fill out more paperwork, have a phone interview with someone in the department from which you’ll be teaching, and eventually spend 2-6 weeks in an unpaid training course for the school. Once you’ve passed the training, you’ll be given your first course, usually under the watchful eye of a more seasoned instructor. Sometimes, even the second or third courses are part of the initial training process.
For almost all online schools, adjuncts are paid on a course-by-course basis with no guarantee of future courses. This makes it very important that quality instruction is shown within the course in order to keep being asked to teach future courses. After teaching for one online schools, it typically becomes easier to land other online positions.
For those wanting to teach online full-time, a Ph.D. is recommended as well as at least 2 years experience teaching online. As you can see, the path to teaching online full-time can be a slow and tenacious process. It is important to continually build one’s resume with classroom experiences and research outside of the classroom as well.
I would caution those that want to go into teaching because they think it will somehow be easier than their current profession against doing so. Teaching is a rigorous and challenging profession that is truly not for the faint at heart. I think a love for teaching is vital and if you would not consider teaching in a traditional classroom, despite the very different requirements online, I would not consider online teaching a good fit for you.
About the Author
Jamie Weitl is a WAHM teaching for several online universities and raising three precocious little ones. In her spare time she enjoys writing, baking, and running. For more info, see my Google Plus Profile.
