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Job outlook for adjunct lecturers in the United States
Adjunct lecturer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected adjunct lecturer job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for adjunct lecturers are projected over the next decade.
Adjunct lecturer salaries have increased 12% for adjunct lecturers in the last 5 years.
There are over 346,779 adjunct lecturers currently employed in the United States.
There are 26,546 active adjunct lecturer job openings in the US.
The average adjunct lecturer salary is $79,657.
Are adjunct lecturer jobs in demand?
Adjunct lecturer job and salary trends over time
Adjunct lecturer jobs over time
Adjunct lecturer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 346,779 | 0.10% |
| 2020 | 377,005 | 0.11% |
| 2019 | 388,346 | 0.12% |
| 2018 | 370,840 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | 374,804 | 0.11% |
Average adjunct lecturer salary over time
Adjunct lecturer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $79,657 | $38.30 | +4.3% |
| 2024 | $76,358 | $36.71 | +5.0% |
| 2023 | $72,694 | $34.95 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $71,387 | $34.32 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | $71,299 | $34.28 | +2.2% |
Adjunct lecturer jobs by state
Most common states for adjunct lecturers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 166 | 24% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 130 | 18% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 988 | 12% |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 638 | 11% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 115 | 11% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 405 | 10% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 62 | 10% |
| 8 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,494 | 8% |
| 9 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 390 | 8% |
| 10 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 357 | 8% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 643 | 7% |
| 12 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 446 | 7% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 403 | 7% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 220 | 7% |
| 15 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 133 | 7% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 73 | 7% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 762 | 6% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 572 | 6% |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 397 | 6% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 56 | 6% |
Most common cities for adjunct lecturers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gainesville | 2 | 2% | $43,855 |
| 2 | Lakewood | 1 | 1% | $114,494 |
| 3 | New York | 3 | 0% | $133,842 |
Adjunct Lecturer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of adjunct lecturer experts
Tiffin University
Christopher Newport University
Kean University
North Carolina State University
Northern Michigan University
College of the Marshall Islands
Skidmore College
Lehigh University
Pennsylvania State University Altoona
Grambling State University
Skidmore College
College of Charleston
Shaw University
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The University of Tennessee Knoxville
Oakland University
Merrimack College
Florida International University
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Alex Holte PhD: My advice for someone new to the field of academia is to learn time management skills early and learn what type of service work you find interesting and would like to contribute to. From there, learn how to say “no” to opportunities that may not align with your goals as well. I feel a lot of new professors tend to find the need to be involved in everything, which can result in burning out later in their career.
What will help Adjunct Lecturers increase their earning potential?
Alex Holte PhD: When you are starting out at any career, it is important to negotiate your salary. Many candidates feel that they have to accept their first offer, but in reality, at many jobs, there is some room for negotiation. Be mindful however, to not request a salary that is much higher than what is being offered as they may feel like a compromise would not be possible and move on to the next candidate.
Dr. Stephanie Opfer
Associate Professor of English, Assistant Dean of the School of Creative and Media ArtsTiffin University
Visual And Performing Arts
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Because of the state of higher education in our country today, teaching in higher education can be a difficult field to break into. However, most colleges and universities still hire adjunct instructors (part-time instructors). Students shouldn't be afraid to teach as an adjunct for a while to get some experience and decide if teaching is for them.
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Flexibility and adaptability will be the biggest skills instructors will need. The state of higher education is changing, and the 'ivory tower' is going away. Colleges and universities are starting to focus more on career-oriented programs, which include practical and application skill sets. In order to stay relevant, the focus of humanities classes like art and film should be on teaching students analysis, synthesis, and other critical-thinking skills. The content becomes less important and becomes only the vehicle for teaching these skills.
What will help Adjunct Lecturers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Unfortunately, teaching as an adjunct does not pay well. Students should keep their full-time jobs and teach part-time until they find a full-time job at a college or university. That part-time teaching provides them valuable experience and connections that make them more competitive candidates for full-time positions because they'd also be competing with candidates who have PhDs. So adjunct work is more of a long-term investment rather than an immediate return. Also, even full-time teaching jobs don't pay particularly well, so they'll really need to love teaching if they want to do it full-time. If they don't like teaching as an adjunct, they won't like doing it full-time.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Dr. Mike Levine: In the next 3–5 years, I anticipate that research will be expected that explores more interdisciplinarity; owing both to intellectual trends in the academy, and to an ever-shrinking job market, which means that more will be demanded by less people. As well, you will be expected to be an expert in the exciting, interesting research niche that you have found and written about in your dissertation; but also quite knowledgeable about a broad range of information applicable towards teaching large general education (GE) classes filled with non-major students. Expertise in both of these areas will make you more competitive and give you a broader network to work with.
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mike Levine: Academia is most definitely not a career for those that want to get rich quick. It can take 5–6 years before your salary really starts to pick up steam (getting tenured, in other words). To get tenure: publish, publish, publish, while teaching and mentoring. Do some service to your department or college as well, but not so much that you get burnt out. As in any career, being seen and working with other people in your discipline, school, and area is key. So go to as many conferences as you can find funding for, and meet and work with as many people as you can. The 'cultural currency' you'll get from these interactions will come a lot sooner than actual currency will, but in academia, these two areas are often one and the same.
What will help Adjunct Lecturers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Mike Levine: My advice would be to keep an open mind in terms of the kind of early career job you will get: lecturer, adjunct, and visiting assistant professor positions are each helpful springboards towards landing an assistant prof role. So, if you don't immediately land an assistant prof position following graduation, don't get discouraged! As well, you might have to move around a bit. Like the military, it is rare that you'll find an academic job in your own backyard. So be prepared to pick up and move to where your next gig takes you.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Mia Fiore Ph.D.: First, I would tell all students that it is VERY different from teaching k-12. Unlike K-12, you are not placed in a school with a teaching job upon graduation; teaching in higher education is one of the most competitive fields, period. The next difference is that you are expected to be an expert/ master of your field. If you're also willing to accept that you will likely have to work as an adjunct professor (for low pay) first, then go for it! Teaching in higher education is the most rewarding job, especially for people who love learning.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: Perseverance pays off. Its worth it to pursue the career you want and not settle and be unhappy.
What will help Adjunct Lecturers increase their earning potential?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: I wouldn’t know, I’m a professor.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Juan de la Puente Herrero: - As precarious as things are looking for people from my generation, the fields of Romance Languages and Linguistics have an advantage that has gotten me out of more than one financial distress: they are incredibly versatile. If you acquire the necessary skills for it (and don't skip the step of actually learning them, please), you can quickly pick up different 'side hustles' that require minimal infrastructure. However, the idea of turning them into your main source of income could quickly become flimsy and unstable. You don't want to be the person who relies solely on occasional students to tutor, translations to complete, or texts to proofread.
If you do want to maximize your salary potential in this field with a single source of income, you are going to have to deal with a tremendous amount of bureaucracy, technical requirements, and elitism. If your dream profession in this field involves teaching and being financially stable, you probably want to look into getting a PhD. In order to get there, you need to carefully study how willing you are to remain broke for a few years, even though there isn't a tenured job assured at the other end of the tunnel. On a brighter note, I have met lots of lecturers in higher education who enjoy a comfortable salary and a peaceful work life, but in order to get there, most of them had to suffer through multiple precarious contracts and on-and-off appointments, which are very stressful situations to be on, specially for non-citizens like me.
I hope that my answers don't discourage anyone from getting into this field. I just described the ugliest parts of working in it, but I would be more than happy to dedicate double the words to explaining the things that I enjoy about working with languages and Linguistics.
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Juan de la Puente Herrero: - I hate to even bring up the term, but you need to find a way to make yourself stand out among the masses who rely on A.I. to do their work. Re-learn how to string your words and ideas in a way that makes sense to you and your readers and that sounds natural. This could apply to cover letters and essays, but also simple emails, translations and in-class activities. Sadly, one of my main concerns in the workplace these days is the constant presence of artificial intelligence in everything we do. I can't predict the future, but I can definitely say that there is currently a race between professors, students and ChatGPT to see who can outsmart each other, and everyone is giving it their all. It sounds ironic, but the only way to stand out is to rely on the quality of your own work, have trustful sources, and good research skills.
What will help Adjunct Lecturers increase their earning potential?
Juan de la Puente Herrero: - This may not be a secret to anyone, but you need to reach out and talk to as many people as you have the energy for. I feel like people underestimate how competitive languages and linguistics can be in the professional world, so the more you know about how others 'went through it', the easier it will be for you to take the punches when they come. And they will come!
I also want to mention how I am younger compared to most of my colleagues (I'm 24), but I have noticed that there is a pattern among the professors who tend to be more popular inside and outside of the classroom: all of them have interests (not necessarily academic) that they pursue in their free time, and it does not matter what it is exactly; cooking, literature, acting, music... I think that it is extremely important to 'feel like a student' on a regular basis in order to let your students know that they are not the only ones making mistakes on a regular basis: you do, too. I don't think that this is an attitude that you can fake.
Jane Kuandre
Associate ProfessorWhat will help Adjunct Lecturers increase their earning potential?
Jane Kuandre: Networking is crucial for career advancement in academia as it allows individuals to establish collaborations, gain access to resources, and stay updated on the latest research trends.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Alexander Velasquez: My general advice to any graduate beginning their career in their field is to continue to learn and be a student of your craft. Be open to learning new things because you never know how they will improve your skills and qualifications. For example, I am currently learning video editing. I never thought I would bother to learn video editing, but it makes me a more versatile instructor being able to give students the option of doing video projects, combining and editing them, and having a digital record of what students have learned in the classroom. And given the rise of online learning, it's important nowadays to be an effective instructor both in the traditional in-person format and within the digital landscape.
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alexander Velasquez: I think that in the next three to five years the most important skills to have—and I mean this—will be critical thinking and imagination. This may sound a bit outlandish, and maybe even a bit naive, but hear me out: Artificial intelligence is making strides to the point where papers are writing themselves with simple instructions, videos are generating themselves with simple instructions, and software is beginning to write itself; and all this has been happening within the last few years. We may begin to see that in the next three to five years, once coveted programming jobs could become automated. Now, what I'm *not* saying is don't go to school for computer programming; but what I *am* saying is that the nature of work and employment *is* changing. For example, if you and and AI are making a video, and both of you have the same script, same voiceover, and so on, the only thing separating your final product from the AI's is the way you *think and imagine*, the perspective that you have as someone who can think critically about the information and lay it out in a visually appealing manner. AI can't do that—at least not yet—because it simply spits out the information it's given. But critical thought, metalevel thinking about information, is what will be one of the most important assets to have in the coming three to five years.
What will help Adjunct Lecturers increase their earning potential?
Alexander Velasquez: I think everyone should look into their career fields and find out what it is that makes you more valuable in that field. Are there any certifications that you can get? What is it that you need to know or learn that companies will find valuable? Much can be learned online, so pick up as many of those skills as you can, and make sure they're on your resume or CV. I believe all those things could maximize salary potential, especially when starting out.
Aurelie Matheron
Assistant Professor of FrenchSkidmore College
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Aurelie Matheron: Present yourself as a professional in your cover letter and interviews. The people who interview you will look at you as a future colleague and not a student. Use the past “I” to show what the future “I” will do. Meaning: in your interviews, say “I have developed X courses/projects and I have acquired X skills useful for a collaborative project at your institution. For instance, one project I will develop is XYZ.” You show your experience/expertise and how you will be using your skills. Don’t dwell too much on the “past I” and, I’d say, don’t use the past “we” => “at my former institution, we would do X or Z.” => this shows that you still view yourself as part of that community and don’t project yourself at your new institution. Once you have the job: observe the dynamics of your new work place. Meet with colleagues who also recently got a job at your institution. They will help you navigate the first year.
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aurelie Matheron: Leadership: you will be in positions of leading a program/department. Learn from current chairs by observing their own skills during meetings and moments of decision. Collaboration: develop interpersonal and interprofessional relationships that will allow you to build collaborative projects (interdepartmental courses, for instance).
What will help Adjunct Lecturers increase their earning potential?
Aurelie Matheron: Do some research online about how much someone earns at your stage of the career. If there is a significant gap, point out (diplomatically) that, because of your extensive experience in XYZ, you would like to get a X% increase in your salary. Be reasonable: if you want a 3% increase, ask for 5% (not 10% or more). Justify your negotiation: why should they pay me more? What experience can I show them to justify my request? If you have a higher offer from another place, you can say that “I have received another generous offer and would like to know about the possibility for matching that offer.” Salary is not the only thing you can negotiate: office space, computer/laptop, sabbaticals, course release, etc. Again, be reasonable: if you think you are entitled to XYZ requests, you also have to show why.
Dr. Floyd Beachum
Bennett Professor of Urban School LeadershipLehigh University
Educational Administration And Supervision
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Floyd Beachum: This advice would be for a recent graduate of a doctoral program who is interested in pursuing
a career as a faculty member at a college or university. Three quick pieces of advice I would give
include: get organized, get focused, and get moving. Get organized in terms of getting all of
their materials together as they embark upon a new position or as they look for a position. They
will need to have easy access to relevant documents, official paperwork, files, and/or work
products. Organization is the key to a better work flow. Get focused in terms of having the right
mindset to be successful as an academic. This requires that the person work diligently to
develop a research agenda in which they will have to publish articles, books, book chapters, and
present their research at academic conferences. Two major conferences in educational
leadership are the annual meeting of the University Council of Educational Administration
(UCEA) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Focus also includes
teaching various courses in educational leadership. It will take a considerable amount of time to
plan, read, coordinate, teach the course, and continuously learn while teaching. Focus also
means getting used to serving on various department, college, and/or university committees.
Service work helps evenly distribute work loads to help accomplish the goals of that college or
university. The last step, is get moving. This means that once the preliminary steps are taken,
then the person should be very purposeful as they go about doing all of the things mentioned
here. There is no time to waste because a person in the role of a new faculty member usually
has about three years before their first big review and six years before they must go up for
tenure and promotion. These decision points are high stakes because if they are productive,
then employment continues, if they are not productive, specific improvement advice can be
given and/or employment can be terminated.
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Roselyn Costantino Ph.D.: Most important advice: Take initiative and be productive.
Find practical ways to use skills even if unpaid. Volunteer work is good. Use language skills. Technology skills. Exploit technology skills around the area of interest. If you want to be a teacher find out what software they are using today; what research skills are they utilize. Make sure you log your activities during the gap year especially those that relate to the area in which you want to work. If you want to go into finance, and you're working at a lawn service, understand and learn the business model and the accounting. If you're working at Starbucks (or in any commercial environment), get a chance to do inventories, learn about the ordering process and sources and suppliers for those orders; and how people are scheduled for work. All of that is relevant experience for business.
The CFO and recruiter for Keystone Staffing Solutions emphasized having evidence in your resume of of being productive during the gap time, no matter if it's one, two or three years. Evidence of being productive is what recruiters want to see on your resume: He stresses: "What did you do to expand your knowledge and skills not only in your selected area but beyond. BEING PRODUCTIVE for yourself proves to be an indicator of how productive you will be for me."
Still on gap year. How to go about it? Use teachers, friends, family, anyone in the field or related to it to provide guidance, insight, suggestions. This can lead to projects or experience that will help in learning and growth.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Adjunct Lecturer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Cheyrl Ensley: The demand for teachers is still prevalent. Virtual job fairs and interviews are the current trends. Additionally, employees are looking more at the candidate's knowledge and comfort level with online teaching and using technology to impact student learning.
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Cheyrl Ensley: Training to be essential is critical. Increasing skills in using technology are necessary. Keeping students engaged and actively learning through technology is a crucial tool that will be extremely important to a teacher, whether teaching in person or virtually. Additionally, the gap year should be used to identify an area of interest for work. Once the site is specified, the graduate should build professional relationships and learn the site's culture.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Lecturer?
Dr. Cheyrl Ensley: Flexibility is important. The graduate must be prepared and flexible! The graduate must be prepared to teach effectively and efficiently, regardless of the delivery method and flexibility regarding reporting to the school or working from home. Be prepared and accepting of the fact that what is required of you may change unexpectedly. In this age of uncertainty, the graduate must be flexible enough to perform as needed and remain focused on student growth.
What experience really stands out on Adjunct Lecturer resumes?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: In my home department, we've tried to stress that students need to ask themselves how they plan to tell their own story - how they want to present themselves - when they leave the college and head out on the job market. That's a personal question, one only the student can answer, and the answer shapes the things that a particular student will want to put on a resume. For instance, if you wanted to go to graduate school, we'd all suggest that you take the Thesis in History and put in the full-year work on a single research project.
That way, in your cover letter (and never underestimate the value of the cover letter as a tool for guiding potential employers through your CV and your other materials), you can narrate the work you did there. If you think your goal is to work in a museum setting, you should consider taking our class in Public History. That is a course that does a lot of directed research too, and it can span a year as well. But, it's a course that partners students with local public history institutions so that students get first-hand experience mobilizing historical research within a museum or institution of that sort. The key is for students to think about the story; they will tell potential employers. What are the things you did - that unique combination of courses and experiences - that make you stand out against the broader pool of applicants? How will you write that story in a cover letter so strong that nobody reading it will miss that you are the one candidate for the position? Be bold here. Make it clear. You stand out from the pack. Yes, perhaps other have taken a more traditional path to a specific job, but if that employer or graduate program wants somebody who can think outside the box or who brings in a different set of skills that just might shake things up in a positive way, well, make sure they know you're their candidate.
What type of skills will young Adjunct Lecturers need?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: When it comes to skills young graduates need, I will speak specifically to the field of History. It's always been the case that History Majors do well in the job market. Now, to be sure, there is the temptation to limit the scope of what jobs we imagine a historian can do. Career Service Offices sometimes think that History Majors teach, work in libraries, and archives, maybe a museum, and that is about it. The fact is that it's not uncommon to find CEO at Fortune 500 companies who were History Majors as undergraduates.
Presidents. Media personalities. Lawyers. Judges. You name it. History Majors are everywhere, and I think I know the reason. History Majors learn to take lots of data - and we're omnivorous about what we call data - and we synthesize it. We give it two frames. First, we weave it into a narrative form, a story, if you will. Second, we give that narrative analytical meaning. We offer a thesis or an argument about the content we're sharing. Those are vital skills. The ability to walk people through data and to help them understand your analysis of that material. What field wouldn't appreciate that set of capabilities? And, I think that explains why History Majors tend to do so well in a host of fields and professions. I don't foresee that that will change in the future.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Adjunct Lecturers?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: I do think that we'd be mistaken to think that there won't be a lasting impact from this pandemic on those who graduate while it is ongoing. Economically, there will be ripples for some time. That seems obvious. But, there are other issues to consider too-psychology, for instance. Seniors in the graduating class of 2019 did not get a graduation ceremony to mark that pivotal moment in their lives and in their learning. That's a loss. It needs to be recognized as such. And, it's but one example of the kind of losses we're all experiencing and which we all need to recognize. There is grieving that will need to be done once we've passed through the emergency of this pandemic.
For those who can make a comparison, the pandemic is not unlike getting a dramatic and life-altering medical diagnosis. It changes you. You don't just go back to being who you were before. Of course, History teaches us to appreciate that - the way life is an ongoing journey. Each step makes us a different person than we were before. To reflect more on the economics of this and the specifics of the job market, though, I would say that the pandemic has pushed a number of graduates that I know from last year back home to their parents' houses. Even those who have been fortunate enough to secure work have jobs that are remote right now, and rather than settle in near their jobs, and folks have opted to go home, hunker down with the family, and work from their old bedrooms. Those are the fortunate ones. I know many graduates from last year who did not secure work, and, in that way, I compare the class of 2019 to those who graduated during the Great Recession and struggled through that economic turmoil. Within the academy, hiring freezes will certainly hurt those with Ph.D.'s who are on the market. There simply aren't jobs right now. At my institution, we're still not even certain we can hire people on a temporary basis to replace colleagues going on sabbatical next year. Those sorts of decisions would have been made months ago in normal times. It's hard for me to imagine that that sort of dislocation won't cause economic and career ripples across time.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Adjunct Lecturers?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice: It's hard to imagine that there WON'T be an enduring impact of the pandemic. For History graduates, the worst of it is likely to be that two graduating classes will essentially be entering the job market at the same time---the 2020 graduates as well as the 2021 graduates---increasing competition. Many graduates, especially people coming out of a strong public history program like CofC's, have had many of their typical entry-level jobs essentially vanish for the better part of a year (coming back soon, I hope!)---museum work, park service work, historical societies, and so on. For non-history-specific jobs, where History majors are at an advantage (jobs that require good critical thinking and people skills), the market seems likely to bounce back more quickly.
What type of skills will young Adjunct Lecturers need?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice: The most important skill a History degree teaches has is critical thinking and writing, and those are skills that remain valuable for most of the white-collar workforce in this country.
What experience really stands out on Adjunct Lecturer resumes?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice: The experience that most stands out on resumés, to my mind, is definitely internships or anything where the applicant has had to show initiative and exercise independent thought.
What type of skills will young Adjunct Lecturers need?
TaVshea Smith: As a professor of education, I have noticed that there are a variety of skills that young graduates will need to enter the workforce. Young graduates should collaborate with others by building collaborative relationships that represent diverse cultures, lifestyles, races, genders, religions, and viewpoints. It is essential for young graduates, who enter the teaching profession, to be able to work in a team structure and know-how to manage conflict. The pandemic has shown us that technology is critical in education. As teachers, young graduates should know existing digital technologies and demonstrate significant adaptability to new technologies to integrate into their design of lessons and curriculum content. Young graduates must have a strong work ethic, demonstrate personal accountability, and establish effective work habits.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Lecturers to find work opportunities?
TaVshea Smith: As an educator, graduates should be able to find many work opportunities to teach. The pandemic has highlighted the need for educators to share their immense talent with students and key stakeholders.
How do you envision technology impacting Adjunct Lecturers in the next 5 years?
TaVshea Smith: Technology will play a vital role in education in the next five years. The pandemic has changed the way educators think about teaching learners and interacting with families and colleagues. Educators will need to learn various instructional methods of engaging with learners, enhancing instructional practices, and using digital tools ethically and efficiently to create assignments, complete tasks, solve problems, and effectively teach students.
What experience really stands out on Adjunct Lecturer resumes?
Suzanne Kemp Ph.D.: Any work or volunteer experiences that they have had with students with disabilities. All of the graduates will have the same school experiences, and if they don't have anything else, they don't stand out from their peers. Additionally, they have to know that principals and professional school talk, so they have to do a great job in their in-school experiences, so their names are remembered and shared.
What Adjunct Lecturer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Suzanne Kemp Ph.D.: They need to stay engaged in some level of working with people with disabilities. If they do something that isn't relevant to the field, they won't be as marketable as a new graduate.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Lecturers in the next 3-5 years?
Suzanne Kemp Ph.D.: All of the apps that assist with online learning. These change all of the time, and they have to be adapted to finding new apps that engage the student who may be learning at a distance, and hopefully, they can be integrated into in-person learning. Students graduate knowing how to use computers and now Zoom, but learning all of the available apps doesn't occur to the level it is now needed.
Dr. Misty Anderson Ph.D
Department Head, English, Affiliate Professor of Theatre and Religious Studies, President, Tennessee University Faculty SenatesThe University of Tennessee Knoxville
College of Arts and Sciences
What type of skills will young Adjunct Lecturers need?
Dr. Misty Anderson Ph.D: When they tell us, we believe businesses are looking for people who can write well, think critically, be creative, and research ideas. That's precisely what English majors do. But they also bring a strong sense of empathy that comes from reading literature and from thinking about point of view when they write. Our ability to understand one another is crucial to democracy and the success of various fields, from medicine to marketing, to entrepreneurship, and honestly, everything.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Lecturers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Misty Anderson Ph.D: And as long as Tennessee continues to expand broadband access, those jobs can be anywhere. We're incredibly excited when we hear about young people returning home or moving into small towns where they can run businesses and work remotely.
How do you envision technology impacting Adjunct Lecturers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Misty Anderson Ph.D: No one knows precisely what the future jobs will look like, but every indication is that the best ones will involve writing and communicating at a distance. We talk about how English majors have "robot-proof" futures. That human touch, through sound, honest communication, is irreplaceable.
Robert Anderson
Associate Professor & Department ChairOakland University
Department of English
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Adjunct Lecturers in the next 5 years?
Robert Anderson: Contrary to what many media reports say, the demand for graduates in English is pretty high. Like most degrees in the liberal arts, a degree in English can take a graduate to almost any field. English is not a professional program designed to prepare students for a specific career. In contrast, English majors learn skills that will transfer to almost every field. English majors learn to write carefully and read critically. Several years ago, we had a student graduate who got a job with a firm that manufactures parts for companies that supply parts to automakers. He got the job because of an internship he had as an undergraduate. His career was to take in reports from their client companies, about the parts they made, read them, and produce digested reports for the company's engineers. It may be surprising to hear that engineering and manufacturing firms would value the skills an English major would have, but most companies need people who can write clearly. He was so effective at his job that the companies he worked with wanted him to come work for them.
I tell my students that studying poetry can help them be critical thinkers in other contexts. Learning to work with metaphors, for example, develops students' abilities to find similarities between things where most people see only differences-and differences, where others find only differences (this is an idea I got from the British Romantic poet William Wordsworth). This kind of critical thinking can be beneficial. What is more, English majors learn how to research. They have to find sources relevant to a particular project, read and digest their findings, and integrate them into their writing.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Lecturers to find work opportunities?
Robert Anderson: We have had graduates find work in a wide range of places-running social media for radio stations, working with the Detroit Pistons, the FBI, libraries, advertising agencies, large multinational corporations, editing and publishing, teachers, and law firms-indeed, I think it would be hard to come up with an industry where an English degree couldn't take you. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle facing English graduates is that their degree opens so many paths that they don't know which way to go. When students come to me to ask for career advice, I tell them to think about the kind of environment they want to work in-the sort of physical workplace, the environment, the sector-and then, do some research to find what employers in those places look for, and find ways to show that the things they have learned can meet those expectations.
What type of skills will young Adjunct Lecturers need?
Russell Olwell Ph.D.: I have found that flexible students can use technology and connect with students who are getting jobs, but it is taking longer and can be frustrating!
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Lecturers to find work opportunities?
Russell Olwell Ph.D.: In the field I work the most in, education, the labor market has been volatile, with positions being held until the last minute due to budget pressures then proceeding quickly. Job seekers who kept their eyes open, had identified places they wanted to work, and had their materials ready to go were rewarded.
How do you envision technology impacting Adjunct Lecturers in the next 5 years?
Russell Olwell Ph.D.: Technology has changed education quickly. Some of our students got jobs as more experienced teachers quit, as they did not want to be a part of remote instruction. Our students have been quick to pick up educational software and have been able to move into open positions as a result. With more jobs being remote, where you are may make less difference. I have probably seen fewer students looking at long moves for work or graduate school.
David Chang
Chairperson, Frost Professor of ArtFlorida International University
Department of Art and Art History
What type of skills will young Adjunct Lecturers need?
David Chang: Young graduates should possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to function professionally in today's society. Our students go through rigorous studio training along with cutting-edge theories that inform their practices.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Lecturers to find work opportunities?
David Chang: Miami is one of the best places to find work opportunities in visual arts and art education. It is an international center for the arts, e.g., Art Basel, Art Miami, Art Context, and many other high-profiled art events throughout the year. For the art education field, Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the nation, and there is a continuous demand for our graduates.
How do you envision technology impacting Adjunct Lecturers in the next 5 years?
David Chang: There is no doubt technology will impact the field in the next 5-10 years. FIU's Department of Art + Art History is poised to contribute to the area with our new and fast-growing BFA in Digital Arts with tracks in Animation and Graphic Design. As one of the largest art departments (over 650 students) in the state of Florida, all our undergraduate and graduate fine arts degree programs have been designated by the Florida Department of Education as strategic or STEM degree programs.