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Job outlook for lead instructors in the United States
Lead instructor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected lead instructor job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for lead instructors are projected over the next decade.
Lead instructor salaries have increased 6% for lead instructors in the last 5 years.
There are over 33,771 lead instructors currently employed in the United States.
There are 37,712 active lead instructor job openings in the US.
The average lead instructor salary is $50,221.
Are lead instructor jobs in demand?
Lead instructor job and salary trends over time
Lead instructor jobs over time
Lead instructor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33,771 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 730,818 | 0.22% |
| 2019 | 728,334 | 0.22% |
| 2018 | 185,163 | 0.06% |
| 2017 | 185,739 | 0.06% |
Average lead instructor salary over time
Lead instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,221 | $24.14 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $48,994 | $23.55 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | $48,861 | $23.49 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $47,989 | $23.07 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $47,176 | $22.68 | +3.7% |
Lead instructor jobs by state
Most common states for lead instructors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 288 | 27% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 178 | 24% |
| 3 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 298 | 16% |
| 4 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 270 | 16% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 139 | 16% |
| 6 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 110 | 16% |
| 7 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 311 | 15% |
| 8 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,435 | 14% |
| 9 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 430 | 14% |
| 10 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 383 | 13% |
| 11 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 560 | 10% |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 396 | 10% |
| 13 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 306 | 10% |
| 14 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 57 | 10% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 756 | 9% |
| 16 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 414 | 8% |
| 17 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 333 | 8% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 711 | 7% |
| 19 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 307 | 7% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 71 | 7% |
Most common cities for lead instructors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fredericksburg | 1 | 4% | $59,374 |
| 2 | South Pasadena | 1 | 4% | $44,372 |
| 3 | Cupertino | 2 | 3% | $44,876 |
| 4 | New Britain | 2 | 3% | $53,899 |
| 5 | Hoboken | 1 | 2% | $62,533 |
| 6 | Smyrna | 1 | 2% | $34,444 |
| 7 | Wayne | 1 | 2% | $62,317 |
| 8 | Washington | 4 | 1% | $55,618 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | 2 | 1% | $44,451 |
| 10 | Metairie | 1 | 1% | $45,139 |
| 11 | Santa Clara | 1 | 1% | $44,851 |
| 12 | San Francisco | 2 | 0% | $44,956 |
| 13 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $52,782 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $39,604 |
Lead Instructor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of lead instructor experts
College of the Marshall Islands
Saint Mary's University Of Minnesota
Franklin and Marshall College
Universty of San Francisco
University of Kansas
College of Saint Benedict
California State University - Fresno
Wright State University
Arkansas Tech University
Northern Seminary
Lafayette College
Northern Illinois University
Franklin and Marshall College
AGWA - American Grant Writers' Association, Inc.
Texas State University
University of Mount Union
University of Minnesota Crookston
Kent State University
Gustavus Adolphus College
Northwestern University
What general advice would you give to a Lead Instructor?
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 Lead Instructor 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 Lead Instructors 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.
Carrie Wandler
Interim Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Associate ProfessorSaint Mary's University Of Minnesota
Online Learning Product Development
What skills stand out on Lead Instructor resumes?
Carrie Wandler: Backward design for online environments, writing a syllabus for online learning, facilitating meaningful asynchronous interaction, creating instructor presence digitally, designing learning content for active learning, equity-based assessment practices, humanizing the Online Learning Environment, Classroom Management in Canvas, Online Learning Pedagogy.
What type of skills will young Lead Instructors need?
M. Alison Kibler Ph.D.: The key for today's graduate is to come ready with relevant skills and experience. A college degree without relevant skills and experience will just not be as sufficient as in previous years to land that first, post-graduate role.
Creativity, proactivity along with strong communication skills and intellectual grit to anticipate and respond proactively to the unexpected are the competencies most prized in today's labor market. Showing that one worked through the pandemic, and even pursued additional skills and experiences relevant to a role or field, will make a graduate stand out from among their less prepared and proactive peers.
In the last class of American Studies graduates (class of 2020), I saw some students take a new path to a job. For example, one student had an internship where she worked remotely for a digital marketing firm. This then became a full-time job after graduation. Another student had worked on legal research (also remote) over the summer and in her senior seminar, and then got a job as a legal assistant in the New York DA's office. She hopes to ultimately go to law school. This is a job that other AMS alumni have secured in the past. Other students got jobs as community organizers, teachers, museum curators and entry-level business positions. These paths seemed largely the same as in the past. All built on course work and/or internships where they developed skills and deepened interest in topics. The student that went to work as a community organizer, for example, had done a senior research project on homelessness.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Instructor?
Elliot Neaman Ph.D.: Above all, be flexible. The world of work was already changing very fast before the pandemic, but now all kinds of new trends are emerging. You have to be nimble and you have to learn how to learn and quickly. So don't get stuck in the old categories but think about what you can get excited about. Then, figure out the skills you need to adapt to the new workplace. If you want to start a new business, think hard about how to adapt. Even with the vaccines and the eventual overcoming of the pandemic, we are not going to be going back to the pre-COVID world. If I were in the sciences, I'd obviously think about biotech. If I were in the humanities, I would try to figure out what kind of demand there will be for people with writing skills and creative talent.
Luis Corteguera
Professor and ChairUniversity of Kansas
Department of History
What general advice would you give to a Lead Instructor?
Luis Corteguera: Make a plan for the future that outlines short-, medium-, and long-term goals. Discuss these plans with a variety of people (family, friends, acquaintances, professionals in areas of interst), and if available, with career planning professionals at the university, many of which continue to offer support even after graduation. Request "informational interviews" with all kinds of people in professions that may be of interest, even if you don't know them personally. Not only are these helpul to ask questions about career paths, but these interviews can also help to build professional networks.
Jeffrey Anderson Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorCollege of Saint Benedict
Department of Peace Studies
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Lead Instructors to find work opportunities?
Jeffrey Anderson Ph.D.: See my answer to #1, as I believe health care, public health, and health policy are recent growth areas that will continue to grow. Over the years a consistent portion of our graduates has gone on to earn MDs, RNs, PAs, etc. Graduate schools that select these future direct care providers value applicants with a big picture view of health. In recent years the entrance exam for medical school, the MCAT, has been redesigned to incorporate the biosocial approach to understanding health outcomes.
Negin Tahvildary Ph.D.
Lecturer, Director, Mediator Mentors ProgramCalifornia State University - Fresno
Department of Philosophy
What experience really stands out on Lead Instructor resumes?
Negin Tahvildary Ph.D.: Beyond our central role of educating the next generation of graduates, we must also prepare them to be career-ready, to begin contributing to our nation's success as the next generation of leaders. As a former lawyer and UN officer, I think effective teaching in my field means providing my students with as much exposure to hands-on experience. Therefore, I value students who seek opportunities beyond their normal academic settings and participate in extracurricular activities. I personally have developed a program called the Mediator Mentors as a service-learning initiative which promotes problem-solving skills through cross-age mentorship. At the same time, jobs are becoming more hybrid and therefore we should encourage students to choose between various minors and certificate programs also available on our campuses. For instance, at Fresno State Philosophy Department, apart from traditional philosophy courses, we offer several minors and certificates within the Pre-Law, Peace and Conflict Studies, Religious Studies, and Middle East Studies programs as well as Social Justice and Social Change.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Instructor?
Dr. Karla Huebner Ph.D.: Grads in art and art history need to be very flexible in their job search, as positions in these fields for people with the BA and BFA are often hard to get and low in pay. That is not to say students should not pursue these fields. Still, they should be open and creative in job searching--be available to positions that seem less in the field or contingent to it, in areas like library science, graphic design, arts journalism, etc. Graduate degrees can improve job prospects, but the same caveats apply.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Karla Huebner Ph.D.: Have no idea about technology for the future.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Lead Instructors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Karla Huebner Ph.D.: Salaries are generally low, but now and then, artists and art historians can make good incomes--don't expect to.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Lead Instructor job market given the pandemic?
Sam Strasner: The New York Times reported, early in the pandemic, that 36,000 journalism jobs had been lost in the United States. Poynter observed that later in summer 2020, that figure does not account for freelancers and others who count on their journalism skills supplement their regular income. The rate at which those jobs return and the quality of the opportunities will most likely reflect the pandemic's overall economic recovery. A more robust economy will allow for more advertising expenditures by companies and more subscriptions by consumers. Through it all, the quality will remain paramount. Those who can tell compelling and accurate stories that resonate with an audience will gain access to the best career options.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Sam Strasner: It will be fascinating to see if the pandemic convention of Zoom-style interviews becoming permissible for broadcast television and internet news websites will carry over in a post-pandemic world. If it does, distance technology interviews will open up a cost-efficient way to access a much greater variety of sources, stories, and content. I hope that is the case.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Lead Instructors in the next 5 years?
Sam Strasner: I think it depends upon how one defines the field. The data says we are in the middle of a 10-year period that will see a 10.1 percent decline in journalism jobs. I noticed that trend early in my career and pivoted to public relations. Our society needs journalists. It is essential that we have people who are willing to, and have the skills necessary to, do real reporting. I believe there will always be a need for that. The question is how prevalent that need will be. As a result, my recommendation to someone pursuing a journalism degree today would be to focus their electives in some combination of digital marketing, public relations, or another closely related field based on communication. That subtle diversification in skills could be the key to a new graduate getting that first job and beginning a career journey toward whatever their ultimate dream might be.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Lead Instructor job market given the pandemic?
Rev. Tracey Bianchi: In pastoral ministry, the pandemic has forced many religious institutions and organizations to deliver worship and other elements of spiritual practice online. How faith-based communities do everything from weddings to funerals to worship services has shifted online. While churches and other religious gatherings must continue to employ pastors and still need ordained leaders, the job market has shifted to favor those who also have skills in producing and creating rich online content. Churches with resources are now pivoting to hire content managers and production teams who can help shape and craft meaningful online content that is easy to deliver.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Rev. Tracey Bianchi: It is likely that once the pandemic ends, doing church at home will remain an option for millions of people of faith. As the epidemic goes on, families and communities have become comfortable with the flexible, on-demand church option. It may be hard to get many of them back into the pews once it is safe to return to worship. The technology to support this reality will be necessary for the foreseeable future. Career options in production, streaming, and recording will be more prevalent in religious organizations than in the past.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Instructor?
Karina Skvirsky: Don't worry if you don't yet know what you want to be when "you grow up." Allow yourself to try different jobs to figure it out.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Karina Skvirsky: That's hard to predict! I believe Facebook will become dated, and no one under 30 will be using it in the future.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Lead Instructors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Karina Skvirsky: Art careers are not known to pay well, but they produce enough and can be very satisfying for the mind and the soul.
Linda Saborío
Associate Professor and Assistant ChairNorthern Illinois University
World Languages and Cultures
What experience really stands out on Lead Instructor resumes?
Linda Saborío: For foreign language majors, study abroad experiences stand out on a resume because they demonstrate an in-depth cultural immersion from living and learning how to thrive in an environment unlike your own. Many employers will view a study abroad experience as a moment of personal growth and independence, especially among younger candidates. Also, any volunteer work with non-profit organizations in other countries will stand out on a resume.
What Lead Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Linda Saborío: With second language acquisition, it is of utmost importance to continue practicing that language. This means that students needing to take a gap year should consider finding ways to immerse themselves in experiences where they will be using the target language. Many students opt for volunteer work with international NGOs and non-profit organizations. Before agreeing to work for any aid organization, however, you do need to research the organization's quality and standards, their expectations of you and vice versa, and what, if any, will be your out-of-pocket expenses.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Linda Saborío: The recent switch in classroom modality from a traditional classroom to virtual learning has led to innovative technology uses in the foreign language classroom. Technology tools provide students with opportunities to connect to foreign lands, where they can be introduced to a different perspective and experience a distinct way of life. There are many innovative and interactive tools available, including Quizlet, Flipgrid, and Audacity; music videos, blogs, and even video chats with partners in another country are all excellent tools for second language acquisition.
In terms of translation technology, one cannot ignore the rapid changes in accuracy. The current technology, neural machine translation, reaches near human-level performance for direct translation. However, language localization, the process of translating images, idiomatic expressions, and a product's overall adaptability from one country to another, requires cultural understanding beyond current technological capabilities.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Instructor?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Keep open to possibilities beyond the narrow range of what your diploma lists as your major or minor. Whatever job you get trained for today, in 10-20 years, it may be very different. Or it may not exist. Focus on obtaining and maintaining flexibility, critical thinking, creativity, and passion for learning. Being an interesting person is as vital as any credential.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Technology is moving so fast that it is unpredictable. One of the most important skills you can have is working with a several thousand years old technology: writing. If you're a good writer, it opens up possibilities that aren't there for those who can't write.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Lead Instructors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Graduates in Religious Studies don't necessarily go into careers in religion. The standard career path for those involved is going to graduate school, spending several years getting a Ph.D., and facing a tough job market. Starting salaries can vary widely depending on the college or university.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Lead Instructors?
John Porter Ph.D.: Grant writing is a very consistent business. It does not matter if the market is up or down or which party is in office. If the economy is down and money is tight, business tends to turn towards grant funding to supplement revenue. If the economy is strong, the company has a little extra cash and is willing to explore grant funding.
When unemployment rises and it isn't easy to find employment, more people will start their own business. If that business is a non-profit, it could receive grant funding for their programs and activities.
Grant writing is an excellent full-time, and part-time opportunity. Many, mostly non-profit organizations, seek Certified Grant Writers to help compensate for the lack of revenue, which has occurred from the recent economic shutdown. Independent Grant Consultants have a lot of control over the number and type of clients they work with, from a few each month to as many as there is time to do.
Certified Grant Writers are in high demand to compensate for issues like the recovery from the economic shutdown, rising taxes, and other financial strains,
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Lead Instructor job market given the pandemic?
John Porter Ph.D.: This will depend on what happens in the next six months or so. If the economy stays open and business can operate as it did a year ago, the trend will be more positive. When the economy is working, people are more financially secure. They have money to donate to foundations, and corporations have more profits to put into their funding resources.
If the economic shutdown increases where both businesses and individuals earn less money, there will be less money available for grant funding. The majority of grant funding comes from donations by everyday individuals.
If the economic shutdown is prolonged, then there will be an increase in government grant programs. The government gets its financial resources for things like grants by taxation. So individual taxes will likely increase.
Another line to balance is the excessive taxation of the rich. Nearly all very wealthy people have established a foundation where they give some of their wealth to grant awards to community non-profit organizations. When the government increases the taxes on this group, the excess money goes to the government to spend rather than local non-profits.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
John Porter Ph.D.: There is not a lot of technology required in grant writing. The most critical and prevalent skill in grant writing, which is lacking, is appropriately writing. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in abbreviation and slang. When put into a standard text, these expressions can become confusing.
The technology is that younger, individual writers may like to stay up on the most recent software and communication methods. Whereas funders, private, corporate, and government, tend not to keep up as fast and have older software versions. This means that the newest and glitziest software may not be compatible with the funder's software when submitting grant proposals and applications.
What type of skills will young Lead Instructors need?
Dr. Rodney Rohde Ph.D.: I like to tell everyone that the Medical Laboratory degree (at any level, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and now Doctoral, DCLS) is like majoring in four areas. One of the most rigorous degrees one can obtain, and the professional career is no different because we are continually learning, based on the real-time, best medical evidence of laboratory medicine.
Here are some broad strokes for what new graduates will need in the coming years - 1. Communication skills; 2. Problem-solving and troubleshooting; 3. Use their math and science skills, especially the core foundations of medical laboratory science - hematology, immunohematology (blood bank), clinical chemistry, and microbiology; 4. Professionalism (manage yourself, others, time, and things); 5. Self-starter with the ability to work alone and in groups across healthcare and with the public; 6. Empathy and sympathy for colleagues as well as the patients we serve.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Lead Instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Rodney Rohde Ph.D.: There are large vacancy rates all over the country. This is a good news/bad news issue. However, with a degree in medical laboratory science (also known as a clinical laboratory science) AND certification, one can find employment anywhere in the U.S. One of the great things about this career is that graduates honestly can decide where they "fit best" with regard to geography and employer (urban, rural, large, or small).
How do you envision technology impacting Lead Instructors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Rodney Rohde Ph.D.: Technology in laboratory automation and laboratory information systems (LIS) will continue to explode in the future. We've seen this over the past decade or two, and there is no reason to believe that technology, especially in the area of molecular diagnostics, will not continue to increase.
Dr. Jerome Miksell
Professor (Musicianship, Technology, Viola), Department ChairUniversity of Mount Union
Music Department
What experience really stands out on Lead Instructor resumes?
Dr. Jerome Miksell: The short answer is an experience that is similar to the desired job and place. This is undoubtedly true of very specialized university jobs.
In the performance world, a resume for entry-level jobs is a secondary matter. Your playing ability matters first and foremost. For example, most symphony orchestra auditions are blind, and resumes are not looked at until the final round.
For someone interested in music, sales experience with the products is critical.
What Lead Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Jerome Miksell: An aspiring performer should be practicing and looking for performance opportunities. I would also recommend travel that might enhance understanding of a particular style of music.
Those interested in business opportunities could consider finding a part-time job in a music store.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Jerome Miksell: Anything that makes live sound reinforcement and home studio recording better and more affordable will always have a future. I also think the digitization of sheet music could enjoy great success if someone released a cheap tablet.
Dr. Margaretha Rudstrom
LecturerUniversity of Minnesota Crookston
Agriculture and Natural Resources Department
What Lead Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Margaretha Rudstrom: I am taking this from the perspective of an agribusiness major.
If a student isn't able to land a position within their field of study, I would suggest they work on their people skills and stay up to date with what is happening in the markets, ag policy, and agriculture. Staying up to date means following the popular press in the areas you have a career interest in. That could mean following the news from places like Drovers, local and national producer associations, or congressional or senate ag committees. This will help keep you up to date on what's happening in the areas you have an interest in or are looking for a career.
I seem to be harping on the people skills piece. Get experience in working with customers, customer service, customer complaints. These experiences will help you develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills sought after by employers.
What type of skills will young Lead Instructors need?
Dr. Jay Dorfman: Students entering the music education field need to be well-versed in varied types of music teaching. More and more, we are seeing teachers being asked to teach outside of their music specialty areas. For example, For example, a teacher focused on teaching band might be assigned to teach orchestra or general music. In our programs at Kent State, we account for both breadth and depth so that students are well prepared for whatever comes their way.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Lead Instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Jay Dorfman: There are certainly some states with teacher shortages, but that is often because those states' political or economic climates make them less desirable as a place for teachers to work. If teachers' teaching conditions and salaries were improved, there would be more people interested in entering the profession. That said, I typically tell students that the broader their search for a job can be, the more likely they are to find a good fit.
How do you envision technology impacting Lead Instructors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Jay Dorfman: Technology permeates everything teachers do. Pandemic conditions have made this even more apparent. Music teachers must be comfortable with technology for administering their classrooms, and critical that they can engage their students in meaningful music, creating experiences that involve technology. Those are not easy things to do, and teachers should receive adequate professional development to help them.
What type of skills will young Lead Instructors need?
Dr. Kathleen Keller Ph.D.: Gustavus history seniors recently met with a career resources representative. She told us that the top three desirable qualities that employers search for are professionalism/work ethic, critical thinking, and written/oral communication. Our history majors develop all these skills. They work incredibly hard, engage in critical thinking in both specific and broad ways, and spend a lot of their time as students writing papers and giving presentations. So, I think they are well-prepared for the workforce.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Lead Instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Kathleen Keller Ph.D.: Our students find employment in various fields: business, education, non-profit, government, etc. It's hard for me to say where in the United States would be the best place to find employment. Our graduates (including 2020 grads) have had a lot of success in the Twin Cities.
What experience really stands out on Lead Instructor resumes?
Helen Callus: It depends on what kinds of position you are applying for, and for performance students, it's going to be playing or teaching mostly. I recommend that students tailor their resumes to suit the positions, so teaching should be prioritized, and the outline should lead to that. I encourage them to put together their overview and then look at gaps - teaching experience, perhaps some administrative experiences that are always helpful.
If they don't have those things, actively search for them to add that line to their resumes. It can be a terrific way to develop the document in ways that can lead to better job success. A range of skills is most likely to appeal to a broader set of jobs. Doing multiple things (things we don't even realize we do, as musicians, daily) can be helpful. The student is then willing to be creative and open to start out doing things that are related but perhaps not their first choice.
What Lead Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Helen Callus: A gap year is a terrific way to build a resume. By looking at where there might be a lack of experience like competitions, teaching, administration, summer festival interns, assistantships - they can focus their time and build their resumes well. I also think being creative in these current times, showing that you have experience teaching remotely, making a studio, creating a website, writing an article, and doing research that could be helpful later on. You could also spend the time preparing repertoire to teach or take auditions and make your first recording and video YouTube performance.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Lead Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Helen Callus: For many of us instrumental professors (but not all, due to the limitations of the instrument's nature like percussion or piano), we had already been teaching remotely for some years, and been able to adjust to the current restrictions without impacting our student's experiences in lessons. Teaching remotely will be a part of the future - saving students the cost of travel, hotels, time. We are trying to find creative ways to do things we couldn't otherwise do in person, like having a busy guest from Europe, unable to fly in person but teaching a class via Zoom.
I imagine this might become part of the framework that we offer in the future. Students should understand how to present themselves in these situations, understanding sound and picture quality devices (what microphones and cameras are best), internet speeds, ethernet cables, router devices, lighting, etc. But it is an excellent opportunity to understand the media of film/video and how to create best a sound video recording for competitions, summer festivals, or college applications. We were already using that medium for prescreens, so this is a chance to refine that skill as, without doubt, that will be a part of our future.