Job description
As an academic you will generally work in a university post, carrying out research and teaching students in their chosen field. Jobs range from a professor to an assistant lecturer, and the roles will vary depending on the seniority of your post. General roles of an academic include:
As an academic you will generally work in a university post, carrying out research and teaching students in their chosen field. Jobs range from a professor to an assistant lecturer, and the roles will vary depending on the seniority of your post. General roles of an academic include:
- Academic teaching through lecturers.
- Guiding and supervising students in their work, and on other matters related to their academic development.
- Preparing learning resources and exercises for students.
- Developing and reviewing the curriculum.
- Conducting examinations, setting assignments, and submitting results.
- Undertaking individual research.
- Carrying out consultancy and community services.
Skills matching
To follow a career in academia, it is advantageous to have the following skills and strengths that employers look for:
To follow a career in academia, it is advantageous to have the following skills and strengths that employers look for:
- Proficient IT skills in: Microsoft Office, email, web, PowerPoint, Excel.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate information, knowledge and skills to others.
- Teamwork
- The ability to write an academic paper.
- Initiative and proactivity, as you will have a large amount of independence.
Requirements
Academic requirements (these qualifications will be in the relevant field of your aspiring research):
It is also largely advantageous to have experience of teaching at any level. An assistant lecturer post requires one year of teaching experience, a senior lecturer 3 years, and a professor 5+ years.
Academic requirements (these qualifications will be in the relevant field of your aspiring research):
- Professor/ associate professor - a PhD, and a considerable number of academic publications.
- Senior Lecturer - a PhD and fewer academic publications.
- Lecturer - a PhD, along with a GPA of around 4.0 in your masters, and a GPA of 3.8 at undergraduate.
- Assistant Lecturer - a GPA of about 4.0 at master level and a GPA of 3.8 at undergraduate level.
- Tutorial assistant - a Bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.8.
It is also largely advantageous to have experience of teaching at any level. An assistant lecturer post requires one year of teaching experience, a senior lecturer 3 years, and a professor 5+ years.