| Product: |
My Experiences and Advice |
| Date: |
16/09/01 (123 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Lots of time off, You get to be called Sir by someone other than a salesman, In this day and age, its a rare job for life
Disadvantages: Demands a lot of work, The teaching is only the beginning of what you will be asked to do
I've been tutoring Information Technology at a local college in Birmingham for over 9 months now. It's not something I ever thought I'd end up doing.I suppose most of us would say a similar thing about the profession they chose, or that chose them!
Lecturing in a college is very different from a similar role in a school. The main difference being that at the moment no formal qualifications are needed as such. It seems to work very much on an experience basis. I say 'at the moment' because over the next few years this is destined to change. It is now becoming a requirement for all college lecturers to have some form of teacher training certificate, preferably to level 2 standard. So if you are thinking of pursuing this line of work then bear this in mind.
Obviously you must have some advanced knowledge of your subject matter proven through either past experience or a high level qualification such as a degree. If I were to list one quality that is absolutely essential in this field I would have to say confidence. You need to be sure about who you are confident in your ability. Whether this is merely perceived confidence or the real McCoy is another opinion altogther.
(I must also add that opportunities exist for unqualified teachers (ie. people who DON'T have PGCE in secondary) to go into schools and teach these days. This is provided you have some relevant qualifications and experience. The rate for this is £14,100K per annum.)
It seems that there is a tradition within further education employment to take people on and to train them along the way. So if you consider your skills set to be insufficient then do not despair. If this is really what you want to do then write off to nearby colleges expressing you intentions. You never know.
This kind of work is also notoriously difficult to get into, especially full-time. I would suggest to any individual who is serious about lecturing in a college tries
to gain some indespensible experience.
This kind of job is hard. Be prepared for this. In a college you are much more likely to be involved in external instruction (to companies, hospitals, etc) so mobility may be an issue. You will surely also get roped into local promotion and may be required to work evenings and weekends.
To summarise. If you have a passion for helping people and you are serious about following this career route:
-Get yourself a basic teaching qualification.
-Approach local colleges and make yourself known
-Be prepared to take on part-time work or even voluntary work. Part time work often lead to full-time employment and voluntary work gives important experience
-Gain any additional qualifications that you can in your subject area
-Be prepared. Its a very intense and difficult job with great demands made on your personal time and sanity. Be sure that you are the right kind of person for the job
As regards pay, the 'normal' range for a college lecturer is approximately 16-25K depending, like most jobs, on qualifications and experience. This also depends on the college that you work for.
In addition to this the other perks include a pension (for those of you that don't have one already) and generous holidays of around 40 days per year. You may also receive additional days for preparing materials and 'utility' days when the college is closed.
If you are serious about this type of work then my advice is to go for it. Don't sit back and wait for it to come to you as these jobs are rarely advertised. Despite the hectic nature of my job, I do enjoy it very much.
To actually be involved in the learning process of an individual and to actively guide that process is a wonderful feeling.
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