Blogs / Live to work

Professor

Anyone reluctant to leave the academic life has likely considered a career as a professor.

Most universities require at least a Masters and usually a PhD to work as professor. This means a lot of school, and often a lot of money. You are also not necessarily brought on as an assistant professor right away — many people begin working as lecturers and may never achieve professor status. Assistant professors that gain tenure then move up to associate professor status. This usually takes place after five or six years and a number of reviews.

Given the time and resource commitment required to become a professor, it’s important to get a sense of what a career as a professor is like. Every faculty and department is different, however most professors are responsible for teaching, conducting research in their field and serving on committees within the department. Depending on the university and the faculty chosen, more emphasis may be given to research.

There are a lot of benefits to working as a professor. The research aspect of this career ensures continued learning and pursuit of knowledge. At the same time professors are able to teach students and encourage learning in others. There is also a relative level of flexibility in the work, as well as variety. Professors can choose their own office hours, and work on their research on their own schedule.

The life of a professor is not all great, however. Many professors find the administrative aspect of their jobs tedious, and can become bogged down in the amount of time required to properly complete all aspects of their job. Grading papers and exams can be both time-consuming and frustrating. According to Dr. Troutt, an Economics Professor at the University of Manitoba, the most important skill a professor must possess is self-discipline.

A career as a professor can be extremely rewarding for someone excited about learning and teaching in a particular field. However, students should not underestimate the commitment and self-discipline required to succeed.