Guidance.help

Education Teachers, Postsecondary

O*NET files this work under Education Teachers, Postsecondary: people who teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Its interest code is SIC. Social leads at 7.0 out of 7, so expect helping, teaching or caring for people, with Investigative next at 4.8. The preparation level is extensive preparation, typically graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. O*NET’s skill data points to speaking, reading comprehension, and learning strategies as the ones to build. The job can ask you to prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. If you want helping, teaching or caring for people, keep it on your list. If you need hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, it may feel thin.

What they do

Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Main tasks

  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Supervise students' fieldwork, internship, and research work.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Learning Strategies
  • Instructing
  • Active Listening
  • Writing

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
  • You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and reading comprehension.

May not suit you if

  • You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
  • You want to be working in the field within the next few years.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIC takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.

Preparation

Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Doctoral Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Adjunct Instructor
  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Education Instructor
  • Education Professor

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.