By Dani Babb, PhD
As someone who co-authored the first-ever book to getting online teaching jobs two decades ago and has spent this time helping faculty secure positions, including personally crafting over 3,000 CVs, I’ve seen the landscape of online adjunct faculty hiring evolve dramatically. Through my new company, Faculty Job Tools, part of Babb Education, I’ve reinforced my commitment to staying ahead of these changes by interviewing hiring deans and HR representatives quarterly. This insight ensures I know what most institutions are looking for in prospective faculty.
Even if your CV was updated last year, these updates reflect new trends and expectations in the job market. Here are the latest changes to my CV writing recommendations - part one of several articles. Make these updates yourself or let me rewrite your CV to give you a competitive edge.
And don’t forget—I also offer job leads and advice through my newer, better online teaching forum! Join me and other professionals in my Facebook group to network and grow in your career.
Key Updates to Curriculum Vita Writing
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Shorter Teaching Philosophy Statements
Your teaching philosophy should be concise and tailored to the institution’s specific values. Gone are the days of long statements. Focus on what matters most to the school you’re applying to, such as retention strategies, subject matter mastery or building a sense of community.
Gone are the days of lengthy philosophical essays. Show you understand the institution’s priorities and how your teaching philosophy aligns with them. -
Include an “Educator Attributes” Section
This new section highlights how you achieve your teaching philosophy goals. For example:- “Foster retention through personalized student feedback.”
- “Promote subject mastery by integrating real-world examples.”
- “Build community using interactive online tools.”
Think of this as a bridge between your philosophy and your actions in the classroom.
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Explicitly Connect Work Experience to Teaching
Each professional position should clearly show how your experience applies to the online classroom. Don’t assume hiring deans will connect the dots—spell it out for them. For example:- Past Role: Managed a remote team across multiple time zones.
- Relevance to Teaching: Demonstrated ability to engage and communicate effectively with diverse groups, a skill I bring to facilitating online discussions.
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Streamline Excessive Work History
If you have a long career history, summarize older or less-relevant roles into a brief paragraph. Focus on:- Position titles
- Years of employment
- Overarching expertise gained
For example: “Held various leadership positions in education and corporate training from 2000–2010, including Director of Learning Development at XYZ Corporation.”
This keeps your CV focused and allows hiring teams to quickly see your most relevant experience.
Why Work With Me?
With two decades of experience helping faculty secure positions and a network that spans institutions nationwide, I offer more than just a polished CV. At Faculty Job Tools, I provide expanded, streamlined, and highly effective services to make your application stand out. Plus, I’m still personally writing CVs to ensure every client benefits from my expertise. I’m not working with a team of others to do the work!
If you’re ready to join the best in online education, connect with me today. Let’s make your CV the tool that lands you your next role. Together, we’ll take your career to the next level.
Stay tuned for part 2 of updates to make to your CV!
Signing off for now,
Dani
About the author...
I am Dani Babb, PhD. I have been an online instructor since the inception of online education, using newsgroups back in the day! I am also the co-author of the first-ever book on getting jobs in online education, and the author of the second edition. I have made appearances all over network television on becoming an online instructor and making money while doing something you love - teaching others! My work is not about money first, it is about sharing our knowledge and personal fulfillment. The ability to work remotely and earn money doing it is icing on the cake.
I have over two decades of experience helping online faculty and professors find work in higher education and have seen the vast changes in the marketplace. Getting a job in today's online market is harder than ever, largely due to competition from more graduates, a move toward full time jobs, mergers and acquisitions. I network with administration and hiring managers to help find candidates for colleges, and my team offers exceptional services from curriculum vita writing to LinkedIn profiles written specifically to make it clear to the world that you are open to work as an online professor!
To ensure our team provides the best possible services to our clients, I research what deans and hiring managers are looking for at colleges and universities, frequently update our working processes, and provide timely information through blogs and through our online group
We would be delighted to help you move from where you ARE - to where you want to BE. Contact us today.