The Babb Method — A Two-Decade System for Getting Professors Hired
In 2003, Dr. Dani Babb started doing something no one else was doing: systematically helping professors find online teaching jobs. It started in a hotel room — staring at the ceiling, wondering why there was no system to help professors find online teaching positions. So she built one. She created the first-ever faculty job lead service, delivering job leads straight to educators' inboxes, a service she still offers today. One lead at a time, she built a reputation for helping online faculty land positions — and became the go-to resource for college and university administrators looking to staff their growing online programs. What started as a simple lead list became something much larger.
At the time, online higher education was new, institutions were hiring fast, and faculty had no roadmap for how to navigate it. Dr. Babb became that roadmap.
As Seen on NBC's TODAY (2008)
In 2008, Dr. Babb appeared on NBC's TODAY — already the author of Make Money Teaching Online — to explain how professors could build a career teaching online.
Read the transcript
Transcript excerpt, NBC TODAY, 2008.
Host: ...Danielle Babb is the author of Make Money Teaching Online. She's here with some ideas on how to get started. Good morning, Danielle.
Dani Babb: Good morning.
Host: You say there is an online job for everybody, men and women.
Dani Babb: Yes, absolutely. Not only for stay-at-home parents, but for people who maybe need a little more income, have a day job and they want to do something part-time that fulfills their passions from home.
Host: So tell me how you get started. You have a certain number of rules that you think are mandatory. Number one, you have to create a workplace in your home.
Dani Babb: You do, and that's really critical because sometimes it's difficult to blur the line between home and work and you always feel like you never leave work. So you have to have a very specific office space that's yours, very delineated.
Host: And then this one to me would be a little bit hard, but you have to stick to a rigid schedule.
Dani Babb: You do. If you don't set your own schedule, you'll be like me, up at 2 o'clock in the morning answering emails. So you have to be very specific with what sort of work hours you want to keep.
Host: Know what works for you.
Dani Babb: Absolutely.
Host: And then you say be particular about your clients.
Dani Babb: Yeah, you know, it's so important that what the client wants and what you want will match. Personality fit, communication style, and also the type of work that you're going to ultimately end up doing for them.
Host: And you've come armed with a few jobs that you think are perfect fits for a lot of people. Number one, something you know about is teaching.
Dani Babb: Yes, yes. I actually quit my corporate America day job about two and a half years ago to do this full-time online. Absolutely love it. It's so rewarding. I actually get to work with military folks who are in Iraq right now earning their degrees. There are so many opportunities for parents to do this.
Host: But how do you even get started with that? Does it depend on what degree you yourself have?
Dani Babb: It does depend on that. People with a teaching credential, for example, can teach online high school. And then going from associate's all the way to doctoral degrees changes what you're capable of teaching, and qualified to teach, online.
Host: But where do you go online to find out this information? Is there a spot you can go to?
Dani Babb: There is. Well, first of all, you need a very good curriculum vitae, which is an enhanced resume. And then there are several different job sites. I have them all listed on my website, actually, so individuals can go there and pull them all up. It's at drdaniellebabb.com. And they can use Adjunct Nation to search for these jobs. They go out there — they really can find anything that they're looking for.
Host: Okay, and the requirements will change school to school as well.
Dani Babb: Absolutely, and so does the pay.
Over the next two decades, she refined what is now known as the Babb Method — built through tens of thousands of client placements, hundreds of direct conversations with hiring deans and department chairs, and continuous research into how academic hiring actually works. It is not a theory. It is a track record. And it is what Faculty Job Tools delivers to every client today.
What Makes the Babb Method Different
Most job search advice is generic. The Babb Method is not. It is built from real insider knowledge — what deans actually read, what search committees actually value, and what makes candidates stand out in a pool of hundreds of applicants.
Dr. Babb regularly interviews academic hiring leaders to stay current on what institutions are looking for right now — not what worked five years ago. That intelligence is embedded directly in every CV, cover letter, and coaching session Faculty Job Tools provides.
The Four Pillars
1. POSITIONING — Look like the right candidate before they read your CV
Most professors present themselves like professionals, not like educators. The Babb Method teaches you how to frame your credentials, experience, and teaching philosophy in language that resonates immediately with academic hiring committees — regardless of how much classroom experience you have or your academic goals.
2. DOCUMENTATION — CVs and cover letters that pass screening and impress committees
Academic CVs are not resumes. They follow different conventions, emphasize different credentials, and must survive automated screening before a human ever reads them. Faculty Job Tools produces CVs built specifically for today's academic hiring systems — ATS-optimized, committee-tested, and personally written by Dr. Babb.
3. TARGETING — Apply where you can actually win
Applying to hundreds of positions on job boards where thousands of others are also applying is not a strategy — it is exhausting and ineffective. The Babb Method focuses on targeted opportunities: institutions actively hiring, disciplines with open demand, and postings sourced directly from university career portals where competition is lower.
4. MOMENTUM — Keep the pipeline full and the applications moving
Getting a teaching position is a numbers game — but only when the applications are high quality and going to the right places. The Babb Method uses subscription job leads, done-for-you application completion, and ongoing coaching to keep your search active without consuming your life.
Who This Is For
The Babb Method works for educators at every stage: first-timers who have never applied for an online teaching position, experienced faculty looking to increase their course load, professionals transitioning from industry into the classroom, and established academics who simply want a better system than what they have been doing alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get a teaching position using Faculty Job Tools?
Timeline varies by discipline and credential level. Many clients receive offers within their first 120 days, or 100 job applications, stretching to 200+ applications for more saturated or highly niche markets. Some disciplines move faster than others. Dr. Babb can give you a realistic expectation based on your specific background.
Do I need teaching experience to use these services?
No. The Babb Method was specifically designed to help people break into online teaching, including those making the transition from industry or completing their first graduate degree.
Is Faculty Job Tools the same as the original service Dr. Babb created?
Yes. Faculty Job Tools is Dr. Babb's current company and the direct continuation of the faculty placement work she began in 2003. She is actively involved in the work here. This is where her expertise, her network, and her method live today.