An Adjunct’s Recipe for Success

by Dorothy A. Miraglia
January 24, 2019
An Adjunct’s Recipe for Success

Dorothy Miraglia, Ph.D., Vice President of Academics and Professor Services

We are well into the new year. How are you doing in establishing your goals for this calendar year? Have you reflected on the past year as an adjunct? Are you preparing yourself to increase your competitive edge against others who are vying for your teaching job? Are you inching closer to Making A Living Online on your terms? You may or may not have accomplished previous set goals, but regardless of, you should have a strategic plan in place. Call it your ‘recipe for success’. As part of an adjunct’s recipe for success, it is important that you pause and reflect on where you are in your career and those pursuits. Have you established your goals in your career so you can set specific and unique tasks and tactics to position yourself competitively?

We are well into the new year. How are you doing in establishing your goals for this calendar year? Have you reflected on the past year as an adjunct? Are you preparing yourself to increase your competitive edge against others who are vying for your teaching job? Are you inching closer to Making A Living Online on your terms? You may or may not have accomplished previous set goals, but regardless of, you should have a strategic plan in place. Call it your ‘recipe for success’. As part of an adjunct’s recipe for success, it is important that you pause and reflect on where you are in your career and those pursuits. Have you established your goals in your career so you can set specific and unique tasks and tactics to position yourself competitively?

Raison d’etre

To make a big impact personally and professionally, it is important to prepare your personal marketing tools. It is necessary to plant seeds to reap your bounty. We start out with the best of intentions and preparations, but then falter as life strangulates us from all directions. We forget to “fertilize” ourselves. Other times we get disappointed because our plans don’t unfold and give up. We may view this as a setback as opposed to a necessary dormancy period. To deal with the hiccups and maintain perseverance, it is important to remember your ‘why’ … your purpose; your raison d’etre.

Purposeful vision

To help focus on your ‘why,’ you should develop a clear and purposeful vision. This is especially helpful when adversity strikes. It’s ok to make mistakes, it’s ok to get knocked down. Maintain your success and achieve your goals by continuing to move. Your why (vision) helps cushion the blows and fuels your motivation. When you can concentrate on the ‘why’, it is easier to recover and be on the road again to your goals. Purpose builds momentum on the road to success.

Adjunct’s recipe for success

Here are 10 recipe tips for success as an adjunctpreneur©:
1. 1. Write a clear and purposeful vision. What is it you seek? What do you want accomplished? Where do you see yourself in 3, 6, 9, 12 months? Don’t know where to start? It will fall into place if you have a written plan and review it often.
1. 1. Start working on those goals you want to accomplish. What are you doing to invest in yourself? What are you doing to support your growth as an adjunctpreneur©? If you are transitioning into the Make a Living Teaching Online universe, you can use the free (Make Money Teaching Online) e-book as your Sherpa guide, read the paperback Make a Living Teaching Online (available at https://amzn.to/2SaczMa in paperback and e-book versions), stay abreast with the latest in higher education by subscribing to The Babb Group’s newsletter, follow The Babb Group’s step-by-step guide, and obtain some key insights via The Babb Group’s blog.
1. 1. If you are a more seasoned adjunct, but need additional ideas or assistance to propel you to the next level, you can consider a mentor to facilitate that career process. Consider joining an exclusive group to position yourself for long-term stability as an educator.
1. 1. To stand out in the sea of Curriculum Vitaes (CVs), consider revamping yours. If you are a DIYer, you can use Do-It-Yourself Templates, or you can purchase the ‘Babbify your Curriculum Vitae’ services with fully qualified experts’ help.
1. 1. To capitalize on an even larger network, LinkedIn is an excellent tool to help you achieve more inquiries and profile reviews from recruiters and potentially land more teaching jobs, but you must have a stellar profile. You can research, analyze, and review other LinkedIn members – or you can have a networking expert or mentor review your profile to provide vital tips for enrichment.
1. 1. To stay one step ahead of the competition, sign up for The Babb Group’s online job leads. This allows you to dedicate targeted inquiries. Time is a commodity. Instead, of searching and applying for jobs yourself, consider an assisted, focused effort to increase your job search efficiency. In addition to using the job lead service, check out sites like indeed.com, glassdoor.com as well as subscribe to filter-enabled LinkedIn job alerts.
1. 1. Stay fresh and relevant. How do you compare to your competition? Are you at same level or above your peers? Learning new skills provides that competitive edge to landing a teaching gig, as well as ensuring your relevance in a changing industry. Consider earning a new certificate or degree. If finances limit that option, check for free courses available from open education resource sites like open2study.com, edx.org, and coursera.org. Consider subscribing to YouTube channels on relevant topics – subject matter or teaching methodologies, including technology ‘how-to’s.’
1. 1. Stay fresh for your students by learning new tools utilized in classrooms to add a ‘wow factor’ for learners. It’s vital to keep students interested and engaged. Up-to-date practices help supports learning and teaching effectiveness.
1. 1. Once prepared and ready for the higher education market, consider an e-portfolio to help promote and marketing all your teaching, technology, and subject matter expert skills. This is an especially vital tool to demonstrate competency and professionalism to potential employers.
1. 1. As a means of standing out in the crowd of adjuncts, consider strengthening your professional image via a professional social media page, e.g., Facebook business page, a YouTube channel, a Pinterest profile, or utilizing Google Plus. This enables you, as a professional SME, to push content to viewers and showcases your expertise.
What to do next?

These ten steps will prepare you and set a foundation for a successful career as an adjunctpreneur©. For more information on Making a Living Teaching Online, visit https://www.thebabbgroup.com/ or book an appointment to jumpstart the process for your success this year.
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Dorothy A. Miraglia

Dorothy A. Miraglia, PhD earned her B.S. in Music and Sociology from Adelphi University. She attended Hofstra University earning her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies and earned a M.S. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Phoenix.. Dr. Miraglia graduated with distinction from Capella University earning her PhD in Advanced Studies in Human Behavior focusing her dissertation on smartphone use in women. She began teaching online in 2008 and has witnessed how the industry has changed over the years. Her goal is to help clients who are interested in transitioning to the online teaching world and help established online instructors advance their career. In 2019, she began helping University clients determine the best solutions for instructional design and curriculum development based off of her experience and knowledge as an instructor and former student. Dr. Miraglia lives on Long Island, NY with her husband and two sons. She enjoys the luxury of working from home and having a flexible work schedule, which allows for plenty of family time, home projects, trips to Target and Starbucks, and vacations.
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