How to Become a Professor in Engineering Design
The path to becoming a professor is not easy and typically very competitive. Once you have the job, being a professor is not easy either, as there are many competing demands on your time to perform your research, teaching, and service opportunities. At the end of the day, I think it is worth it, and I find many aspects of my job very rewarding, even amid high stress. I will speak about my experience securing a faculty position at a university with a focus on research and teaching in the United States. Each year, there are only a few jobs available with many applicants. For instance, I applied to almost all available jobs related to my expertise during my search, which was around 20 jobs.
My Path
I did not take a typical path to a faculty position. When I finished my undergraduate degree, I swore I would never go back to school again. Following my undergraduate degree, I cofounded a startup designing photo and video accessories, was a marketing and project manager in the bike industry, and served as adjunct faculty in BYU’s mechanical engineering capstone program. While working with the capstone program, I began to think about fundamental questions related to engineering for sustainable development. I also realized that I really enjoyed working with students. The fundamental questions I pondered led me to have several conversations with Dr. Chris Mattson, a professor at BYU, that made me realize I wanted to pursue a PhD, and ultimately a career in academia.
Find Your Why
The road to becoming a professor is long and difficult, so you should have a good idea of why you want to pursue it. In my case, I love research and teaching, so I wanted a position where I could do both. If you are only interested in research, you can seek out R&D positions or work in a national lab.
Develop Your Roadmap
I spent years preparing to become a professor, and this was in addition to my degree requirements. Having a PhD is only one aspect of obtaining a position. Before entering my PhD program, I started developing a plan with my advisor to understand the steps I would need to take over the next five years that would hopefully lead to successfully obtaining a position.
Research is Key
Of course, your research is the key to a career in academia. As Chris Mattson would often tell me, publications are the currency of academia. When people review your application for a faculty position, they will look at the number of journal publications you have on your CV (a long form version of a resume that highlights all of your professional achievements). This is a critical factor in obtaining a position.
Other Helpful Factors
Develop a professional network through workshops, conferences, and webinars. This will help you find collaborators and people who may give you advice along the way.
Collaborate with people external to your institution. It looks very good to a search committee when you can show successful collaborations. This will also help you publish more journal papers. Yes, this helps your numbers, but it also makes your work more enjoyable as you build a professional network.
Engage in workshops and professional development to develop your skills (e.g. presentation, writing, teaching and interview skills). Find opportunities to build the skills to make you a successful faculty member.
Gain teaching experience. Teaching experience is very helpful for getting a position but remember that teaching cannot compensate for a lack of research productivity.
Engage in grant writing. Be a part of writing large and small grants—even small awards like an internal travel grant to present at a conference look good on your CV.
My Timeline
Here is my timeline of how I worked toward a faculty position. The timeline for obtaining a position is also very long. You will be applying for a position almost a year before you expect to start.
Spring 2018: I applied to the PhD program at BYU. I started off-cycle from most students entering graduate school, as the typical application cycle involves applying in the fall and beginning a PhD program the following year.
January 2019: I started my PhD. Throughout my program I had multiple conversations each year to make sure I was on the right track to prepare for a faculty position
August 2021: I began presenting my research at major conferences. In engineering design, the key conferences were ASME IDETC and Design Society ICED.
Spring 2022: I began drafting job application materials. You will typically need a CV, cover letter, statement on your future research plans, statement of your teaching philosophy, and sometimes a statement of your philosophy on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). However, these are becoming less common will likely be eliminated at most institutions due to the current political environment.
June 2022: I shared my application drafts with current faculty members and requested feedback. Your institution may have organizations or resources to help you with this process.
August 2022: Open positions began to be posted online. For each opening that aligned with my qualifications and goals, I spent a few hours tailoring my application to the individual institution.
November 2022 – February 2023: First round Zoom interviews took place. Before these I drafted responses to common questions and conducted mock interviews. I also researched each institution to prepare strong answers for why I wanted to work there.
December 2022-March 2023: On-campus interviews typically occur during this time. On-campus interviews consist of meetings with individual faculty, the department chair, possibly an associate dean, a seminar presentation on your research, and meals with current faculty. These often come with short notice, so it’s essential to have your seminar presentation prepared and well-practiced, with the flexibility to tailor it to each institution. On-campus interviews are usually two days long, and can be quite intense. My primary interview day had planned activities from 7:30 am to almost 9:00 pm. I researched the individuals I would be meeting with and practiced my interview responses. It also helped to pack a quick snack I could eat if I had a few spare minutes between interviews. Over the course of my interview days, I had about a dozen meetings, including formal interviews, meals, my seminar presentation and facility tours.
March 2023-June 2023: Faculty job offers typically go out during this time. After receiving my verbal offer, I sent in a list of requirements to start my research program, including necessary equipment, lab space, and support for graduate students (this list is often referred to as your “startup package”). Typically, during this time there will be negotiations on your startup package, salary, start date, and teaching load.
Securing a faculty position is a long, challenging process, but with careful planning, it is achievable. Being a faculty member is also challenging, but working with the next generation of engineers and advancing the boundaries of current knowledge is very rewarding. If you are considering an academic career, start early, seek mentorship, be strategic, and be open to other options if you don’t get a position the first time you apply. The process is demanding, but it can be a fulfilling career path.
