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Indian Education and Job Industry >> Career Opportunities >> College professor

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Career as a College professor

Perhaps one of the most satisfying career choices available to those who want to lead a peaceful and stable life is that of a degree college or university professors. They are involved in imparting higher education, organizing, conducting and supervising graduate student research, writing textbooks and research papers, conducting, guiding and supervising laboratory experiments and so on. A professor's time is largely spent on research preparing class material and meeting students. He is also involved in administration of his department. A person who wants to go into this field starts as a lecturer, rises to become a reader and then a professor based on the experience and qualification.

Educational Qualifications
The minimum educational qualifications to gain an entry to the profession is an excellent academic back ground with a minimum of post graduate qualifications. Those with an M.Phil degree are preferred and a Ph.D is a must to advance in the career. One also has to clear the national level test conducted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to test the knowledge and aptitude of candidates who want to make a career in the field of higher education.

Skills Required
Willingness to listen to problems posed by budding minds, patience, ability to see yourself in their position, updating yourself with latest research initiatives in the field, integrity, adaptability and nurturing skills are basic elements for success in the profession.

Compensation
The pay scales of professors have witnessed good growth in recent times. The minimum starting salary is around 18000/- to 20000/- per month. There are time bound pay scales and increase as you put in more years of service. A Ph.D also entitles to reach the higher scale earlier than your other counter parts and is an absolute must for rise in career. Research papers count at the time of elevation as a full professor and the number of students who have completed Ph.D under a lecturer or reader is also a criterion for selection as a professors.

Career Growth
The studies for a professor never stop. While he may start his career as a lecturer, if he wants to rise, he has to keep updating himself. Contribution to research, building relationships with industry, doing research which has good application, attending seminars and organizing seminars are a must and add to their status. Also good institutes such as IITs and other universities encourage their professors to undertake consultancies and assignments for private sectors as well as government sector on revenue share basis, which is also vital. College professors who want to go into administration aspects also get the change to join the education ministry as directors or advisors and provide these services to the government on matters of policy. They can also become as principals of degree colleges and the best and most talented of them rise to become vice chancellors of universities which is a very prestigious assignment.