Working at WIT

fricatus

Hi,

I don't know where to start on this, but I'm looking at a career change and I have skills that would undoubtedly be put to good use lecturing at WIT. Of course I've no idea whether there are vacancies in my field, or whether the pay would be comparable to what I'm getting in my current job.

I've been monitoring the WIT page for vacancies, but there are only ever a handful up there, and surely in a place like that, there must be more jobs going. How do prospective lecturers go about getting in there? Is there some sort of panel? How can I get my name down or my CV in and discuss my skills with someone in the know?

I'd be grateful for any advice offered!

S_Snail

They sometimes only advertise posts on irishjobs.ie. Lecturing jobs rarely come up in WIT and especially now with the government ban on recruiting, but there are some advertised in both Carlow IT and Limerick IT at the moment. If you have a PhD the best way to get a foothold is as a postdoc researcher or you could try to see if you could get any hours on the evening courses first.

munsterman2008

If your thoughts on applying for a lecturing position go to asking advice on its college forum then I doubt you're really lecturer material.

It is conceivable to contact management and the HR department of the college, surely you have exhausted these avenues before coming here?

fricatus

munsterman2008 wrote: »

If your thoughts on applying for a lecturing position go to asking advice on its college forum then I doubt you're really lecturer material.

It is conceivable to contact management and the HR department of the college, surely you have exhausted these avenues before coming here?

Ha! Jesus, what a comment to make! :rolleyes:

I'm only looking for initial advice here since I haven't a clue where to start. But I often find that Boards is a very good jumping-off point for getting your bearings with anything unfamiliar, like gardening, planning permission, holidays in strange places, etc.

So why the hell shouldn't I ask a WIT-related question in the WIT forum?

munsterman2008

Because my advice is exactly what you should do. Also, it is obvious.

I mean, do you really not know how you get your CV in there?

Did you edit that reply? My e-mail said you put "GTFO" at the end of it, but I don't see it now. I had to google to find out the meaning of that acronym.. if you did leave this originally then definitely not lecturer material.

fricatus

munsterman2008 wrote: »

Because my advice is exactly what you should do. Also, it is obvious.

"Advice"? Read your post. You criticised a total stranger, whom you know nothing about, for asking a question in the relevant forum. "Contact management and the HR department of the college" was the extent of your advice. Do you seriously think I hadn't thought of that?

munsterman2008 wrote: »

I mean, do you really not know how you get your CV in there?

This is ridiculous. Are you seriously telling me that the next step is to send my CV to the college? And then what? Wait for someone to get back to me? In my experience, CVs go into a filing cabinet because some HR admin can't be arsed finding the right person to pass them on to. I've never ever got a job from sending my CV into a place on spec. It's always been via an agency or someone who knows the right person to pass it to.

This is the kind of thing that I need advice on.

munsterman2008 wrote: »

Did you edit that reply? My e-mail said you put "GTFO" at the end of it, but I don't see it now. I had to google to find out the meaning of that acronym.. if you did leave this originally then definitely not lecturer material.

Well I'm not going to lie to you... but having written it I thought it was a bit rude, and more to the point, would get me banned.

But let me put it more politely: if you can't offer me useful and specific advice about what I'm asking for, and if you can't stop making judgments about people you know NOTHING about, then please stop derailing my thread or I'll report you to the moderators.

munsterman2008

fricatus wrote: »

"Contact management and the HR department of the college" was the extent of your advice. Do you seriously think I hadn't thought of that?

Honestly no, since you voiced your confusion as to where a CV should be directed.
And yes, I am suggesting you hand one in to HR - seeing as this is the accepted form of applying for jobs. I'm not saying it should be your only move, but for god sake.. perhaps a start? Maybe?

You didn't edit out "GTFO" because it would have been rude, or got you banned. Admit it, you re-read the reply and realised how ridiculous you looked putting it on here. That is truly one of the most absurd incidences of internet jargon I have seen in my life. Kudos.

By all means, report me. I've done nothing wrong. Good day.

spurious

Please leave the handbags at home ladies.

Benimar

To add a bit of civility to this thread, I'd suggest looking on the WIT website for a contact in your area of expertise eg: if it's Economics, look for contacts in the Business School.

Look for the name of a Head of Department and contact them directly by phone or email. I'm fairly certain that there is nothing available given the current embargo but at least you will have put your name forward with a 'decision maker' should something come up. They will also tell you of any qualifications etc you may need.

Something to consider would be to apply for night lecturing also. It gets you in the door and may give you a head start should a 'day job' come up.

Just to note, contrary to popular opinion, not all public sector workers are on 6 figures..or anything close for that matter! Google lecturer pay scales and you will get an idea, but I'd be prepared to take a pay cut if you are coming from any job that pays reasonable wages.

Finally, the best time to contact staff is from 3rd September onwards, the closer to that date the better.

fricatus

Benimar wrote: »

Something to consider would be to apply for night lecturing also. It gets you in the door and may give you a head start should a 'day job' come up.

Hadn't thought of that Benimar, seems like a good suggestion, especially for those of us already in a day job and not in a position to give it up.

Benimar wrote: »

Just to note, contrary to popular opinion, not all public sector workers are on 6 figures..or anything close for that matter! Google lecturer pay scales and you will get an idea, but I'd be prepared to take a pay cut if you are coming from any job that pays reasonable wages.

Ah yeah, I know that. I'm not thinking of it as a route to riches by any means.

I suppose the motivation behind the idea is that I don't want to spend the rest of my life chasing the dollar in a corporate environment. I have skills and knowledge that are going to waste as things stand, and I feel that if I were lecturing in WIT my efforts would be benefiting the young people in my community and an institution that's important to my city, rather than making some lad on a yacht in Nantucket richer.

I know that probably sounds like starry-eyed idealism, but I imagine that whatever job satisfaction there is in lecturing is better than what I'm doing now. I need a certain amount for the mortgage and a comfortable lifestyle, and a lecturer's salary would be enough for my needs.

Thanks for your advice.