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University tutoring

  • 16-11-2020 2:55am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 17


    Hi,

    I have recently been trying to get a tutoring gig in a university to get my foot in the door for future teaching posts.

    Has anyone worked as a tutor in an Irish university? What is the pay like, and did it help you get into a full time teaching post?

    Any insight is much appreciated.

    Thank you


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    Tutors in universities (usually now called teaching assisstants) are normally drawn fronm existing registered postgrads, either master's or doctoral, in a given department. It's normally the department that sources and hires them. And the role tends to be seen as training and minor income support for those postgrads. Some postgrad scholarships include tutoring as part of the conditions. For most subject areas, I'd suggest you'd have to be doing a postgrad in the relevant department before you'd even be considered.

    It may of course depend on your particular skills. If they are niche enough but still in demand, you might get a TA gig on a professional course for a few hours a week (say if you're a barrister or accountant). There are also specific learning support departments that may do literacy, study skillls and maths support.

    Hours? Usually very part-time. Depends on area, but nowhere near full time. Mainly one or two hours a week, maybe a couple of hours a day.

    Pay not great, especiallly with those hours. Can't remember what it used to be in my time, but I think around 20-30 max per hour. Though I've heard tell of more, and 'guest lecturer' rates can get to about 70.

    ITs may hve different criteria and entry routes. I know of at least one professional journalist teaching a couple of hours a week at a small offshoot teacher traininhg type college down the country. That person has been doing it several years and hasn't got anything near the likelihood of full-time employment.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭GarIT


    Do you have a PhD yet? You can't get in as a tutor and work your way up to lecturer.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    Also, in general, a PhD can be seen as a necessary but not sufficient criterion: there are many, many more people with PhDs coming out each year than there are even part-time teaching jobs available for them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,129 ✭✭✭mistersifter


    https://www.noteworthy.ie/academic-uncertainty-pt1-5265163-Nov2020/

    read this before you go down the university teaching route!

    as the article explains, it is extremely difficult to get a permanent position teaching in a university and temporary/casually paid tutors are working under awful conditions.


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