Lesson 10: Professional Goals
In a short paragraph, only five or six sentences, sketch out your professional goals. If you are applying to a master’s program, do you intend to pursue a doctoral degree? If you are earning a doctoral degree and have your sights set on becoming a professor, well, beware. The job market is frankly horrific. Be humble and show some flexibility. Writing “I plan to secure a tenure-track job at a Research I university and focus on publishing” is not a good approach, because it’s just not realistic. (If this is your goal, okay, although you should spend some time looking at job statistics in your field and revisit your response to “Why graduate school?” Earning an advanced degree is entirely a worthwhile endeavor, apart from wanting to enter academe. Just don’t be naive, and don’t communicate naivete in your statement. Frankly, your professors won’t want to deal with your unrealistic expectations and professional disappointments.)
If you have a genuine and sincere interest in teaching at community college, you should certainly explain that and detail your interest in teaching; likewise, of course, you will write about teaching if you are seeking to earn an EDD or other graduate degree in education. Otherwise, do not focus on teaching as a career plan.
