How do you become a professor?
Well, if you are considering a career in academia, then becoming a professor is the ultimate, and often only goal.
But also if you are just curious about what trials those old folks endured to earn their spot at the front of the lecture hall?
Then this video is for you.
When I was a student, I had no clue how the academic system worked.
And I bet you feel the same!
But we’re going to change that. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly three paths that can lead to a professorship, and you’ll be able to decide whether this is something for you, or if you’d rather quickly turn your back on academia after your studies.
How Do You Become a Professor?
First, let’s explore the typical career trajectory for academics. You might be familiar with some of these steps, as they form the backbone of any academic career:
- PhD
- Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Full Professor
Level 1: The PhD
Embarking on a PhD is like signing up for an academic marathon that takes around four years—if you’re lucky. Your completion time might depend on your field’s pace, your advisor’s style, and how often your experiments decide to actually work.
You can tackle a PhD as a full-time employee with teaching obligations in most countries, on a scholarship as it is mostly the case in the US or Australia, or as a side hustle to your full-time job. Get ready to learn, burn, and occasionally yearn for the finish line!
Level 2: Postdoctoral Fellowship
Think of it as the academic victory lap after your PhD. You’re not quite a professor yet, but you’re doing mostly research, maybe teaching a bit, and definitely networking like it’s your job (because it is).
It’s your time to shine in your field, beef up that publication pipeline, and charm future colleagues. Ready, set, research!
Level 3: Assistant Professor
This is the entry-level, tenure-track position where the academic rubber meets the road.
Here, you’ll teach, research, and contribute to university life, all while aiming for the grand prize of tenure.
Over about five to six years, you’ll need to impress with publications, teaching evaluations, and community involvement.
It’s your chance to prove you have what it takes for a long-haul career in academia. Get ready to juggle tasks and time like a pro!
Level 4: Associate Professor
The academic “level up” that comes after you’ve survived the tenure trials as an Assistant Professor.
In the US, this is typically when you have “earned” tenure, which means you can stay a professor for the rest of your career if you don’t mess up big time.
In other countries, tenure can also be granted at the assistant professor level.
Anyhow, you’ve now earned the luxury of job security and the joy of juggling even more duties.
More research, more grants, more students to mentor, and even more committee meetings.
Think of it as gaining the power to bend the academic universe, just a little bit, to your will.
Congratulations, you’re in the middle of the academic ladder — don’t look down!
Level 5: Full Professor
The academic world’s equivalent of reaching the mountaintop!
After years of research, teaching, and coffee-fueled late nights, becoming a Full Professor means you’ve published aplenty, shaped young minds, and possibly even figured out how to work the departmental photocopier.
It’s the peak where you get to enjoy the view, influence university policies, and still — yes, still — chase after the elusive work-life balance.
3 Different Paths to Becoming a Professor
What we’ve discussed so far reflects the career mechanisms of the academic system.
However, the actual achievements necessary to climb the ranks are another story.
Let’s now look at three different paths or strategies that can lead to the same goal—a professorship.
Path #1: Passion for Research
The most intuitive route to a professorship is through your talent and passion for research in your field. Here, it’s crucial how well you can translate this passion into tangible research results.
This route also often faces a major criticism of the academic system: the publish-or-perish culture. If you don’t publish enough or well enough, a career in academia is hard to achieve.
The good news? If research comes naturally to you, and you quickly see significant success, that’s a good indicator that this path might be the right one for you.
What awaits at the end of the journey, once you’ve secured a professorship?
Well, more research. It doesn’t stop. So, if research neither excites you nor comes easily, it could be challenging.
I often hear from PhD candidates that their passion lies not in research, but in teaching.
In this case, a career at a college specified in teaching might be suitable.
Here, it’s not research but teaching and sometimes industry experience that pave the way to a professorship.
Path #2: Through Savvy Science Management
If the university route is your choice, there’s another path I’ve often observed: savvy science management and strategic planning.
This approach allows you to anticipate and occupy niches in topics with high demand. This can aid in advancing your research because journals are eager to publish these topics.
Or it might attract funding from third parties, such as government bodies, due to societal interest in a topic. An example is the High-Tech Agenda Bavaria in Germany, which has created 1000 or so professorships in areas like sustainable technologies and AI.
This means that a well-chosen thematic focus can aid you in appointment processes. It makes sense to align yourself in a way that your topics are likely to grow in significance in the future.
People who have secured a professorship this way are often also excellent at networking, although this is just a personal observation.
Path #3: The Roger Federer Way
The passionate researcher and the gifted networker represent two extremes. There’s also a middle path.
This path is about being a generalist.
My favorite analogy comes from the book “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World,” which includes the example of Roger Federer, one of the most successful tennis players of all time.
Throughout his career, Roger Federer was never the best at any single aspect of tennis.
Andy Roddick had the best serve.
Rafael Nadal had the best forehand, and Novak Djokovic had the best backhand.
However, Roger Federer was the most complete player overall, allowing him to achieve one success after another.
This analogy applies to academia as well: a generalist who can integrate diverse skills and knowledge may not stand out in one particular niche but excels by combining multiple strengths, potentially leading to a successful career in academia.
In science, as in nearly every other career, these principles apply.
Bonus Path: The Detour via other Countries
My personal favorite route to a professorship is through international experience. This aspect of the academic system is often a topic of heated debate.
This path is definitely a “to each their own” and “you have to decide for yourself” kind of deal. Moving abroad to secure a professorship isn’t something that’s expected of you.
Deciding how much other areas of your life should be sacrificed for the dream of becoming a professor is a choice you have to make yourself.
However, if you view an extended stay abroad as an opportunity for growth and a decidedly positive experience, then it could be the missing piece in your path to becoming a professor.
One of the advantages of the academic system is its compatibility across almost all national borders. The entire globe is your playing field.
If you choose to limit your playing field based on geographic factors, that will reduce your options, but that’s completely fine.
You decide, not the system.
If you have any questions about this, feel free to drop me a comment!