If you have dreams of becoming a university professor then you first need to have a good idea as to what skills you will need to possess. A high level education here is of course necessary but there is in fact much more to it than just this. The very best professors, people like Professor Harvey Shapiro, possess a very certain set of skills which help them to be as good as they are. It is important therefore that you also have these skills in order to not only do the job, but do it well.
Public Speaking
When you are giving lectures you are going to be stood up in front of a huge group of people describing the lesson. You don’t just need to stand up and give the class however, it is on you to truly engage those students and give them a reason to get excited. This is why you will need to have a high level of public speaking ability to become a professor.
Time Management
You are going to be investing a great deal of time into your classes and into the marking of papers, and that is why time management is a critical skill which you will need. This level of education is of course much higher than the likes of high school, which is why professors are held to a higher level of accountability. You must manage your time well in order to do well in this job.
Self Motivation
There is much more about this level of education which is down to you, and whilst there is a syllabus in place, you will be dictating so much of what is being taught. This is why you have to be able to motivate yourself well everyday in order to give the very best course to your students. If you are not able to motivate yourself within this role then there is nobody else who is going to do that for you.
Interpersonal Communication
Back in the olden days the professor would stand in front of the class and preach to the students, who in most cases weren’t even allowed to ask questions. In the modern era however this is simply not the case and you will need high level skills when it comes to working with your students. Because of the high level of education there are going to be many students who simply cannot cope and it will be up to you to help them understand the course and various aspects of the topics within it.
And finally you will need to have excellent record keeping skills. This is because of the sheer volume of students which you are likely to have, and so that you can stay on top of what level your students have been performing at. This is critical for professors and those who are not well organized will find that they have problems in keeping up.
