Within my job I spend a great deal of time traveling from school t o school, speaking to the students about what they are looking for in a career. Usually the answers to this question are power and money but there are a lot of people who simply look for real rewards when it comes to their career choice. Today I wanted to look into this aspect of being a university professor, a job which has gained in popularity in recent years and one which does have its rewards. I spoke to Kevin Rolle Alabama University Executive Vice President and someone who has over 25 years under his belt in the world of education, to find out just what those rewards were.

Student Rewards

The ultimate reward for any university professor is, or at east should be, the moment when a student of theirs goes on to find great success in their lives. This could be 20 years after you have taught the student but the sense of pride which a professor can have, knowing that they played such a key role in shaping the future of another person, is a huge reward. In terms of instant rewards, this can be found when you have a student who is struggling or having difficulty getting their head around the course material, and then makes a breakthrough. Kevin told me that have someone ace a test who had previously struggled is one of the best moments throughout the career of a professor.

Financial Reward

College professors are paid way more than teachers because of the higher amount of knowledge and education which they must possess. In fact it is the healthy salary – average of $61,000 pa – that brings a lot of academics into the world of being a professor. Professors are rewarded with a financial package such as this, along with healthcare and a retirement plan, not only because of the work hiccup they need to put in to get the position, but also the work that they need to put in whilst working in their position. From late night marking, summers spent planning the curriculum and of course, the 9,10 or 11 hour days spent in the university, professors more than merit this salary.

Wider Opinion

In terms of being rewarded, one of the biggest benefits to being a college professor is the reward of respect which you will be given when you tell people who you are and what you do. There are some jobs in the world which command automatic respect from other people and being a college professor is definitely one of them. To teach at this level you must be very smart and this is recognized by the public, as well as the fact that you are dedicating your life and your career to helping young men and women to find success both personally and professionally. Respect is not something that is easy to come by and this is a truly great reward for any professor.