19 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
A day often mixes teaching, research, and meetings. Mornings might be class: lecture prep in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, slides in PowerPoint, and checking Blackboard Learn for assignments and attendance records.
Afternoons often mean office hours, grading papers and exams with Excel or Word, running research (reading journals, running analyses in IBM SPSS Statistics), and attending faculty meetings in Outlook. Evenings commonly include writing papers or grant proposals and preparing recommendation letters.
Expect Microsoft Word for papers and letters, PowerPoint for lectures, Outlook for email and scheduling, and Google Docs for shared drafts. Blackboard Learn handles course pages, quizzes, and attendance.
For research you may use IBM SPSS Statistics for data analysis and Microsoft Excel for data tables or grading spreadsheets. Use the tools your department prefers; they’ll tell you standard templates and storage locations.
You divide time by the semester calendar. During term, teaching and grading (syllabi, lectures, Blackboard, attendance) take priority. Block regular weekly slots for research and writing grant proposals.
Between terms or on sabbatical you shift to research and publishing. Departments expect both: teaching quality and peer‑reviewed publications. Plan fixed weekly research hours and protect them like class times.
AI can draft syllabus text, suggest reading lists, or give initial feedback on essays, but never replace your judgment. If you use AI, check outputs for accuracy, bias, and citation errors; edit everything in Word or Google Docs.
Don’t use AI to assess student originality without human review. Declare to students how you use AI and follow your university’s academic integrity rules and privacy policies (Outlook or Blackboard notices often outline these).
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports about 41,530 employed for this category. The median annual wage is $80,340. The lowest tenth earned about $49,050; the top tenth earned about $153,600.
Pay varies by institution type, rank (assistant, associate, full professor), location, and research funding. Use BLS as a baseline and check your target university’s salary schedules.
Philosopher professors focus on teaching, research, and writing about philosophy, compiling bibliographies, and planning curricula; they don’t provide clinical services like assessment or psychotherapy.
Clinical psychologists provide assessment and therapy, may teach, and use different licensure and clinical record systems. If you see tasks like providing psychotherapy or clinical assessment in a job listing, that’s not the standard philosopher role.
Show strong research and publication ability. Departments look for a record of peer‑reviewed publications and active research projects, plus the ability to write grant proposals and publish findings.
Also demonstrate clear teaching: sample syllabi, effective use of Blackboard Learn and PowerPoint, and evidence of student mentoring (letters of recommendation you’ve written or supervised work). Those two together make you competitive.