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[helpinterview]

I recently accepted some adjunct work at a for profit institution.  I stayed within my discipline (Fine Arts), but am wondering if this is something that is good or bad for my resume.

Getting work lately has been hard and I do not wand gaps in my resume.  Should I just teach the courses and treat it as a part time job, or is this a legitimate continuation of my climb up the academic career ladder?

CAA is coming up and I wondered if I can mention this in interviews when asked, "What are you doing now?"

[madhatter]

I don't think adjuncting anywhere is a "climb up the academic career ladder." It can get you some teaching experience, if you're lacking that. A diversity of adjunct experiences (small class, large class, community college, SLAC, etc.) can also be nice for your cv. A for-profit experience can be part of that diversity. There are some who may ask critical questions, but you can talk about how it broadened your experience working with adult learners or educational technology.

[larryc]

Madhatter nailed it.

[helpinterview]

Thanks for the sobering advice.  When everyone gives up waiting around for jobs maybe someone will get lucky.  The recent article in the Chronicle about how graduate school in the Humanities is a waste of money nailed it as well.  The only problem is that I didn't get to read that article before I went to graduate school.  Now I am trying to salvage what I can.  I am by no means a superstar but I have been in national and international exhibitions, have some teaching experience and I still can't get a job.

Take a number and get in line, I know.

There are about 90 to 150 of us for each job that will not get a job.  What is everyone planning to do? 

[spamicide]

Last semester I was an adjunct at "for profit" institution.  I did it because I needed the teaching experience on my CV as I had not taught in five years (I'm in a research position).  Nobody did a double take or said anything on my interviews.  I think it helped me get interviews at some SLACs that I would have otherwise been passed up for because my CV is too "R1" oriented.  So as long as you can sell it as a positive experience it should not be a problem.  Of course the pay is below market at a "for profit" institution.

[emdash]

I have been adjuncting at a for-profit for the past year. I put it on my CV, as I needed to bolster my teaching experience, and it hasn't prevented me from being invited to interview for TT jobs, so I hope that is reassuring to you! I am also in the fine arts.

I've found that my students at the for-profit school are much more racially and culturally diverse than the students I taught at the elite private art school where I used to be an adjunct. This has been a really enjoyable part of the teaching experience for me, and has given me something concrete to talk about when SCs ask questions about diversity in the classroom.

I'd recommend that you talk up the positive aspects about your experience there, and use it to your advantage.