How to Become a Full Professor in 11 Steps

In higher education, marketing is a dirty word.

Some faculty members believe that self-promotion is offensive to their intellectual, academic pursuits. What these purists don’t realize is that they’ve been marketing for their entire careers. They do this through the normal course of their job.

Eleven Ways Faculty Members Market Themselves

11. Applying for research grants

10. Serving on committees

9. Joining professional associations

8. Editing or reviewing for journals

7. Running joint research projects

6. Going to conferences

5. Using their own textbooks

4. Presenting at conferences

3. Hosting or moderating symposia

2. Giving interviews with the media

1. Publishing, publishing, publishing

Faculty members aren’t just marketing for themselves, either – they’re marketing for their employers. Schools rely on faculty members to spread the word (after all, how else will they get funding or publish?) which benefits the schools. It’s symbiotic, and it’s certainly not evil.

Marketing covers a wide range of activities, and most people have a narrow understanding of it. Marketing isn’t advertising, it’s not press releases, it’s not packaging, brochures, or websites. It’s all of these things, and much more. Marketing is about creating value, developing an identity, establishing awareness, and selling a product. Marketing permeates all facets of an organization.

• This post assumes that you are already a Ph.D. and have a tenure-track job somewhere.