From Market Researcher to Marketing Professor: My Journey Into Adjunct Teaching

Screenshot of Kayte Hamilton during her undergraduate degree program absolutely hating her marketing research course. (And an example of social media decorum from years’ past 😉)

When I first considered teaching as an adjunct professor, I thought my years of marketing research experience would make the transition seamless. While some skills definitely transferred, I quickly discovered that teaching is its own craft – one that has humbled, challenged, and ultimately enriched me in unexpected ways. With my 7th consecutive semester (kicking off this week…hello Spring 2025!) at my alma mater, Old Dominion University, I've gathered some insights that might help other industry professionals considering the same path.

The Reality of Adjunct Teaching (Spoiler: You Won't Get Rich)

Let's address the elephant in the room: adjunct teaching isn't a path to wealth and it certainly isn’t a ‘get rich quick’ sceme. The compensation is modest (at best) from a time in POV, and you'll likely be lower in the course selection hierarchy than PhD candidates. But that's not why most of us do it. The real rewards come from shaping the next generation of professionals, giving back to your field, and perhaps improving the very program you once went through. For me, it was about bringing real-world marketing research experience back to ODU's classrooms and going beyond the textbook.

Know your WHY

You've probably heard "find your why" so many times it sounds cliché, but with teaching, it truly matters. Here's my story: Every spring, Facebook memories remind me that I once deeply disliked the very course that shaped my career path. Ironic, right? This experience actually fuels my teaching today – I understand exactly where some of my students are coming from.

The marketing research industry presents unique challenges for education. Unlike accounting or sales, there's no standardized pathway or national network of student clubs for aspiring researchers. There’s a very select few number of graduate level marketing research degree programs (and MBA won’t get you the same practitioner exposure for this industry.) The field is often conflated with general marketing, and whether you're pursuing qualitative or quantitative methods, certification and experience requirements vary widely. While this flexibility is part of what makes our industry dynamic, it can make it harder for students to find their footing.

My driving motivation for teaching was to spotlight our marketing research community and create clearer pathways for students. But here's the reality check: I wasn't immediately assigned research classes. Department needs and course availability meant starting with other marketing courses first. Your "why" needs to be strong enough to sustain you through these early stages, where you might not get to teach your dream courses right away.

The Long Game of Landing a Position

Here's something I wish I'd known earlier: securing an adjunct position requires patience and strategy. I submitted my resume in 2016/2017 but didn't get the call until 2020 when the pandemic created new opportunities for remote teaching. Department needs fluctuate, chairs change, and timing matters. While waiting, be proactive: stay connected with your alma mater, build relationships with department faculty, and keep your CV updated.

When building your academic network, focus on connecting with department chairs responsible for your preferred course load. In my case, I knew ODU's marketing research class was housed in their business school within the marketing arm, which helped target my outreach. Universities typically maintain extensive lists of interested adjuncts, and while the waiting game can be long, the actual onboarding process can happen at lightning speed.

Also - you may not be hired to teach the exact courses you want initially. For me? The school had a teacher shortage and needed to fill a multinational research course (which I qualified for to teach with my global research project management experience). I taught both a 400-level (junior/senior) and a 300-level (mostly sophomores) marketing classes before there was finally room to add me to the marketing research roster. Sometimes you have to put in your dues on other topics before you get to the one you really want.

Here's the plot twist: When I finally got the call in November 2020, I had less than two months to prepare for the January 2021 semester. Even more challenging? Formal university onboarding happened just two weeks before classes began, meaning no early access to systems or processes. You have to be ready to jump in with both feet and go from zero to teaching at full speed. It's like directing your first play while still memorizing the script - but if you're passionate about teaching, you'll find your rhythm.

From Researcher to Teacher: A Natural Evolution

The transition from conducting qualitative research to teaching was surprisingly smooth, especially from a moderator's perspective. Think about it: managing focus groups and facilitating classroom discussions draw from the same skill set. Both roles require carefully crafted guides and agendas, skillful conversation management, the ability to draw out insights, and sustained engagement. The main difference? Your participants are now students, and your goal is guiding them toward learning objectives rather than research findings.

What makes teaching unique is the rhythm of it all. Each class period brings new topics, requiring you to master not just your content but also its delivery. With undergraduate students encountering concepts for the first time, you need to thoughtfully scaffold their learning experience. What seems like basic knowledge to you might actually be several conceptual steps ahead of where your students are starting.

Here's a crucial insight: you can't expect students to articulate what they don't yet understand – and it's unfair to ask them to do so. Instead, take a step back and reflect on your own journey. What did you actually know as an entry-level worker versus what you know now? This perspective helps bridge the gap between expert knowledge and beginner understanding.

Whether you're teaching a quick 45-minute session or a three-hour deep dive, your qualitative research skills prove invaluable. The ability to read a room, adjust on the fly, and guide discussions toward meaningful outcomes transfers beautifully to the classroom. While my experience comes from qualitative research, I'm confident these parallels exist across other research disciplines as well.

The Great Expectation Reset

My biggest "aha moment" came early: undergraduate students are not junior employees. Coming from managing interns in marketing research, I had to significantly recalibrate my expectations. Each course level brings different student experiences and capabilities. A marketing research student might be touching SPSS (or even Excel!) for the first time, while a multinational marketing student might already have international business experience.

Understanding your students' starting point is crucial for effective teaching, and this baseline can shift dramatically from semester to semester. While the first few terms require constant adjustment, patterns eventually emerge. I've learned to poll my students at the beginning of each semester and adapt my curriculum accordingly. For example, this semester most of my students are 18-24 with minimal work experience, whereas last year's cohort in the same course consisted primarily of working professionals returning to education.

A particularly eye-opening realization involved digital literacy. Despite teaching a generation of "digital natives," I discovered that technological fluency doesn't necessarily translate to problem-solving skills. Unlike Gen X and Millennials who grew up troubleshooting temperamental technology, many current students simply stop working when they encounter technical issues like a broken link. They're accustomed to seamless digital experiences, notifications, reminders, and constant communication.

This presents unique challenges in the classroom, especially during three-hour lectures. While these students are incredibly adept at consuming digital content, maintaining engagement during longer academic sessions requires different strategies than I initially assumed. I had to unlearn my assumption that growing up with technology automatically meant greater digital resilience.

The Technical Learning Curve

Creating a syllabus from scratch can feel like reinventing the wheel – don't. Lean heavily on departmental resources and colleagues' experiences. Modern learning management systems, online testing tools, and grading platforms can streamline the administrative side of teaching. Start with existing frameworks and adapt them to your teaching style and course objectives.

But the technical aspects go beyond just course content. You need to align with your department and university on crucial policy language – everything from honor codes to plagiarism policies, from technical support resources to disability accommodations. Even something as seemingly straightforward as your course description needs to match the official course catalogue exactly.

The reality is that many adjuncts are thrust into teaching with minimal formal training. The onboarding process can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded, with new systems, policies, and procedures coming at you from all directions. My advice? Actively seek out a mentor or buddy within your department. Don't hesitate to ask questions or request help – your success as an instructor directly impacts your students' learning experience. When teachers struggle silently, it's ultimately the students who bear the cost.The Grading Challenge

In the corporate world, giving feedback is straightforward: "This needs improvement" or "Great job!" But in academia, you need to quantify that feedback into precise grades. Creating clear rubrics, maintaining consistency across students, and explaining your grading rationale requires careful thought and planning. I've learned to be transparent about my evaluation methods from day one, especially for group projects where peer evaluations play a crucial role.

Bringing the Real World Into the Classroom

One of the most valuable things you can offer as an industry professional is your network. Guest speakers from your professional circle can transform theoretical concepts into tangible realities. When a practicing market researcher explains how they use conjoint analysis in real projects, suddenly those textbook chapters come alive. Don't underestimate the impact of bringing industry voices into your classroom.

But there's a deeper lesson to be taught here beyond the content itself: professional gratitude and courtesy. I've implemented a practice of using Kudoboards for students to thank guest speakers. This serves multiple purposes: it teaches students that digital gratitude is alive and well in corporate settings, demonstrates the importance of acknowledging others' time and contributions, and shows them how to express appreciation professionally, even in small ways.

The impact? Guest speakers consistently tell me how much they value receiving their personalized Kudoboards after class. This simple practice not only makes them more likely to return for future classes but also gives students a practical lesson in professional relationship building. It's a perfect example of how teaching extends beyond course material to include valuable workplace soft skills.

Final Thoughts

Becoming an adjunct professor has been one of the most challenging and rewarding developments in my career. While the learning curve was steep and the compensation modest, the opportunity to shape future marketing professionals makes it worthwhile. If you're considering this path, start building those academic connections now, prepare for a potentially long wait, and remember that your industry experience is a valuable asset in the classroom.

Most importantly, approach teaching with humility and flexibility. Your expertise in the field is just the beginning – becoming an effective educator is a continuous journey of learning and adaptation. But when you see students grasp complex concepts and apply them successfully, you'll know why so many of us choose this path despite the challenges. You are not the first person to be interested in adjuncting, and with a little searching I’m sure you can build a network. If you are a researcher looking into adjunct options - let’s connect and I can point to resources and support to help get you started.