[amacrae]

Shaun,

Great topic. I've been teaching (adjunct) for almost ten years now at a community college in upstate NY, and while I still love it, I have to be frank: it's hard as hell to get a full-time teaching position with just an M.A., and sometimes I feel like giving up. Sure, if I had a spouse to provide financial support and benefits, teaching as an adjunct would be a great gig! But financially, I'm hurting. I started teaching with just a B.A. at age 22 and completed my M.A. several years ago (I'm your age). While I have no regrets about doing the M.A. (I had some great profs at the state university where I went), I do wish I were more marketable. But, then, from what I'm hearing it's nearly impossible to get a full-time job even if you have your doctorate (obviously this varies a bit depending on geographic location--upstate NY is the absolute PITS!). I guess my main point is this: it's hell out there, but if you love helping fragile students, you'll find work. You may have to eat rice and beans, though. It's a labor of love, to be sure. Best of luck, my friend.

P.S. By the way, in case you didn't know this already, the market is so flooded with Ph.D.'s that community colleges are having a field day with candidates who are sporting four-year school credentials. The applicant pool is huge: over 200 applicants applied for one position at my school last year, and they ended up hiring a young guy with his Ph.D. (who quit three weeks into the semester, I should note). Obviously, part of this is due to my particular location; with Cornell and Ithaca College nearby, we have a high concentration of qualified individuals.