Preparation for the 25th Annual “Mid-America” Educators’ Job Fair Featuring: Dr. Dawn Green, Unit 5 District and Dan Thorse, Plainfield District 202 _______________________________________ ISU CAREER CENTER, 185 SSB

The “Talent Scouts” are Coming! 100 -110 (?) school districts/agencies  in response to almost 3000 e-invitations!! (20% from out-of-state -- Sunbelt especially) will visit on Tuesday, March 2, from 9:30 – 3:00 in BSC Ballroom “Mid-America” week, incl. NIU, EIU, U of I, & NEIU Footnote: on 3/1/10  NIU (9-2); non-NIU (11-2 only!)

Who Are the Recruiters?? Wide variety of individuals and roles … Asst. Supt./HR Recruiters; Dept. Chairs; + reps from some non-profits, special schools. (Many are ISU Alums) And WHY do they visit?? To find top candidates for open/expected positions (for August ’10 and beyond) and to create greater awareness of future opportunities at their schools -- some growth/more retirements coming? This is why Juniors might consider attending too!

Who Are the Candidates? Primarily ISU Seniors ALSO: ISU grad students, alums Seniors, alums from other universities Some “precocious” ISU underclassmen … up to 800 participants!

Job Fair Savvy Begins With: Researching The Districts Career Center website: www.CareerCenter.ilstu.edu check “Upcoming events” then link to list of schools registered (as of 2/17: 99) + anticipated openings, with URLs. “Floor plan” will be posted later in Feb!

Note the Details! Check “Vacancies” list for certification areas in which the districts are most interested; some don’t know & some are quite specific. < HR: how is 2010 different from ‘09?? > Ans: IL legislature isn’t providing the $$ as in years past!! Note that “Vacancies” are preliminary needs and may change before the Fair or afterwards. Even if your major is not listed, plan to talk w/ district reps on your “A” list about future openings, subbing possibilities, curriculum, etc.

Action Plan For Your “A” List of Districts … in advance of the Fair:  Review district HR or “Employment” page  Learn how to apply; then Do So if you are “ready” … Questions about the process? ASK AT THE FAIR !  ALSO, review district “Report Card”.

Anticipate in Advance Check in at Brown Ballroom swipe ISU ID card, take name badge (including major), and roster of schools; badge placed on right lapel (or further right), approx. 4” below shoulder; Use your time at the fair well -- give yourself some time to initially scout out employers (mostly “alpha” order), then make the rounds; Do Not “travel in packs” w/ friends -- be independent as much as possible; do not pick up goodies/giveaways from each table!! And mind/mute your cell phone!

“Strategizing” Likely should visit your “1st Choice” school after visiting # 3 and/or # 4 first! That is, get comfortable approaching and conversing with other recruiters first … Then talk w/ #1 and #2; next: explore possibilities elsewhere, depending on your geographic “comfort zone” or preference.

What to Wear … and NOT Dress Up … Appropriately Not too casual or too “flashy”  ISSUE: to suit or not? “Conservative and Professional” sends right message -- no matter what reps wear Personal “sparkle” w/ positive attitude trumps a dressy “bling” thing HR: memorable “hits” / “misses” ??

Plan to… Bring “more-than-enough” resumes on good quality paper … and have them handy in a briefcase or nice portfolio. Bring a datebook/calendar, plus notepad for your questions & to record impressions; possibly “Progress Report” too. Teaching Portfolio? Better for follow-up interviews; few reps (w/ rare exceptions) will have time to browse one at a Fair.

Keys to an Effective Resume C.H.I.P. – Concise (1 or 2 pages), Honest (just the facts), Impressive (15-20 second scan -- must look well organized); Professional (must be accurate -- NO typos) Remember -- it should address the needs of the “marketplace”, so make note of cert. + endorsement(s), related experience (+ co-curricular interests/talents?)

OBJECTIVE … to the point, succinct “To obtain a primary teaching position utilizing my exceptional planning, ______, and ________ skills. “ “A middle school teaching position; also interested in coaching soccer or track.” OR, omit objective & simply allow your degree + endorsement(s) + certificate(s) to address your target! NOT: “helping students reach full potential” … nothing unique about that!

EDUCATION … most recent degree 1st Illinois State University, Normal, IL B.S. in Elementary Education, May 2010 Endorsements: Language Arts, Science, Math Overall GPA: 3.0/4.0; Major GPA: 3.2/4.0 Any Community College, Anytown, IL Associate of Science, Dec. 2007 General Studies; GPA: 3.0/4.0 * Do you list HS Diploma?? Usually not.

Other Likely Headings Student Teaching, then work back thru Clinicals or Field Experiences (could be separate or all together if not too long) “Related” Experience could involve part-time or summer jobs, coaching and/or volunteer experiences with children/teens “Additional” Experience – could be some/all other jobs, exclusive of “teaching-related" (noted in reverse chronology)

A Few More … Memberships – great way to show professional involvement, even leadership skills Activities or Community Service (same as above) Awards or Honors – a short list could be in “Education” instead References – helpful to name names w/ phone #s (+ email) at bottom of page or on an additional page; OK if this is the only “data” on page 2!

More Specifics Review your resume before the fair … be able to tell concise “stories” about your training, student teaching, special skills, and qualifications, plus any “related” jobs/volunteering. Further, prepare a brief introduction, summarizing your background, certification and preferred position(s), perhaps info that’s NOT on your resume, i.e., are you from family of educators? Watch those ahead of you in line for an indication of WHEN the recruiter “wants the resume”; it will be obvious if they are doing sit-down interviews! When in doubt, SMILE; be direct, positive.

Conversation Preparation Practice - Practice … in advance; “Fair” Q & A, w/ limited time, tends to relate just to your qualifications/background and how this might directly connect with opportunities in the district or agency; But, sit-down mini-interviews are somewhat more formal. Remember that “voice quality” counts, esp. in the midst of many other adjacent conversations. Project effectively, confidently! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HR: More specifics about fair interviews: purpose is to get a basic sense of how important a candidate feels it is to have a student- focused classroom approach

More Basic Questions “Tell me about yourself” / 30-sec. “elevator” intro! Why did you choose _________ as a major? Why interested in teaching or our district? How do you motivate students/ monitor learning/ organize/ budget time, etc.? How will you contribute to our students’ learning & achievement ? Generally – How do you plan & work the daily or weekly agenda? and – How do you deal with “unexpected stuff”?  interruptions, extra tasks, ETC.

Hypothetical Questions, or “What would you do if ….?”  focus on how you might deal with surprises, disruptions, situations out of the ordinary. Rely on a “best practices” type of response, because you won’t have been in some of those situations yet!!

What About YOUR Questions? “Do you have any questions for me?” often signals closing stage of interview. Possible Issues:  “Coaching” & evaluation of new teachers;  Innovative programs or instruction in district;  Likely timeframe of the selection process;  Maybe extracurriculars ?? Others?

Out-of-State Issues If distant relocation is necessary: Can the district assist? If so, how?? $$ for moving, apartment finding help? Signing bonus for certain fields? Q: Should you accept an on-the-spot offer? (it depends!) Should you go to job fairs in other states? (yes, if feasible and you are very place-focused!) Tip: consult website of a large teacher ed. university in/near desired location; check job fair info and/or email an advisor in that office for more local “market” details.

Your Questions Do Count Your Fair questions can demonstrate you have done some “research”, know your field, and can convey interest … whether formally interviewed or NOT! Pre-student teachers -- you may not get as much “talk time”, but: find out about likelihood of future openings in your field, + “Do district subs often get hired?” + “Are there ISU alums in the district” (and how might you connect w/ them)? LinkedIN ?

Wrap-up, Follow-Up Ask recruiters what the next steps will be and how should candidates follow-up after the fair (when you use e-mail, be appropriately formal) … you’ll likely be steered to online applications. Ask for recruiter’s business card (and/or printed materials), shake hands, and thank them for their time … don’t unnecessarily extend your conversation if others are behind you in line!! Take time afterwards to reflect on your fair contacts: write down key impressions (perhaps evaluate the district’s potential for you on 1-10 scale)

For positions of greatest interest: Send thank-you messages, letters within 1-2 days (e-mail usually OK!) Remind each individual that you met them at ISU (or another) fair, and reiterate your interest Include any other documents they may have requested (transcript copies, etc.) – understand that MANY won’t want paper, just electronic documents! They will understand if you don’t have all docs YET!

Reminders: Check your voice mail message for “appropriateness” (same for your e-mail address!) and … oh yes … Make MySpace/Facebook pages PRIVATE! Beware “digital dirt” !

The End! Remember to respond to a brief Evaluation Questionnaire we’ll send soon after the Fair in order to provide feedback for CC Staff; Whether exhausted OR invigorated by the experience, learn from your successes (or mistakes) for the next time you mix it up with school recruiters! ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ QUESTIONS you didn’t get to ask?? More specifics about candidate or district “follow-up”; in-district interviews??