Career Corner
In this blog, members of the American Association for Employment in Education, a professional organization for college career-center directors and school district recruiters, provided career advice and discuss developments in the education job market. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: career advice and job huntjob hunt.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Hope and Help for the Disheartened
I apologize for this blog being offline for a few weeks. We were having some volunteer scheduling problems but are now back on track and eager to be of assistance!!
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Five Key Aspects to Finding a Teaching Position with Confidence and Competence!
Since I started working as a Career Counselor with student teachers three years ago, I knew I was in my element. As I began developing specific programming to help student teachers prepare for their first teaching position, it occurred to me that finding a teaching position can be competitive and for some student teachers a rude awaking once it comes time to start their job search. So what can students do to be better prepared and approach their job search with confidence and competence?
Teaching Profession
Opinion
No Teaching Job for 2009-2010? Still Stay Involved in Education
If you are facing the prospect of not being employed as a full-time teacher this fall, you should consider what alternatives you have to stay involved in education throughout the 2009-2010 academic year to improve your chances of landing a teaching job in the future.
Job Hunting Tips & Advice
Opinion
PORTFOLIOS IN THE JOB SEARCH: Busy Work or Competitive Edge?
While a resume and cover letter are non-negotiable documents in the application process, a portfolio is an optional piece. Rarely will an employer request a portfolio, either in the initial screening or at the interview. So, if employers don’t request portfolios, why prepare one? Based on feedback from recent graduates and employers, here are some reasons to consider:
Job Hunting Tips & Advice
Opinion
Virtual Job Fair Advantages and Tips
What may once have been an exciting indicator of a new technological era, the virtual job fairs of today have taken a more meaningful role in recruiting and employing qualified teachers. With current school budget cuts reducing the number of available positions and recruitment monies, virtual job fairs may be a more viable option for both employers and candidates. For candidates, virtual job fairs provide an opportunity to view and apply for positions all in one, on-line location, even from the comfort of their own home computers. For employers, virtual fairs are more economical, permitting school districts to post vacancies without the added travel expense to live events. Posting vacancies in online events is also much cheaper than the cost of placing ads in newspaper classifieds.
Job Hunting Tips & Advice
Opinion
Don’t Give Up! How to Make the Most of Your Summer Job Search
The lazy days of summer are upon us, but if you’re still searching for a teaching position for the fall, these summer days are probably filled with anxiety and fear. It’s not too late to find a fall job, so don’t give up! Below are a few summer job-search strategies:
Federal
Opinion
Learning and Growing through International Teaching
As an educator, I find it imperative and a sense of duty to the profession, to engage in constant professional development, educational growth, and personal learning. Life-long learning, after all, is what being a teacher is about. International teaching, with its built-in structure of constant professional development combined with working in a culture and society far removed from our own, opens new horizons with endless opportunities for expanding our minds.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
The Coming Tsunami in Hiring Teachers
The national newspaper USA Today recently ran an article about the coming tsunami in hiring teachers. I thought this was an interesting article since we are in the middle of a sharp downturn in the economy and there are layoffs in education. Many districts are cutting staff and laying off teachers, so how could this article be correct?
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Does the law of supply and demand apply to teachers?
Does the law of supply and demand apply to teachers? The reason I ask this question is because we have a shortage of math, science, and special education teachers. Will schools eventually join the free enterprise system and reward teachers in these high demand areas with commensurate salaries from the non-teaching world? Recently I have seen signing bonuses for student teachers graduating in these fields. Will these bonuses continue for the career of the teacher?
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Are Teachers Hired by Personality?
A few years ago I attended an AAEE (American Association for Employment in Education) national conference. The conference attendees were abuzz over a statement made by a recruiter. The statement was in essence that a teacher is hired because of his or her personality.
Professional Development
Opinion
Helping Students Prepare for a Teaching Career
A few years ago a student came into my office to discuss his teaching career. He said, “I just finished student teaching. I graduate in two months and I hate teaching. What do I do now?” I was stunned. How did this student get so far in his education without getting experience in the classroom to find out if he would be a good teacher? Was his teacher preparation program so rigid about his in-class studies that they missed the most important part of his education, real time in the public school classroom? How could the teacher education program better prepare this young man for the shock of having his own class?
Teaching Profession
Opinion
“I’m Older and I know They Won’t like Me”
I wish that I had a nickel for every time that I have heard these words spoken by a non-traditional age college student as we begin a job search discussion. Education majors seem to be worse than others. Maybe that is due to the fact that the students in our PK-12 system typically range from ages 4-19 and the logical assumption that follows is that the farther from these ages you are, the less effective you will be relating to young students. Some people will even go so far as to assume that “older” teaching candidates may lack the energy to “keep up” with their students and the fast pace of a school environment.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
To Be or Not To Be: Will Teacher Tenure Exist in Your Future?
I am fairly certain that most prospective teachers and even many first-year educators do not spend much time pondering the topic of tenure. Indeed, aside from possible mention in the introductory courses in education I would daresay tenure is considered germane to the actual training of teachers. I don’t think much about the topic, either, until I come across articles about its eminent demise. These articles appear to be occurring more and more frequently which is why all prospective and current teachers should increase their awareness and knowledge of tenure policies and laws. Whether or not you agree with the principles of tenure, you need to understand the history, as well as the current arguments, in order to know your present situation and speak intelligently on the topic.
Job Hunting Tips & Advice
Opinion
Can't Get a Teaching Job? Can You Speak the Language?
I really enjoy the opportunity to interact with prospective students at our Admissions functions. One such encounter occurred last Saturday when I spoke with a high school senior (and her parents) who is planning to become an elementary school teacher. Since these chance encounters do not allow time for a deep exploration of the prospective student’s reasons for their choice of majors and careers, I just assumed that her motives were well-analyzed, her chosen field was well-researched and elementary education is an appropriate fit. I then moved quickly to making my points about future marketability in this arena.