Download - Ana Eliason, Career & Internship Specialist Strommen Career & Internship Center – Augsburg College
MN Education Job Fair
Ana Eliason, Career & Internship SpecialistStrommen Career & Internship Center – Augsburg College
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Agenda
• Steps to Prepare
• What to Expect at the Fair
• Follow up
• Questions?
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Why attend? Interview for opportunities for the upcoming school
year
Learn more information about districts you are interested in
Explore new school districts
Great opportunity to meet with multiple school districts and build connections
Practice your professional networking skills
Steps to Prepare
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Do your research! Review the list of registered school districts at:
o www.mcucsa.org/mnedfair/regDistrict/regDistricts.aspx o Search by state or by staffing need (elementary,
secondary, etc.)
Research your priority districtso Know their mission, students they serve, curriculumo Prepare educated questions for the district
representatives
Find out which districts are offering information sessions during the fair (not posted until closer to the fair):o www.mcucsa.org/mnedfair/coming.aspx
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Who will be there? 91 districts/organizations registered 50 interview spaces 3 presentation rooms
State/Country
Alaska 8Arizona 3California 1Colorado 2Georgia 1Iowa 2Illinois 3Kansas 2Maryland 2Minnesota 48North Carolina 1
North Dakota 1Nebraska 2South Carolina 1South Dakota 1Texas 1Virginia 1International
China 1Korea 1Mexico 1South Korea 2
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Work ahead Review the districts interviewing on site:
o www.mcucsa.org/mnedfair/regDistrict/districtInterviews.aspx
o Contact the district representative to pre-schedule an interview
o NOTE: Not all districts schedule in advance
Complete district applications prior to the fair and write to district representatives regarding your qualifications and that you will be attending the fair. o Remember many applications take several hours to
complete and may include essayso Allow plenty of time to complete these applications
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Update your resume Have your resume reviewed by a career
counselor
Emphasis on related teaching experience:o Education & Licensureo Student teaching & Related teaching experience
Use effective skills phraseso Action verb + Skill + Results
Important topics to cover: o Implementing your own lesson planso Working with different learning styles and diverse studentso Collaborating with parents and managing student behavioro Curriculum development
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Create an elevator speech
Elevator speech = 60 second introduction to who you are and what you are looking for professionally
Content is career-related, avoid personal information
Organize your speech in 3 parts:1. Who are you? / Where are you now?
o College, city/state, graduation date, major/minor, licensure
2. Where have you been?o Student teaching, related experience, volunteer, study abroad,
leadership, activities
3. Where are you going? / How can you be of assistance?o Your career objective, how you can meet the needs of the
district
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Prepare for interview questions
Practice commonly asked questions. Provide concrete, professional examples. Know what is important to the district.
Sample questionso Why did you choose this profession as a career?o Describe a lesson that went just as you wanted and why
it went well.o How have you incorporated mandated curriculum
standards into your lessons and units?o How have you differentiated your instruction to meet the
needs of all students?o Describe in detail your best and worst days in a
classroom.
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
STARS: situationT: taskA: actionR: result
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Dress Professional Dress to impress!
o Suito Dress pants/skirt &
blazero Button down collared
shirto Polished shoes
(something comfortable!)
o Neat & professional haircut
o Professional handbag
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Logistics
Arrive early and plan to spend the day at the fair. o 10:00am – 3:00pm o Interviews open till 5:00pm
Know where you are going: Minneapolis Convention Center
Plan ahead for parking and nearby lunch spotso Bring money for parking and
lunch
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Checklist Make sure you have everything you need to be successful Know where you are going (directions & parking)
Professional outfit
Multiple copes of your resume, printed on quality paper (you do not need a portfolio at this point)
Writing pad/folio to career resumes, extra paper, and a pen
List of your priority districts with notes gathered on each
At the Fair
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
When you arrive… Check in at the Augsburg College table to receive
your name tag and final district list/map.o You MUST have a nametag to enter the career fair
Create a strategy to visit the targeted districts. o Expect long lines and be strategic with your plano Before meeting with top districts practice approaching
others first
Use the student lounge for breaks and to stay organized
Break up your day with attending district presentations
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
What to expect Thousands of students…this is a competitive job
fair. o The wider your options, the more opportunities you will
haveo If possible, consider out-of-state districts
Some districts will only be hiring for specific licensure areaso Make sure you ask about your area early on in your
conversationo Remember opportunities could always come available
later, so networking is still very important
Long lines…be patient and strategic with you time
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Visiting Employer Booths
Review your district notes before approaching the table
Use a firm handshake, make eye contact, and smile
Deliver your elevator speech
Offer your resume and discuss opportunities in the districto NOTE: Some districts will have you apply online instead
Thank the representative for his/her time
Collect contact information from the district representative
After leaving the booth, take notes on your conversation to help with your thank you note
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Interviewing at the Job Fair
Interview slots fill up quickly Arrive early!
Interviews are short, only 20-30 minuteso Focus on the most relevant information, strengths, and
accomplishments
Be prepared with questions to ask the district representativeo Ask about the hiring timeline and processo Ask questions that demonstrate you researched the district
Schedule your interviews to allow time to reflect afterwardso What went well?o What do you wish you had said?o What questions do you still have?
Follow up
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Offers Don’t be discouraged if you are not offered a
position – many districts use the fair as an initial screening.
You will likely attend a second interview before receiving an offer for in-state and local districts. For out of state districts, your may be extended an offer that day.
If you do receive an offer don’t feel pressured to respond that day.o Let them know you would like some time to consider
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Follow up
Organize the materials you collected from the fair
Keep accurate records of all the contacts you meto Consider tracking: Representative name, school district,
contact information, available positions, notes on hiring process
Follow-up with thank you notes within 24-48 hours
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Recap for Success
Arrive at the fair early to secure interview slots
Complete your research and district applications in advance
Rehearse your elevator speech
Networking, networking, networking
Stretch you boundaries – explore new districts!
Ana Eliason Strommen Career & Internship Center Augsburg College 612.330.1148 [email protected]
Questions?