Getting (and Keeping) the job

Basic Resume

• Work experience– Relevant to the position

• Education– High school– College– Advanced degrees – Certifications

• Skills

Tips to Keep in Mind While Preparing The Resume

• Be honest• Make it Readable– Ditch the job description– Combine paragraphs and bullets for effect

• Target Your Experience to your goal– Use Power words

• Prove your value– Emphasize your accomplishments– Provide proof of your value– Are you up to PAR?

• Problem Action Results

Tips for Education Resumes

• Show your “passion” for teaching– Share your teaching philosophy in your objectives

• Highlight your credentials/accomplishments– Prior success in job– Success in internship

• Keywords that are important in the profession– Teaching and learning, curriculum design, in-service

leadership, learner assessments, information technology, technology integration, guided inquiry, constructivism, etc.

Rounding out the Resume

• Honors and Awards• Testimonials– Excerpts from performance reviews or reference

letters• Publications• Workshops/Speaking engagements• Volunteerism• Professional affiliations

Interviews…do your homework

• Check the district/school web site• Research – Other employees– Employment history– Contract info• Salary guide is public

• Local newspapers– Current news article– Archived news articles

Interviews…Prepping• Basic Research

– Who is doing the interview– Where will it be held– Directions!!!– Try to get a job description

• Think up some stock answers– Use personal stories for examples

• Dress– Try on a few days before– Lay it out the night before

• Go to bed early!

Interviews…answers you need ready

Six Important Questions to ask yourself• Are you qualified?• Do you fit into the district?• Do you understand the vision, mission & goals?• Do you have the mind-set for the job?• How do you stack up against the competition?• Do you really want this job?

Interviews…what isn’t being said

Non-Verbal communication• The handshake• Your posture• Eye contact• Your hands• Don’t fidget

Interview Tips

• Be concise in your answers• Provide personal examples• Be honest• Keep your guard up• Ask great questions

Now that you have the job…What your employer values

– Willingness to learn– Commitment– Dependability– Self-motivation– Teamwork– Oral & written communication

• precise & brief– Cooperation and collaboration– Initiative– Punctuality– Self sufficiency in problem solving

Now that you have the job…

“You can see a lot by observing” -Yogi Berra

Now that you have the job…

Learn the culture of the “company”– Interactions between employees– Interactions between supervisory staff and

employees– Dress of employees– Formality of procedures– Value given to “opinions”– Work hours (contract vs. reality)

Now that you have the job…

“You can’t be a smart cookie if you have a crummy attitude.”

-Fred Chesky

Now that you have the job…

• Show your best side• Enthusiasm and eagerness• Loyal Team player• Respect for ALL coworkers and “clients”• Upbeat and friendly (natural smile)• Patience when viewpoints differ• Refrain from gossiping, complaining and back-stabbing

Managing your time

Organizational Skills

– Write things Down– To-Do List– Day Planner/Desk-top calendar– Legal Pad– Tickler File

Managing your time

• Create your personal filing system– Keep a monthly tickler file– Clean out files every January

• Organize your work area– Keep desktop clear– Avoid information overload• Sending as well as receiving

95% of papers filed for longer than one year are never looked at after they are filed.

Mistakes can, and will, happen

Do• Take Responsibility• Tell what happened• Apologize• Explain how you will fix it• Take corrective action• Evaluate what happened• Let it go…

Don’t• Blame others• Get defensive• Lie• Deny your responsibility• Make excuses• Obsess over the mistake

Handling Criticism• Take deep breaths to calm

down• Make eye contact…shows

you are receptive to the “suggestions”

• Listen carefully…it’s advice not an attack

• Analyze what is being said• Decide what to do• Deal with the issue

Stop! Drop! Roll!

Dealing with the Criticism• Mistake– Acknowledge and apologize

• Unfounded or untrue– Stay calm and explain. – Venting anger…excuse

yourself and walk away– Authority figure…stay very

calm, don’t argue, wait to be dismissed!

Accepting Responsibility

• Everyone has an obligation to answer for his/her actions

• If you make a mistake, take responsibility, don’t blame anyone else or act defensively

• Think of criticism as an opportunity for improvement and handle it professionally

• Be gracious, accept criticism and responsibility with poise, professionalism and confidence

Communicating effectively

• Visual people– I see what you mean. That looks good to me– Use a picture or graph for emphasis

• Auditory people– I hear what you mean. That sounds good to me.– Detailed explanations

• Kinesthetic people– I have a feeling… Let’s try to get a handle on it.– Hands on opportunities

Barriers to Communication

• Jumping to conclusions• Not listening• Rejecting any contradictory viewpoint• Interrupting• Tuning out• Intimidating others• Speaking down to others

Barriers to Communication

• Stifling differences• Reacting defensively• Being close-minded• Being judgmental• Reacting emotionally to what is said• Making assumptions• Arguing• Projecting your view onto others

Be a Team Player

TogetherEveryoneAchievesMore

Successful Teams

• Understand the goals and purpose of the team• Jointly define everyone’s roles and tasks• Respect all team members & seek everyone's input• Listen to what others say with an open mind• Contribute to the team effort• Accept responsibility for meeting the team goals• Recognize & compliment the accomplishments of all

Envisioning the future..

“As the second decade of the 21st century opens, every classroom teacher and adult learning specialist in the school (including teacher-librarians) is trying to answer the question of what needs to be taught to a generation of young people who face incredible global competition.”

-David LoertscherTeacher Librarian

February 2010