School Musings & Announcements
From Tracey Godon, Assistant Director, UNI Career Services, 102 Gilchrist
Welcome to the 2009-2010 academic year. I look forward to working with all PK-12 teaching majors, counselors and administrators again this year. Congratulations on your decision to enter the field of education, a career that will allow you to touch many lives.
"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." -Albert Einstein
Please remember that UNI Career Services is here to assist you with any questions related to your job search. Be sure to review the links on the Services for Educators section of our web site for the many resources and services we provide to educators.
The School Musings & Announcements page is a section of our web site that I will be utilizing to update you each semester on Career Services' activities and other announcements as needed. This page will also provide you with opinions from K-12 school hiring officials, which I hope you will find especially useful as you begin your job search.
Fall Semester Announcements/Career Services
Student Teaching Round-Up - Student Teaching Resumes due September 28
All students submitting paperwork for their student teaching placement are required to submit a resume as part of the paperwork.
Career Services is pleased to critique this resume for you. To set-up an appointment with a Peer Advisor or Tracey Godon, please phone
273-6857. Because many administrators will view this resume, it is important that you present a polished document.
Student Teaching Interview Day for May graduates- September 11
Tracey Godon will be at the Career Services' table on this day to distribute Job Search Handbooks and other career resource materials.
December graduates will receive these materials directly from their student teaching supervisors. May graduates should stop by the
Career Services' table at the interview day to pick-up these materials. Career Services is pleased to provide you with this helpful
guide to assist you in your job search.
ICN and classroom presentations
Each semester, Tracey Godon spends many hours in classrooms across campus at the invitation of faculty. During these presentations,
Tracey covers all of the unique aspects of the job search for educators. Tracey will also be presenting via the ICN to all those student
teaching in Iowa in the fall semester. This ICN presentation is scheduled for October 27.
Education Majors - Are You Career Ready? November 4, 4:30-5:30pm, Maucker Ballroom A.
Come and hear directly from school hiring officials about career development, preparing for your professional life, and the job search process for educators!
School district representatives will be from: Linn Mar Schools, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools, Waverly-Shell Rock Schools, Dike-New Hartford Schools, and Independence Schools.
Mock Interviews/Individual Appointments
Career Services is always available to assist you with any aspect of your job search including job search strategies, cover letters,
resumes, credentials, application procedures and interviewing. You may schedule an individual appointment to meet with Tracey Godon,
or feel free to contact her by email or phone if more convenient.
Presentations to Student Organizations
If you are involved in an on-campus student organization and would like our office to visit with your group about Career Services,
please contact Tracey Godon.
Recruiting Events for Educators
UNI Career Services will host two recruiting fairs in the spring:
UNI Overseas Recruiting Fair XXXIV, February 5-7, 2010
Registration deadline is January 15, 2010.
We are proud to play host to the oldest international teaching fair in the world, and we would be pleased to share our expertise on
international teaching with you. Please feel free to contact Tracey Godon, director of the UNI Overseas Placement Service, with any
questions you may about this service. Over 120 American international schools are expected at this event.
UNI Teacher Fair, March 27, 2010
Don't miss this opportunity to connect with 70+ school districts from across the United States. This is an incredible opportunity
to meet and interview with prospective employers!
Advice from School Districts (new information will be posted here periodically)
The following questions were asked of those inolved in hiring UNI teaching graduates each year:
What is the biggest piece of advice you can give to underclassmen as they prepare to enter the job search in 2-3 years?
"The biggest piece of advice I'd give to new underclassmen for job searching is to focus on math, science, and technology (both computers as well as industrial tech). That is always a need area and will become more of a need area going forward. Graduates with those endorsements will be able to write their own ticket. For grads with less scarce certifications, a proven ability to use cutting edge technology to impact student achievement will set them apart from the crowd. Any Spanish/ESL ability is also highly sought after in our district."
"Stay current on best practice, as it continually changes. Become students of the Iowa State Teaching Standards. Find as many practicum opportunities as possible to get in a classroom."
"Take full advantage of every practicum/teaching opportunity you can find and make the most of it. Don't just sit or stand by and watch. Get involved."
"Technology is key in today's workforce. Additional endorsements such as reading, early childhood, Spanish and diverse backgrounds / experience can make a candidate stand out - especially in the elementary realm. Math, science and special education are in short supply so those students going into these areas will basically have their pick of jobs."
What is the biggest mistake that new applicants make on their resumes or cover letters?
"Wrong name, poor grammar, misspelled words, too long."
"Typos and sending letters addressed to the wrong person or district."
"One big mistake is misspellings and poor grammar on application materials. Also, anything vague or "see resume" when referring to an application indicates (right or wrong) the applicant doesn't want to put the effort into the entire process."
What are some of the key things you are looking for during the interview process?
"During the interview 2 important factors are how the applicant is dressed and how well they answer the questions. A big plus when answering questions is when applicants can refer back to specific examples in their own experiences to illustrate how they would deal with a certain situation."
"Passion for teaching. Experience working with a diverse student population. Content knowledge. Examples of teaching pedagogy."
"We use a character based initial screening that looks for positive, caring people with a passion for teaching children.
Also - when an applicant asks a question that is related to something they saw on our web site or references something from the
web site during the interview, we know they are interested in our school system."
"We look for competent, confident and team focused employees who are committed to achievement for ALL students and are willing to do what it takes to make learning meaningful."
Do you require new applicants to bring portfolios to an interview? If so, how do you use portfolios during the interview process?
"We do not require a portfolio, but it is a definite plus when an applicant brings one."
"No, not required but if they do bring one, only use them to document examples to answer specific questions."
"No, we do not require the portfolios be brought to the initial interview. If an applicant does bring it, the best approach is to be able to show something relevant to a question that is asked."
"Some principals like to see portfolios - what I recommend is that during the interview an applicant says "I did this..." and then refers to the portfolio if the interviewer wants to take a look."
Thank you to the school district officials from Muscatine Schools, Iowa City Schools, Des Moines Schools, and Linn Mar Schools who have shared their insights and opinions here. For more information or assistance: Tracey Godon, Assistant Director, UNI Career Services, 102 Gilchrist, 319-273-6857.
