|
|
It is now time to begin preparing the materials
and planning the processes you will use to secure the job you desire.
The information below will assist you get to the nuts and bolts of the
job search itself. Topics are
WHAT'S OUT THERE?
While civilians usually make a decision about where they will work
based upon where the job takes them, there is a slight tendency for
people separating or retiring from the military to choose where they
will go based on considerations other than where the jobs might be.
Military personnel will often choose the location for retirement to
civilian life prior to exploring the job options. Even when this decision
is based on consultation with spouses and children, and may take you
“home” at last, it is important to realize that it does
put limitations on your personal options for employment as a teacher.
If you are married or have a partner, you will not be making these
decisions alone. You will have to consider certain family issues such
as location, work hours, life-style, and environment for this next relocation.
You must also consider your income needs, choice of schools for your
children, and your partner’s career. Each member of the family
who will be impacted by this transition should make a list of important
transition factors and prioritize the list by deciding which issue is
the most important to the least important. Next, show each other the
prioritized list and plan on setting aside some time for discussion.
It is quite likely that what you consider most important in this transition
is not the most important thing to your family members.
The first job market research that you will need to do includes scanning
school district web sites and talking to people working in the teaching
profession. Don’t forget to talk with the alumni networks at your
college or university to gather additional insight and information.
Your friends and neighbors may be an important source of advice. Information
gathering can dispel any misconceptions you may have about the field
of teaching. It can give you up-to-date insight into what the environment
will be like, what preparation you will need, what you would actually
be doing as a teacher or how quickly you could move into a particular
role within the teaching field. The way to combat misconceptions is
to talk to people who know and ask for advice. This Web site has an
outstanding resources for learning about teaching. Check out the information
contained under Preparing to Teach:Instructional
Components:Improving Knowledge for helpful suggestions.
An extremely helpful resource for learning about job vacancies and
alternative certification programs is the Web site for the National
Center for Alternative Certification.
Right now there are teacher shortages everywhere, but there are also
states and school districts that have proportionately greater needs
for teachers than other areas. Some school districts in certain states
or cities may have greater stability in their teaching staffs. One way
to see where the needs lie is to visit the Troops
to Teachers Web site. Be aware that focusing your target area more
broadly will give you more possible options and valuable information
about livability and cost of living issues that you can use to make
your decision.
Also check out state Department of Education Web sites if you have
some ideas of where you might locate. Use a search engine or go to the
state’s main home page (www. Name of State.gov; for example www.Nevada.gov)
and find the Department of Education from there. The U.S.
Department of Education Web site (www.ed.gov) is another place where
you’ll find a great deal of information.
Use your time well to explore Web sites that can tell you information
you will need to know to make an informed and intelligent decision about
your relocation. Information is added daily to sites and new sites are
created frequently, so use your search engine to help you get up-to-date
information.
NETWORKING . . . IT WORKS!
Networking is considered to be the most effective way to:
- gain information about your chosen field, including teaching.
- acquire job leads or names of people who may have job leads, and
- get the job.
Who belongs in your network?
- Just about anyone you know.
- Family
- Friends
- Co-workers
- Friends of family members
- Acquaintances
- Chance encounters
How do you build your network quickly?
- Brainstorm with your family to recall the names of all the people
you know.
- Put their names on index cards and try to get valid addresses,
telephone numbers, or emails for them.
- Send out a blast email to friends and family or revive the annual
holiday letter in which you state your intention to transition from
the military to the civilian workforce, specifically to teaching.
- State clearly some of the qualities that you have discovered about
yourself during your personal research and mention to your audience
that you would appreciate any help with leads, no matter how remote.
- Find that one or two people who have a lot of information about
various issues related to making the transition to teaching.
- Develop them as your mentors. Keep them informed of your search
and thank them when they assist you in any way.
- Talk with the teachers who work with your own children to enhance
your knowledge of the teaching field.
- Speak with teachers in the content area and/or grade level that
you hope to also teach in. They may be aware of new teaching techniques
and classroom issues that will be valuable information.
It is possible that your network may give you the one kernel of information
you need to tip the scales in your favor during an interview.
THE RESUME
A resume is an important tool in the process of transitioning to a
new civilian job, yet many people who have spent years in the military
have never tried to or needed to write a civilian resume. Many people
think of resumes as a chronology or “laundry list” of things
they used to do. While using the chronological style in a resume may
be the easiest type of resume to write, it may not be your most effective
style. Military transitioners may also have a difficult time understanding
how to explain and highlight the things they do the best in terms that
civilian employers can understand.
Here are some key concepts to consider if you want to write a powerful
and effective resume.
- A resume is a sales flyer and marketing tool, not an historical
document of what you used to do. Too many people list their past jobs
in inverse order but never give a hint of what they believe they do
the best or of what they have to offer to an employer.
- It is about YOU as an individual and creates a mental snapshot of
your skills and experiences. Too often people list their universal
or position-specific job descriptions without giving any hint of how
you did it differently on the job. Many resumes tend to be bare-bones
outlines of job responsibilities and duties, OR they are too lengthy,
too wordy, too much of a good thing. An effective resume should be
descriptive enough so that the reader can “see” you doing
the job while reading the resume.
- It focuses on actions that are recent and relevant. You may have
done many different jobs throughout your life, but it is important
to see the common thread of what you like doing the best and carry
that through the entire resume.
- It summarizes your accomplishments, not your duties and responsibilities.
An accomplishment is something that happened on the job because you
were there. It is a procedure that was simplified; it is a goal that
was reached. It can be an increase in efficiency, productivity, or
profitability. An accomplishment can be recognition received, or a
positive, specific result. It can be a time when you worked above
the expected standard, or produced a significant improvement. Accomplishments
are tied to numbers, percentages, and dollars.
- It documents the skills you enjoy using and want to use again.
Tips for writing resumes
Here are some tips that will help military personnel write an effective
resume focused upon getting that teaching job.
- Always start with a concise, focused job objective that states the
age group and subject matter you desire to teach.
- Identify 3 to 6 essential skills that you possess and that are required
as a teacher.
- For each essential skill or function, recall accomplishments where
you successfully used that skill either in a paying job or as a volunteer.
- Describe what you did in brief, lively accomplishment statements.
Start each statement with an action word, also called a transferable
skill word. Quantify and qualify that action to show depth and breadth
of experience. How did YOU do it in a unique way? Don’t highlight
tasks and roles you don’t want to repeat in future jobs.
- Arrange the accomplishment statements into categories that will
be either functionally (in skill groups that relate to the objective)
or chronologically (under each job title or period of time at one
job), keeping the resume crisp and focused. White space on the page
IS important.
- Top it off with a 4 to 5 line summary outlining your years of experience,
strengths, qualifications, and one outstanding accomplishment.
- Have a disinterested party proofread it. If possible, get feedback
from someone presently in the teaching field that you hope to enter.
INTERVIEWING
Most military personnel have had practice interviewing for their job
at one time or another. Whether it is interviewing before an NCO promotion
board, or interviewing for a coveted job on the command staff, you know
the importance of getting across the essential information about yourself
and the position you want. Most military personnel have received training
that gives them confidence in any face-to-face situation.
Prepare effectively for an interview using these five steps.
- Research the school, school district, and the interviewer, if possible.
- Be prepared to show how your subject expertise and prior military
experience will bring added value to your position as a teacher in
that school.
- Prepare questions to ask of the interviewer.
- Prepare answers to difficult questions.
- Practice aloud.
Here are some tips that help you plan for an interview in the civilian
workforce.
- Remember that anyone you come into contact with during the interview
process can affect the outcome. That means that the receptionist who
sets up the interview time is as important as the hiring authority.
That person may not have the power to hire you, but if you are rude
or dismissive to that person that information will be communicated
to the hiring authority. You can be “dead in the water”
even if you had an excellent interview with the principal.
- Plan to arrive about ten minutes early for the interview. Practicing
a dry run of getting to the office of the person who will be interviewing
you is a good idea. There will not be the numerous flags and signs
that might be used in identifying a unit on post. The principal’s
office may be hard to locate in a wing of the school and not easily
found.
- Your dress code for interviewing needs to be appropriate for the
job and environment. Dress in a style consistent with the type of
position for which you are applying; conservative dress is always
appropriate. Be sure your outfit is coordinated and shoes are polished.
Avoid any strong fragrances and keep jewelry to a minimum.
- For anyone who has been out of the civilian job market for some
time, knowing what items may be covered in an interview can be useful.
At the minimum these will include:
- An introduction of yourself and your background along with a
statement of the reason you are looking to make the transition
to teaching.
- You should inquire into the job duties and requirements.
- Answer questions positively.
- Ask questions you have prepared.
- Finish with a closing statement showing what you can bring
to the position.
- Mention a highlight that is unique in your background, and
a statement as to why you believe you should be hired.
- Using a sales approach can be helpful in any interview situation.
Briefly this would include:
- Exploring their needs first.
- Try to get the interviewer to talk a bit about their position,
especially the problems faced in the classroom.
- Accept the issues stated by the interviewer and respond with
positive suggestions. This helps him or her get a glimpse into
what it might be like to have you around for some years.
- Balance the interview by ensuring that there is a good dialogue
going on between you and the interviewer. No one person should
dominate.
- Inquire intelligently into the job, the environment within
the school, and the classroom management issues, which may be
a part of the culture. If you are too passive, you may fail the
interview for lack of initiative.
- Go for closure in the interview when you sense that time is
beginning to drag.
- Try to leave with some reason for further contact with your
interviewer.
- Debrief yourself after the interview.
- Keep a pad of paper in your car and prior to returning home
write down impressions and interactions you believe went positively
in the interview.
- Also remind yourself of any question or communication that made
you feel uncomfortable.
- Debriefing yourself after an interview is all about improving
in the next interview. It is also a way to avoid magnification
or minimization of your performance in the interview.
- Write appropriate thank you notes to all people who interviewed
you or who helped to secure the interview. This should be done within
twenty-four hours. It is also your chance to state something about
yourself that was not covered during the interview.
|
