Applying for work when you are nearing the end of your program is scary. You are in the midst of trying to do your own research, your dissertation, but well before that work is finished, you need to seek employment, and to learn present yourself to others. Here are a few things you need to know.
a. Employers' Recruitment Schedules
Different kinds of employers have different schedules for hiring new people.
Another important difference among these potential employers is that the amount of time they take to hire new people is very different. Most other employers use much tighter timelines for hiring. In fact, government and private employers don't normally advertise until they actually have a vacancy, and because they already have the vacancy, they are anxious to get it filled.
b. Looking for Job Opportunities
Regardless of which kind of employer you are interested in, you need to keep a close eye on the want ads. And you will need to read hard-copy newspaper ads, not Internet ads from those same newspapers, because the Internet versions are usually a couple of weeks behind their hard copy ads.
- Do some web research. Generate a list of organizations that might be of interest to you. Find out who is in charge of particular divisions that might be of interest to you.
- Read the products from these organizations. Read their policy documents and research reports.
- Pay attention to names. Learn who the people are who are running divisions, writing policy documents and writing research reports.
- Look for these people on the programs of conference meetings. If you find them presenting their work at a conference, make a point of attending their session and then introduce yourself to them after the session. Tell them you are interested in doing the kind of work they are doing, and ask them if they know of openings in their own institution or in other similar institutions.
- Try sending e-mail to some of the people whose work you have learned about. This need not be an explicit job request. Instead, ask them for more information about their work, for other publications, or for work in progress. Send them a paper you have written. The goal is to develop colleagues in this field. These colleagues will know of job openings not only in their own institutions but in others as well.
c. Building a Resume
The central document in a job application is your resume. Academic resumes look quite different from business resumes. Instead of listing your objectives and your skills, you want to focus on your education and your areas of expertise. The resume should follow an outline somewhat like this:
- A heading with your name and address
- A section listing your education background. List each degree you have, the major or area specialization, the year and the institution. Sometimes people add a line to this section giving the title of their dissertation.
- A section listing honors or recognitions, if relevant. If you have been designated teacher of the year, won the dissertation-of-the-year award or have been elected to office in a relevant professional association, this would be a good place to list these distinctions.
- A section listing relevant work experiences. No need to include all the moonlighting you've done. List your K-12 teaching experiences, graduate teaching experiences, and graduate research assistantships. Start with the most recent and go backward. For each job, list the title, dates you were there, and a sentence or two describing your particular duties.
- A section listing any papers you've presented at conferences or that you've published. This section is important. Sometimes new people in the field list papers that have been submitted, even if they haven't yet been accepted.
- A section listing references. List any faculty members, previous employers or others who have agreed in advance to write letters for you.
- If you'd like to see an example of an academic resume, my egomaniacal human caretaker has her resume on her web page. Use that one as a guide for format.
d. Writing a Cover Letter
Once you find a job advertisement or listing of some sort, you will want to send the prospective employer your resume and ask to be considered for their opening. Your resume will provide them with details about your qualifications. Your cover letter should show them the connection between your qualifications and their needs.
Sample Letter of Application.
NOTE: If you can't write a paragraph on at least half of things the employer is looking for, you probably shouldn't be applying for that job. Don't waste your own time or theirs if you really aren't closely matched to their needs. e. What Employers Look for
Employers are looking for evidence of whether you can do the work they need to have done. If you are applying for an academic position, they want evidence that you can teach, conduct research, and do service. If you are applying for a position in a company that provides professional development programs for teachers, they will want evidence that you can do that.
One thing all employers share is that they are more interested in your products than they are in your transcript and your GPA. Products offer the best evidence that you can produce other products. If you've taught a course, they assume you can teach another one. If you've published a paper, they assume you can publish another one. If you've mentored teachers in the field, they assume you can mentor other teachers. Make sure your resume lists all your work experiences and products that might be relevant to future employment.
©Mary Kennedy
Other Resources: Cover Letters for Job Application Job Application Sample Writing Job Workplace Writers
pacquiao vs marquez donaire vs narvaez cotto vs margarito st-pierre vs diaz Sports Tickets
Boxing Tickets Mares vs Agbeko Tickets Khan vs Peterson Tickets Ward vs Froch Tickets
UFC Tickets UFC: The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Tickets UFC 140: Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida Tickets Overeem vs Lesnar Tickets UFC 141 Tickets St-Pierre vs Diaz Tickets UFC 143 Tickets
WWE Tickets Wrestlemania XXVIII Tickets WWE Survivor Series Tickets WWE SmackDown Tickets
NFL Tickets Miami Dolphins Tickets Buffalo Bills Tickets New York Jets Tickets Dallas Cowboys Tickets New England Patriots Tickets
NHL Tickets Boston Bruins Tickets New York Rangers Tickets
NASCAR Tickets NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Ford 400 Tickets NASCAR Budweiser Shootout Tickets Nascar Camping World Truck Series: Nextera Energy Resources 250 Tickets Nascar Nationwide Series Race Tickets NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Daytona 500 Tickets Cotto vs Margarito Cotto vs Margarito Cotto vs Margarito Tickets Cotto vs Margarito Tickets
Cotto vs Margarito Tickets Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito Tickets Miguel Cotto Tickets Antonio Margarito Tickets
