Crafting a Winning Resume & Interview Techniques for Job Seekers

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 PreparingThe 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 Together Everyone Achieves More

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 Loertscher Teacher Librarian February 2010

Crafting a Winning Resume & Interview Techniques for Job Seekers