Preparing Your Self for Your
Next Career Position
Dr. Vincent
Coppola
Educational & Leadership Consultant-- Western New
York Educational Service Council
State University of New York at
Buffalo
Baldy
Hall
Buffalo, New York 14260
U.S.A.
PHASE 2--The Application and the Resume
(Note: See Phase 1 Taking Inventory in LESSON 5)
PHASE 2--The Application and the Resume
a. Request for Information
1. Request brochure or flyers listing qualifications and other
required documents ( transcripts, letters of reference etc. ) early
in the process. Scrambling at the last minute invites mistakes.
b. Application and Disclosure Form
1. I would safely quess that one third to one half of the
applicants do not follow instructions in terms of completing their
file with the requested documents. Following instructions is
essential. It only takes a few minutes and careful proofreading to
complete your application with perfection. You should not set
yourself up to be eliminated at the outset of the process because
of inaccuracies. Cardinal sin: Using district letterhead for
your cover letter.
c. The Application
1. Type--do not print or write --your responses ( however,most
application procedures are now on line).
2. Answer all the questions.
3. Have a third party review it for you.
4. Don't mail it along with other documents at the last minute.
Not complying with due dates could result in your not being
considered.
5. Do not falsify any information.
d. Cover letter
1. Four out of five cover letters are poorly written and do
more to eliminate than promote a candidate.
2. Most letters are either too short or too lengthy.
3. Single page preferred.
4. Do not reiterate all your work experiences that are listed
in your resume.
5. Heading on your cover letter should be the same as on your
resume. If documents get separated, the information needs to stand
alone if the employer or consultant needs to contact you.
6. First sentence: I am applying for the position of Assistant
Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction of
the___________________________ School District.
7. Do not use bullets, italics or underlining any where on the
page. Use one inch margins and a 12 point font.
8. Your cover letter should be short, clear and concise. I want
to learn as a consultant from the cover letter what a candidate did
not or could not express in a resume.
9. What will you say in your cover letter that will separate
you apart from other candidates?
10. In my searches for Superintendents, all Board members will
read the entire file of semi-finalists. Each will have an opinion
about it--some focus on what you said--others on how you state it
--while a few will be correcting the letter for grammar, spelling
and punctuation.
11. Close the letter with: " I look forward to the opportunity
to meet with you to further discuss my candidacy.
e. Resume
The Golden Rule of Resume Writing is that if you haven't
accomplished it, attended it, earned it, worked there, been there,
read it, created it or been a colleague, then don't mention it.
1. The media and adversaries love to find discrepancies.
2. Tell the truth--do not exaggerate anything you say on your
background check and to the scrutiny of the interviewer.
3. No standards as to what to include in a resume. However,
there are several categories to consider.
a. Name, home address, phone number, e-mail.
b. Educational background.
c. Full-time employment*
d. Part-time employment*
e. Certifications and licenses
f. Professional affiliations
g. Honors/awards
h. Selected accomplishments
i. Community service/clubs/organizations
j. Interests
k. References ( name, title, address, office and home phone
).
* When listing dates for employment, list month and year
started as well as month and year left,
4. In today's market, you are often competing against a large
number of candidates and your resume has to be good enough to make
it past the first screening.
a. Less is more. Your resume should read like a billboard,
not an encyclopedia. A good resume should leave a prospective
employer with a desire to know more.
b. The idea is to paint a big picture of who you are and
what you have to offer.
c. List accomplishments under each job title and/or
critical responsibilities. Don't list generic duties.
d. Remember the only benefit you can bring to the table is
your past performance. Be prepared to discuss that in greater
detail in an interview.
e. Don't waste words - vague phrases, anachronisms, or
confusing education jargon.
f. Words in your resume that employers like to see are:
TEAMWORK, FLEXIBILITY, DETAIL-ORIENTED, SELF-MOTIVATED.
5. Heading
a. Full name middle initial, home address including zip
code, work, cell, home phone and e-mail address.
6. Professional Experience
a. List current experience first and work background.
Provide accurate names of the districts and schools you worked in
for each listing.
b. Include part time work under Other Employment.
c. Avoid title inflation.
7. Educational Background
a. List degrees earned and full name of college or
university attended along with major field of study ( can list this
before work experience if you wish--no big deal ).
8. Certifcations and Licenses
a. List all certifications and licenses you possess ( no not
your driver's license ).
9. Professional Affliations
a. S.A.A.N.Y.S ( spell out ).
10. Selected Accomplishments
a. Grants
b. Implementation of new programs
c. Staff development initiatives
d. Student achievement
11. List Only Those You Are Actively Engaged In--Tell the Truth
a. Inetrview team may have similar interests and may
follow-up with questions in this area and you better be ready to
answer questions about those areas of interest.
12. References
a. My opinion only--Don't write " References on Request.
"
b. List references on separate sheet of paper so you can
continue to re-use your resume while changing your reference
list.
c. References should be current - last two to three
administrative and/or teaching positions.
d. Make sure titles, phone numbers are up - to - date.
e. Personal references are not as valuable as professional
references.
f. Letters from presidents of bargaining units can be
helpful since some focus group members and /or board members are
teachers in another district.
g. Four to six letters are sufficient--more than six is
overkill.
h. You can help the reference writers by sharing some
talking points to emphasize about your leadership abilities.
Specific examples of your leadership abilitiy rather than generic
descriptors are more useful.
13. Narrative or Platform
a. Statement of personal beliefs - core values - philosophy -
no more than 1 - 1/2 pages.
14. Entry Plan
a. Action you will take during the first six months on the
job.
Preparation for Your Next Career Position - Phase 2
Top Related Content
1 Comment
-
Shouldice said – Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:30:34 -0000 ( Link )
Well done. As a past member of the Commerce Career Development Centre at the UofT and participant on numerous hiring committees I certainly wish more people would follow these rules. Early in your lesson you mention the importance of simply following the directions for application. Not following directions I am sure has seen a number of good candidates not make it to an interview.
- Actions
Advertisement
- 190 Views
- 1 Comment
Related Content
-
Educational Leadership-The Important Books?
-
What are the Attributes and Skills of Effective Leaders?
-
Preparation for Your Next Career Position - Phase 1
-
Preparation for Your Next Career Position - Phase 3
-
Recommended New Book Publication
-
How Does Distance Education Work?
-
International Educational Leadership
-
Useful Educational Leadership Web Sites
Also Shared In…
This work is public domain.
Post Comments