James Madison University
Teacher Recruitment Fair 2008
Student Information
Resumes: Develop and refine a professional resume suitable for job searching. Candidates who are near Harrisonburg prior to the Teacher Recruitment Fair can have resumes reviewed by a member of the Career and Academic Planning staff. We have a number of walk in resume review dates set up prior to the Teacher Recruitment Fair.
Please see our calendar of events for walk-in resume review dates and times.
Other Materials: Candidates should also bring a copy of their teaching portfolio to the Teacher Recruitment Fair. Candidates with online portfolios should prepare a hardcopy of the material to show recruiters. The school representatives at the Teacher Recruitment Fair will not have access to a computer or the internet the day of the event so will not be able to view digital or live text portfolios.
Dressing for Success: The event should be treated as a formal business event. Men and women should plan to wear suits in neutral colors such as navy blue, black or grey. Men’s ties and women’s jewelry should be understated. Shoes and other accessories should be polished and understated as well. Though candidates will rarely wear suits in the classroom and some of the recruiters will not be wearing suits at the Teacher Recruitment Fair, candidates who wear proper business attire communicate respect for the process and the people they are meeting by dressing appropriately for the occasion.
What to expect at the Teacher Recruitment Fair
The fair potion of the event will begin promptly at 11 AM and end promptly at 12:30 PM . If you wish to interview with an organization in the afternoon you MUST attend the career fair in the morning to introduce yourself to school district representatives of interest and schedule afternoon interviews.
When you arrive there will be a “Candidate Registration Table” set up where you will receive a copy of a booklet containing information about the school districts present as well as a schedule sheet for keeping track of interviews as well as a blank name tag for filling in name and certification area. Remember the fair will run from 11am-12:30pm only, so maximize opportunities!
Some school districts are very popular with teaching candidates. As a result those “popular” employers will have long lines of candidates waiting to talk to them. Instead of standing in line visit other school districts of interests. Often candidates find the most intriguing opportunity come from a school district you may never have thought of working for.
Interviews will be conducted in the ballroom from 12:30 to 4pm . Candidates waiting to interview will be seated quietly in the ballroom where interviews will be conducted. Approach the interviewer’s table near the time of your scheduled interview so he/she will know you are there.
Setting up interviews: Each school district operates differently. Some school districts place a sign up sheet on their tables for any and all candidates to sign up. Other school districts will chat with potential candidates first before inviting them for interviews in the afternoon. All school representatives must conduct interviews in twenty minute increments. Many things will happen in the afternoon and some recruiters will begin to run behind. You may need to schedule in a 20 – 30 minute “cushion” just to assure availability for the next interview. If not then the time can be used to reflect on the previous interview and prepare for the next one.
Follow Up: Candidates should make sure they have all contact information for the individuals interviewing them in order to send thank you letters and inquire about the next steps in the process.
