Another Day, Another Job Fair

So today is the Job Fair for Local District 8, being held on Henry Clay Campus.

A large number of schools from that Local District are said to be arriving, taking resumes, and interviewing.  It will run from 3PM (our closing time) until about 6PM.  Many of our own staff are attending…although teachers with standing RIF notices are still, as Alanis Morisette says, “uninvited.”

I have to admit that I don’t know what to expect.  Yesterday was educational as to the format of the Job Fairs…but we are still a bit adrift about when offers might be made, or what the probability of an interview would be.  Yesterday, Team Kuppersmith was part of the small number of teachers interviewed.  Today, we’re not so sure.  Even if we do pull interviews…we know less about the schools.

I find myself envious of the teachers that seem to know other schools like the backs of their hands.

Also, today, there was a mild freak out session, as we discovered that Palms Middle School is not only interviewing a friend of the team from Muir, but also two Clay teachers.  Muir is a fabulous school…and I wish the best of luck to those people.  All of those interviews were the result of the teachers being “go getters” and cold calling.

Rendering the “job fair” aspect suspect.  Perhaps we should simply be sending out resumes cold, to “reach schools,” almost like reliving college application.

What is an Education Job Fair like, Mr. K?

Very good question.  I have never been to one before.

This one was “invitation only”, for Displaced Teachers (like Team Kuppersmith:  school being restructured in some way), with the new or restructuring schools only present.  So for instance, John Muir was restructured under PSC 2.0, and they were supposed to be there, hiring.

There were a few schools on the list that we were very interested in, so we RSVP’d, got our confirmation, and attended.

First thing:  it was scheduled from 1-6PM.  However, most school days go until about 3PM.

That’s a bit odd, but it was pointed out that some schools are “off track.”  In that case, those teachers could actually get to the one o’clock time, without having to cut class.

Anyway, we entered to an arcane check in procedure.  This was expected, as the check in at the Beaudry Building is always rather arcane.  The signage was ambiguous, but once deciphered, the process was relatively quick.  Then we proceeded to the 15th floor.

At floor 15, there was a second check in.  Really.  I am still not entirely sure why, but we received official stickers at that point, to put on our resumes.  These said the subject areas that you were qualified to teach by California’s Credentialing Commission.  Mine, predictably, said “English” in big, bold letters.

At that point, there were folders present on the wall…labeled with the name of the schools present.  Or not present, as the case may be.  Several had already left for the day, and John Muir never actually arrived.  A school we are really intereted in, by the way.  What you do, at that point, is put your resume with its sticker in the folders.  You can do this for as many, or as few, as you wish to.

After completing that task, teachers are invited to sit and wait in the “rotunda.”  That’s an outdoor area…the 15th floor has sort of an interior patio (the rotunda) with the walls of the Beaudry Building reaching the remaining floors (about thirty I think) revealing a triangle of sky way above you.  There you wait, until a school is interested in your resume.  Then your name is called, and you meet them.  An interview ensues.

Team Kuppersmith had interviews, and seemed to do well.  One school that we were very interested in showed a reciprocal interest.

Numerous people sat with us until the end, as schools left and so on…and numerous people were never called.  In fact, of the large number of teachers there…only a handful were called.  In many ways, it was pretty discouraging.

My interview was much more interesting, and more like a real interview, than the one that got me my job at Clay, 12 years ago.  I have to admit to being nervous.

I did wear a tie though.  A nice one, according to the Team.

Fingers crossed, people.

For those who have never done a District Job Fair…that’s what to expect.  Bring many resumes, and prodigious patience.

All for now, True Believers.