Teaching Resumes: Preparing for Future Employment

So you’re looking to become a teacher! You've got some great experience on your resume, but you're not sure how to format this into a TEACHING resume.

Teaching resumes are slightly different than the traditional resumes that you may be used to creating. Below is a list of differences that you should aware of when you begin constructing your document:

• Teaching resumes are generally 1-2 pages in length, including your references on the bottom. For those of you with a little more experience, if you go onto a third page with your teaching resume, that's usually okay.
• References should be individuals that have witnessed you working/volunteering in a teaching environment (i.e. principle, teacher, etc.). Unlike regular resumes, teaching resumes will always include your list of references. 
• Work and volunteering should be situated around teaching experiences. 
• Be specific about who you taught, what you taught (grade levels) and if you participated in any  extracurricular activities in your experiences.
• Key items that you want the employer to see first should go on the first half of the first page (i.e. teaching qualifications go here).
•  Does one of your references know the principal of the school you are applying to? Be sure to include them!

Stop by the Career Resource Centre in the Learning Commons to view our “Resume Samples for the Faculty of Education” binder. We have a small collection of teaching resumes that proved successful for the teaching candidates that used them.

Other Helpful Teaching Resources available in Career Services:

• 101 Career Alternatives for Teachers by Margaret M. Gisler
•  Education DEG: http://www.brocku.ca/webfm_send/13592
• Teaching Abroad Information
• Teaching College Binder + Handouts

 ___________________________________________________________________________

And remember to come by Career Services from Nov 12 – 16 (this week!) for International Education Week! Guess the answer to our world trivia question and enter our draw to win The Travel Book! 

See you soon!

- Ashley

Applying to Teacher's College

Deadlines are fast approaching for Teacher's College and many students are feeling the pressure. No need to worry though, if you get yourself organized with all the information you need to apply you're bound to make the application deadline - and Career Services is here to help!

Here are a few reminders for your application:

• To apply, go to the TEAS website at: www.ouac.on.ca/teas

• Be sure to do your research. Each of the 13 schools offering Teacher Education programs have different application requirements; For instance, some will require an experience profile that outlines your teaching-related experiences 

• Indicate which division (primary/junior, junior/intermediate, intermediate/senior) that you're applying to and make sure you meet the teachable requirements for your selection

• Be sure to request an academic transcript from your current institution as every application requires one

• Submit application to OUAC no later than December 3, 2012

Notes: try to submit your application as soon as possible because some institutions may require additional information

TEAS application fee and Faculty of Education supplementary fees are non-refundable and are due no later than December 10, 2012

Offers of admissions will be released to successful candidates starting April 2, 2013

  

If you require any extra support with your documents when applying, stop by the Career Resource Centre for assistance!

Good luck to all the future teachers out there!

- Lia  

Special thanks to Kylie, one of our Career Assistants, for help with this blog post! 

University, College, or Both?

If you're in post-secondary, you've heard it. If you're in high school you hate it. If you're in elementary school you barely know yourself well enough to decide but we all know the age old question that begins back in your elementary school days: will you be going to university or college?

Remember back when you had to pick your high school courses in grade 8 and you had to choose academic or applied? Or later in high school when you had to decide whether to take university or college level courses? For so long before you ever get to applying for post-secondary school you are forced to make decisions about where you're going to go, possibly before you even know what you want to do!

There are lots of differences between the institutions of university or college, and today I am going to tell you about some of them.

First let's begin with recalling what they told us way back when:

College:
 - more hands on approach to learning
 - directs you into a field rather than providing a lot of theory

University:
 - theory-based learning style
 - learning the how, emphasis on writing and research

So I mean, this isn't innaccurate; the programs colleges offer usually provide for a very direct employment type learning style, however, this DOES NOT MEAN there is no writing, researching, or theory to accompany the program. AS WELL, university is NOT ALL THEORY. Most universities cater to varying learning styles in the classroom; a lot of university programs offer lab components and group work with hands on learning. There are also fieldwork courses and practicum courses as well.

The MAIN difference between the programs is this: the skills you learn.

 In college, you are gaining many skills, but a lot of special and specific skills to prepare and train you for a specific job. While you will be qualified for certain jobs outside of your field after going to college, you are really learning to master something specific while being there.

 In contast, in university there are some programs that facilitate direct employment with special training toward one job, for the most part the skills you are learning are diverse and transferrable. This means a few things: you may experience more difficulty finding a job once you complete your degree but the good news is that you have a plethera of skills under your belt so that you can apply to a wide variety of jobs.

 And guess what?! Many university graduates end up attending college once completing their degree to complement what they learned and to specialize in something specific! Some college students end up going to university, transferring some credits if possible in order to complete their program in a shorter time, gaining a wider variety of skills that they can apply to their field.

So what does this mean? It means that there is equal value in doing university or college, and that lots of people do both! There are over 60 collaborative programs offered at Brock University, where students earn both a diploma and a degree at the same time!

So whether you're a current or projected student, or maybe even a university or college graduate, just remember the value of your diploma or degree. Know that there are options for both college and university programs, and that through studying both you can help vary the opportunities available to you.

To those of you applying to post-grad right now: good luck! And remember to come by the Career Resource Centre at any time to recieve help with preparing your application documents! We review cover letters, resumes, personal statements and letters of intent!

See you soon,

Brittany
Sr. Career Assistant

Career Expo: How to Prepare!

Happy Belated Halloween!

Just because the Halloween festivities are coming to a close doesn't mean you still should not be preparing. Preparing that is, for THE CAREER EXPO!


For those of you who have never experienced it, The Career Expo is a huge recruitment event which takes place in the Ian Beddis Gym which showcases over 100 various employers from various employment sectors. This year the event will be taking place Tuesday November 6, 2012 from 11am - 4pm.

What does that mean for you then?

By participating in the Career Expo you will not only have the chance to effectively network yourself to potential employers, but you will also be able to  interact one on one with employers, gaining inside access to what it is they look for in an employee and how it is they go about finding the right one.

So, how should you prepare?

1. Use the events new mobile app to research which employers or agencies will be at the event which are of interest to you.

2. Do some research on some of the employers you are most interested in so that you can develop a list of specific questions you could ask them which are specific and based on their programs and services.

3.Dress in business casual attire. You want to make sure that you make an appropriate and professional first impression.

4. Bring extra copies of your resume and specialy tailored cover letter. Remember though to check what positions the employers are hiring for if they are indeed hiring. If so, see if their applications are preferred in person or online.

5. Show up! Preparing and getting there is the hardest part. Once you are there remember to saty positive and engaging.

I hope that with the help of the app and some of the tips I have provided here that you will be successful in preparing for the event and that itproves to be helpful and beneficial in your job search.

Finally,if you haven't already, REGISTER FOR THE APP and find out more about the event and what you can do to prepare yourself.

I hope to see you all there,

Rosemary
Senior CA