Help me with my job search, please. Seriously, I'm clueless.
October 12, 2011 12:29 PM
This is going to sound odd... but, I'm not sure how to proceed in my job search.
Here's the thing. For fifteen years, I worked as an admin assistant, and my usual method for finding a job was to breeze into a town, hook up with all the temp agencies and boom! I had jobs. Since I don't plan on staying here in Mississippi, I can relocate to anywhere in the US (I've come to the conclusion that I simply cannot afford to go overseas.); but I'm not sure that the temp agency option is available to me in my current chosen field.
I'm about two months away from getting my MA in English with a TESOL certification (no teaching certification or experience) and... I'm clueless about how to proceed from here.
I want to teach Adult Basic English or something similar (GED programs, citizenship programs, etc...). I've looked at listings for literacy programs, correctional centers, community colleges, etc... I also have my CV up on Idealist.org and a couple of other websites. But the listings I'm looking at all close or end this week or next week and start ASAP. Graduation is in December.
So, should I start applying for jobs now? Do I wait until November? This whole process is completely foreign to me. Working temp was so much easier. Part of me wants to pick a place, sign up as a sub (or something) and then look for work in my chosen field.
I know how to write a cover letter and a teaching statement and I have a CV. As I said, they've been posted on several job sites, with my availability date as December. I just don't know about directly applying for specific positions. When is too soon? When will it be too late? I saw this post, but it's specifically for librarians and doesn't really apply to my field.
Help?
Here's the thing. For fifteen years, I worked as an admin assistant, and my usual method for finding a job was to breeze into a town, hook up with all the temp agencies and boom! I had jobs. Since I don't plan on staying here in Mississippi, I can relocate to anywhere in the US (I've come to the conclusion that I simply cannot afford to go overseas.); but I'm not sure that the temp agency option is available to me in my current chosen field.
I'm about two months away from getting my MA in English with a TESOL certification (no teaching certification or experience) and... I'm clueless about how to proceed from here.
I want to teach Adult Basic English or something similar (GED programs, citizenship programs, etc...). I've looked at listings for literacy programs, correctional centers, community colleges, etc... I also have my CV up on Idealist.org and a couple of other websites. But the listings I'm looking at all close or end this week or next week and start ASAP. Graduation is in December.
So, should I start applying for jobs now? Do I wait until November? This whole process is completely foreign to me. Working temp was so much easier. Part of me wants to pick a place, sign up as a sub (or something) and then look for work in my chosen field.
I know how to write a cover letter and a teaching statement and I have a CV. As I said, they've been posted on several job sites, with my availability date as December. I just don't know about directly applying for specific positions. When is too soon? When will it be too late? I saw this post, but it's specifically for librarians and doesn't really apply to my field.
Help?
There are no literacy programs here, which is one of the many *many* reasons I'm not staying. I have volunteered with the ESL center here at the university for several semesters (just not this one) and that's in my CV. The nearest community college is several towns over as is the nearest correctional center, and I am currently without a vehicle. I can call and ask for an "informational interview" over the phone though. That's a good idea.
posted by patheral at 12:46 PM on October 12, 2011
posted by patheral at 12:46 PM on October 12, 2011
Does your school have a career counseling center? Have you spoken with a career counselor there or with your professors?
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:48 PM on October 12, 2011
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:48 PM on October 12, 2011
This site has some links for ESL teachers in search of work that might be of help to you.
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:53 PM on October 12, 2011
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:53 PM on October 12, 2011
I have spoken with the career counseling center to no avail, they didn't even know what a CV was (as opposed to a resume) and mostly they directed me to websites with job listings. Which again leads me to my question - when do I start applying? Do I send out applications now, or wait until November?
I promise, I'm not threadsitting.
posted by patheral at 1:06 PM on October 12, 2011
I promise, I'm not threadsitting.
posted by patheral at 1:06 PM on October 12, 2011
Do you really have no teaching experience? Was there a practicum in your program?
If not, I'd start there.
Use the 2 months before graduation to get in some teaching experience so your CV has something concrete on it other than your degree.
Volunteer in a prison, etc. Start with Service learning maybe?
Anyone who wants to hire for a teaching position wants to know that you have some experience actually teaching.
posted by rmless at 1:15 PM on October 12, 2011
If not, I'd start there.
Use the 2 months before graduation to get in some teaching experience so your CV has something concrete on it other than your degree.
Volunteer in a prison, etc. Start with Service learning maybe?
Anyone who wants to hire for a teaching position wants to know that you have some experience actually teaching.
posted by rmless at 1:15 PM on October 12, 2011
I can't see a downside to starting your process now. Sure, some places want somebody next week and will exclude you right off the bat, but then you're no worse off than if you didn't apply. Some places may be willing to wait for you with the current posting. Some places might not be able to wait but will save or remember your name if they have future availability. Make the date of your availability clear on your cover letter, and start sending out applications today.
posted by brainmouse at 1:16 PM on October 12, 2011
posted by brainmouse at 1:16 PM on October 12, 2011
This may be really challenging OP because those are potentially very different work environments/places, along with a need for experience. I'm not in your particular field, but I've job hopped/changed fields many times, so here are some ideas.
If I were in your shoes, I would pick one or two of those places as a first choice (prison? CC? literacy? nonprofits?) To make a choice so that you can have a concentrated job search, I'd start doing info interviews like crazy (ASAP). Part of the goal will be to find out recommendations for you based on your background (at the moment, little experience)-- people can tell you about programs, overwhelmed place that prefers someone with your background, other things that you could do to make yourself a great candidate or stand out on the cv/resume, key words that HR people look for, etc. Not typing it again, but "how to reach out to strangers in email, forums, whatever for info interviews/things you can ask, etc. Also, although LinkedIn will probably not be useful for you to find a physical job, get on it...I just searched the groups and found some groups for prison education. Start with the groups, either post questions or email people individually in the group, and find others. You may find something that really fits your passion, background, skills, etc.
One more approach if you go the nonprofit route (I think it may be the best route for you -- if it does things that you are passionate about as a program): get a list of as many companies as you can (including names of people who work there - do googling, LinkedIn, check if the library has a list). Send an email introducing yourself and tell them about your background and that you are looking for a job.As a freelancer I get projects like this, and I've had people also call back and ask if I would consider a fulltime job...I'm sure that if you sent out a ton of these letters, you would get at least some bites.
You mention CC as a possibility. This is an entirely different can of worms job search wise (I'm more familiar with the university academic job search). However, if this is the route you plan to take, start looking NOW (someone may have quit or will not be coming back next semester), so sabbatical replacement type/temporary1 semester jobs may appear. If you get call backs for interviews, I highly, highly encourage you to read the Chronicle for Higher Education forums (people discuss every detail about job searches at the college level). At the university level, the time from application package, to interviews, to job offer can take months on average, but give it ago. If you can do anything to get at least one college level class under your belt that you teach independently, your odds for call backs will increase. If you do teach at this level, it will not just be literacy but one of many classes.
I noticed that you exclude overseas work and not being able to afford it. Have you looked into Peace Corps? At least a few years ago they had many, many positions to teach English...the literacy rate is very poor in some countries. You are paid as a volunteer (not much, but enough to cough up a few months of living expenses when you comeback. I'm not trying to throw this possibility at you, but it is made for people right out of college and it will give you quite a bit of the experience you probably need (e.g. teaching).
One more thing that may not have occurred to you and some may frown on this, but I've done it in the past. Your goal is to get a job that matches your skills and interests and it may take some time to get there. Find an intermediate job if you need to so that you can pay bills....and use the down time to do the leg work for the dream job (info interviews, volunteer, interviews) and if you get the dream job, drop the temporary job. It sounds like you have a great background as an admin assistant, so you can probably get a job like that easily...don't tell them that you are looking for something else. Just a possibility to think about, depends on what you want to do...but this dream job may not be there the instant you want it. Good luck.
posted by Wolfster at 1:33 PM on October 12, 2011
If I were in your shoes, I would pick one or two of those places as a first choice (prison? CC? literacy? nonprofits?) To make a choice so that you can have a concentrated job search, I'd start doing info interviews like crazy (ASAP). Part of the goal will be to find out recommendations for you based on your background (at the moment, little experience)-- people can tell you about programs, overwhelmed place that prefers someone with your background, other things that you could do to make yourself a great candidate or stand out on the cv/resume, key words that HR people look for, etc. Not typing it again, but "how to reach out to strangers in email, forums, whatever for info interviews/things you can ask, etc. Also, although LinkedIn will probably not be useful for you to find a physical job, get on it...I just searched the groups and found some groups for prison education. Start with the groups, either post questions or email people individually in the group, and find others. You may find something that really fits your passion, background, skills, etc.
One more approach if you go the nonprofit route (I think it may be the best route for you -- if it does things that you are passionate about as a program): get a list of as many companies as you can (including names of people who work there - do googling, LinkedIn, check if the library has a list). Send an email introducing yourself and tell them about your background and that you are looking for a job.As a freelancer I get projects like this, and I've had people also call back and ask if I would consider a fulltime job...I'm sure that if you sent out a ton of these letters, you would get at least some bites.
You mention CC as a possibility. This is an entirely different can of worms job search wise (I'm more familiar with the university academic job search). However, if this is the route you plan to take, start looking NOW (someone may have quit or will not be coming back next semester), so sabbatical replacement type/temporary1 semester jobs may appear. If you get call backs for interviews, I highly, highly encourage you to read the Chronicle for Higher Education forums (people discuss every detail about job searches at the college level). At the university level, the time from application package, to interviews, to job offer can take months on average, but give it ago. If you can do anything to get at least one college level class under your belt that you teach independently, your odds for call backs will increase. If you do teach at this level, it will not just be literacy but one of many classes.
I noticed that you exclude overseas work and not being able to afford it. Have you looked into Peace Corps? At least a few years ago they had many, many positions to teach English...the literacy rate is very poor in some countries. You are paid as a volunteer (not much, but enough to cough up a few months of living expenses when you comeback. I'm not trying to throw this possibility at you, but it is made for people right out of college and it will give you quite a bit of the experience you probably need (e.g. teaching).
One more thing that may not have occurred to you and some may frown on this, but I've done it in the past. Your goal is to get a job that matches your skills and interests and it may take some time to get there. Find an intermediate job if you need to so that you can pay bills....and use the down time to do the leg work for the dream job (info interviews, volunteer, interviews) and if you get the dream job, drop the temporary job. It sounds like you have a great background as an admin assistant, so you can probably get a job like that easily...don't tell them that you are looking for something else. Just a possibility to think about, depends on what you want to do...but this dream job may not be there the instant you want it. Good luck.
posted by Wolfster at 1:33 PM on October 12, 2011
Since there are so many unanswered questions (which there always are when you plan to move), I think you would do well to go with your first instinct: pick a place, sub (or something), and look around. That way you don't end up locking yourself into a situation that you don't have first-hand knowledge of. Many things look great on paper, but it is important to actually experience in person all the factors that the new job will bring into your life: the commute, the office space, the location, the people, and, most importantly, the new boss.
posted by melangell at 4:00 PM on October 12, 2011
posted by melangell at 4:00 PM on October 12, 2011
Wolfstar, I have looked into the Peacecorps -- there are complications due to my health which prevent me from joining.
melangell... I'm leaning toward that in a major, major way. Now I just have to decide which part of the country to move to. So many to chose from...
posted by patheral at 4:35 PM on October 12, 2011
melangell... I'm leaning toward that in a major, major way. Now I just have to decide which part of the country to move to. So many to chose from...
posted by patheral at 4:35 PM on October 12, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
I ask, because both will give you a better idea of what to expect going forward in other places. It might not be a 1:1 match, but it will help with perspective.
You can also ask for "informational interviews" with employees of these places in your current location, so they know you're not trying to poach their job, but want help getting into the field in a new location.
posted by bilabial at 12:37 PM on October 12, 2011