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 Frequently Asked Questions | ||
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What questions do you have about Teacher Recruitment Days? You may find your questions and the answers in the list below. You may also find some questions you haven't thought to ask. The answers could be valuable in ensuring that you have a successful experience at TRD. Please take a moment to read this list. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to contact the career center on your campus. About The Program and The Candidates Question: Who is responsible for organizing Teacher Recruitment Days? Answer: Career counselors from ten local colleges and universities make up the membership of the Western New York Association of College Career Centers (WNYACCC), which sponsors TRD. The members of WNYACCC spend an entire year and hundreds of hours planning all aspects of this event. Question: Who is eligible to participate in the interviews at TRD? Answer: You are eligible to participate in TRD if you are a student or alumni from a participating college or university and if you have fulfilled all the necessary registration requirements. You must also be available for full-time employment in the fall. Question: What is done to ensure that TRD offers an accessible and fair interviewing and hiring process? Answer: We work to organize TRD so that candidates have as much access as possible to as many school districts as possible. We also make every effort to meet the many needs of recruiters and school districts from all over the country. We do so in order to ensure that the candidates have equal opportunities to interview. Question: Are TRD/USA and TRD/Erie Niagara the same event? Answer: TRD/USA and TRD/Erie Niagara are held at the same time, but they are two separate events with separate registrations. TRD/USA connects teachers with school districts from across the United States. TRD/Erie Niagara connects teachers with school districts from Erie and Niagara counties only. About The School Districts Question: How many school districts are invited to TRD? Do all invited districts attend? Answer: Over 3,000 school districts are invited to TRD, including every public school district in Western New York and throughout New York State. Not every school district can attend for a variety of reasons-including limited budgets, and other logistical matters. Question: Does each participating district know exactly what positions it will try to fill? Answer: Some districts know exactly what their hiring needs will be. Other districts anticipate openings, but may not know the specific number of vacancies or exact grade levels needed to actually hire at the time TRD occurs. Recruiters in these circumstances are working to identify good candidates so they can proceed to hire when openings are identified and approved in subsequent weeks. Question: Is it an absolute certainty that every district that commits to participating in TRD will actually be there? Answer: Occasionally recruiters do run into bad weather, or illness, or other problems. This may result in a late arrival or cancellation. Question: Is TRD the only occasion when these school districts will recruit and interview new teachers? Answer: Other TRDs are held elsewhere in the United States and recruiters often attend a significant number of them. All school districts accept resumes and applications on an ongoing basis. Question: Does every school district that has openings, attend TRD? Answer: Many districts with openings do not attend TRD. Your job search should, for this reason, not be limited to TRD. Visit your campus career center for more information on how to conduct an education job search. About Preparation for TRD Question: What should I do to prepare for TRD? Answer: Since the focus at TRD is on interviewing, you should work on refining your interviewing skills. Your college or university career center offers a variety of interview preparation resources. Of course, you will come to TRD appropriately dressed for interviewing. You will also want to bring along many extra copies of your resume. Please visit the career center on your campus for more information. Question: Should I research each school district with which I hope to interview? Where can I find information about each district? Answer: The success of your interview depends to a significant degree on how well you understand the district. You need this information in order to market yourself well. Many TRD districts have sent information for your use to your career center and this information will be available in the TRD Information Center as well. School or district websites are also excellent sources of information. About Interviews and Job offers About Interviews at TRD/USA Question: Once your attendance at TRD/USA is confirmed, are you guaranteed interviews? Answer: We cannot guarantee that you will be interviewed by the district of your "first" choice. In the past, however, the candidates who have had the most flexible strategies have gotten the most interviews. As a result, it is wise to have alternative choices in the event that your first choice(s) have filled schedules. Question: Should I assume that if a recruiter's schedule at TRD/USA is filled, there is absolutely no possibility that I will get an interview? Answer: Interview spots sometimes open so check the open interview board location throughout both days of the event. You can also talk to a recruiter during the open sign-up round on the first day. About Interviews at TRD/Erie Niagara Question: What if I do not get selected for an interview at TRD/ErieNiagara? Answer: If you are not selected for interviews, please be aware that you may apply directly to any school districts in which you are interested. All school districts accept resumes and applications on an ongoing basis. About Interviews and Job Offers in General Question: I imagine that my interview will be very quiet, orderly and private. Is this a reasonable expectation? Answer: Every recruiter at TRD has a small interviewing table on the main floor of the ballroom of the convention center. The tables are set up in long rows, very close together. Many interviews are conducted simultaneously, so be prepared to remain focused on your interview despite a significant degree of activity and noise. Question: Is an interview in any way a guarantee of a job offer? Answer: The only thing you are guaranteed by an interview is the opportunity to convince those with whom you interview that you can make a contribution to their district. As in any interview situation, there is no guarantee of a job offer. Question: What happens if I get an offer at TRD? Answer: You should thank the recruiter and request approximately one week to carefully consider the offer. Please be certain to verify with the school district the exact deadline for responding to their offer. If you need help in making your decision, you may want to consult a counselor in your campus career center. Question:Do social networking sites really have an impact on job offers? Answer: It is certainly possible that what is available about you on the worldwide web will effect your chances of getting the position you want. If you've got a profile on a social networking site such as My Space or Facebook, be prepared for potential employers to view it, according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) More than one in 10 employers (11.1 percent) responding to NACE's recent Job Outlook 2007 Fall Preview survey reported plans to review profiles on social networking when considering candidates for jobs. Moreover, profile information may have at least some effect on an employer's hiring decisions: More than 60 percent of employers who review social networking sites said the information gleaned there has some influence on their hiring decisions. You need to manage your image and put your best foot forward when looking for a job, and that includes making sure that any online information that's made public casts you in a favorable light. Back to the main candidate's page | ||
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