2023 Education Fair
March 6, 2023, 12:00 – 2:30 pm
What is it?
The Education Fair is the opportunity for SAU College of Education majors, minors and graduates to talk with representatives from education establishments as well as distribute resumes and application forms for education institutions where they may want to work. Education Fair is held each spring semester and business casual or professional attire is required.
What to expect:
- Some schools will send teachers instead of administrators – This is a great opportunity to get their opinion on working at their school.
- One-on-One Interviews – These give administrators the chance to casually interview many applicants in a short period of time. They are able to screen out applicants that may not be a good fit for their school.
- Networking Opportunities – You will have the opportunity to meet teachers and administrators from many different schools. They may not be hiring at the time of the fair but, you can make lasting impressions for later. Have a 30-second to 1-minute “pitch” prepared describing yourself and your aspirations. Research and pick a few schools/organizations to be sure to visit with.
- Competition – Everyone else at the teacher fair is looking for a job as well. Dress in business attire, bring a stack of resumes and act professionally. Your first impression is critical when meeting so many potential employers simultaneously.
- Further Actions – Some of the schools/organizations will ask you to apply online instead of at the Teacher Fair. Bring a notebook with you to write down any further actions you may need to take after the Teacher Fair.
How to prepare:
- Determine who will be attending – Contact Career Services for a list of schools or districts that are registered for the Education Fair. You can usually find quite a bit of information about each school by checking their website.
- Review your resume – Career Services will critique your resume and provide you with examples for free. This can help you improve your resume a great deal. Make sure you have the perfect resume and cover letter prior to attending a job fair. Contact Career Services to make an appointment.
- Print your resume – You’ll want to bring plenty of copies of your resume to leave with prospective employers. It’s best to have them printed on special resume paper so that they are high-quality documents.
- Practice answering questions – You’ll want to be prepared to answer typical interview questions. Rehearse the answers so that you are clear on what you want to say. Also, write down any questions you have for a specific school or district.
- Prepare questions in advance – Employers want employees who are proactive and listen well. Make yourself stand out with thoughtful questions and be sure to listen to the answers.
- Don’t ask about:
- Information you could have easily learned on the school’s website.
- Salary and benefits. (The school’s representative should initiate discussion of those topics. A job/career fairs is not the place for a job seeker to initiate this.)
- Do ask for information you could not find on the school’s website.
- Examples of good questions:
- What kind of person are you seeking for the(se) position(s)?
- What particular skills do you value most?
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- What do you like about working for your school?
- What are current issues that your school is facing that would have an impact on new hires? (School academic performance, budget cuts, etc.)
- Examples of good questions:
- Don’t ask about:
- Dress well – Always wear business attire to a teacher job fair. Our fair’s dress code is business casual/interview. First impressions do count so, give thought to what you wear.
- Business casual is usually the middle ground between business formal and street wear. There are many examples of business casual online.
- Clothing should provide enough coverage to cover midriff, thighs, cleavage, and lower back
Benefits of attending:
- Make a good impression in person
- Learn more about schools than you can learn from their websites – You learn about the culture of a school when you meet their people, and you can ask questions.
- It’s free – The Education Fair is a free resource for you to discover which schools are hiring or have internships open and may be interested in your skill set in a cost effective, efficient manner.