For students looking to pursue a career in education, Feb. 22 was filled with opportunity, as representatives from more than 35 different school districts and educational programs came looking for potential candidates for a variety of positions.
The Teacher and Education Career Fair was put on by the California State University, Monterey Bay’s (CSUMB) Career Services in the University Center. Tables set up by each organization filled the room, each one covered in flyers, business cards and the resumes of hopeful applicants. Educational organizations of all varieties were in attendance, from traditional K-12 schools, to schools for neurodiverse students, to the Peace Corps educational outreach.
For some lucky students, eager employers arranged interviews on the spot. Lucky as these students may have been, there was a palpable sense of nervousness around the room. It seemed that for both recruiters and applicants, the question of the day was the same: “what qualities make a successful educator?”
“I think for me, honestly, we know that a lot of the people here don’t have experience. They’re new graduates coming into the industry,” said Gracie Alvarez, career services manager for Ed Theory, an educational hiring firm. “So we don’t necessarily expect you to have a resume with 10 years of experience. I don’t think professional experience can be better than having that personal experience.”
According to Alvarez, she can often tell who will make a good educator before even speaking to them. “I’m always people-watching and looking around … how they walk around, ” said Alvarez.
For Ashton Plett of Chartwell School for neurodiverse students, it’s not quite as easy to tell who will be a successful teacher. “At first glance, I probably can’t tell. [Instead] I look at them on campus. Are they getting down to their level or are they jumping into a game? Are they getting down on the floor and playing Legos with a kid?” said Plett.
Despite the differences in their answers, these educators reflected a common sentiment among employers: that more important than a neat resume or a well-fitting suit, is the character and life experience of the applicant. “I’m always looking for energy. I’m always looking for passion … those personal skills that they’re going to be able to [use to] connect to kids,” added Molly Parks, assistant superintendent of Human Resources at Santa Cruz City Schools.
For future educators, the best preparation seemed to be having the hands-on experience of working with children, and the ability to connect with them on a closer level. Applicants that had these “soft skills” were able to bring their full confidence to the hiring table.
“I like working with students because I can see a lot of the potential in them. With a little bit of help, a little bit of support, they are able to reach their potential,” said Jianshan Chen Khalsa, a master’s student in school psychology. Khalsa believes confidence is key in these situations because it allows her to “feel I’m prepared based on my performance and my work experience.”
Aspiring elementary school teacher and CSUMB student, Sam Swanson, echoed this statement saying, “I think a lot of it is confidence and knowing that I know what I’m doing as a teacher and letting [employers] know that,” he said.
The career fair was a hit for many students like Swanson, who “already found a few potential opportunities and have some interviews lined up.”