As this year’s National Convention approaches, CCPA thought it would be helpful to share a few tips for our fellow colleagues participating in Placement. We hope you find these tips to be useful during your job search process!
1. RESEARCH. Go to the websites of each of the schools you are interviewing with and print out their mission, vision, values, etc. Also print out any information about the department/people you are interviewing with so that you can reference certain events, positions, resources, etc. Additionally, this should aid you in coming up with a couple of questions about the job/institution/ department at the end of an interview to answer any lingering questions you may have about your potential future work environment. This is sure to impress your interviewers, as well as hopefully make you feel more comfortable about the interview.
2. JOB DESCRIPTIONS. Make sure to print out and bring the job descriptions for each of the positions you are applying for. It's also a good thing to print out the cover letter you submitted for the position too, just to remind yourself of the experiences you highlighted!
3. ORGANIZATION. A plastic folder with dividers is helpful to organize different positions and institutional information for easy access pretty much anywhere. A great time to review the information is on the plane ride to Atlanta, in between conference sessions, or while you are relaxing in your room.
4. THANK YOU CARDS. Don't forget to bring a box or two (depending on the number of interviews you have) of Thank You cards and promptly write them as soon as possible after your interview! If interviewing with multiple people at one institution, write each one a personalized card! They will truly appreciate it and they will have something more than just your resume and some notes on your interview to walk away with.
5. ORIENTATION. Orientation is your key to navigating this entire experience to the best of your ability. Make sure to go to the Candidate Orientation early so that you can familiarize yourself with the facility and focus more on your upcoming interviews than trying to figure out how it all works!
6. COPIES. Bring about 5 clean copies of your resume to the conference. You will be able to put some in a resume binder, as well as just have a few handy to give out if necessary. It is also a good idea to bring a flash drive or disk with your resume and cover letters on it so that if an institution posts a job while at the conference, you can easily use the business center to print out a personalized cover letter and resume for the institution and drop it off. Don't forget to bring your resume paper too!
7. WATER. Make sure to bring a bottle of water with you to hydrate with, because you will hopefully be doing a lot of talking! The water fountains are almost always crowded with other candidates, so bringing your own is a great idea!
8. BREATH MINTS. Gum can also work too! After talking, your mouth will start to feel icky inside, which is potentially a sign of bad breath. Bringing mints or gum with you during the conference will ensure that you will always have the freshest breath possible...and therefore not causing your interviewers to pass out!
9. COMPETITION. Avoid sharing a room with colleagues or friends who may be interviewing for the same positions as you; it can create tension and an uncomfortable atmosphere in an environment that should be your place to relax after a long day of interviewing.
10. DRESS. Wear clothing that makes you feel confident and comfortable. Your interview will convey how you feel about the position and you definitely don’t want your potential employer to think you’re uninterested because your shoes are killing you!
11. BUSINESS CARDS. Exchange business cards once the interview has concluded. Employers' contact information will come in handy to write any follow-up emails.
12. THE CONFERENCE! Don’t forget to get out of placement and to the conference at least once or twice a day. Attending sessions, business meetings, socials, and committee meetings are excellent ways to network and learn more about potential employers and future job opportunities! Network, network, network!
BEST OF LUCK AT THIS YEAR’S PLACEMENT!
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