Isabella Anikst	Joe McVeigh
Acting Academic Coordinator	Assoc. Dir. Of Programs in ESL & TESOL
American Language Center	Center for Educational Technology
University of California, Los Angeles, Extension	Middlebury College

I. INTRODUCTION

II. OVERVIEW OF THE IEP JOB MARKET

· Variety
· When
· How
· Types of positions
· Qualifications
· Job responsibilities
· Where to look: AAIEP, UCIEP, ELOPUS, TESOL Employment Newsletter, TESL-JB, Chronicle of Higher Education

III. GENERAL DO'S AND DON'TS

DO

· Be willing to work at getting a job.
· Get and read a copy of What Color is your Parachute.1 Then follow the advice.
· Get and read a copy of The EFL/ESL Job Search Handbook.2
· Take time to learn about yourself and know what you want.
· Take time to carefully research the places where you are considering applying.
· Take time to read job descriptions and find out what qualifications and experience are required.
· Ask for help from friends and colleagues.
· Represent yourself at your best at all times.
· Expect to be asked to fill out a variety of forms.
· Consider putting together a teaching portfolio or video to show yourself to best advantage.
· Enjoy the process and learn from it.

DON'T

· Have unreasonable expectations.
· Expect employers to educate you.

IV. THE RESUME

DO:

· Understand that the primary purpose of a resume is to show that you qualify for a specific job that is being advertised.
· Be sure to demonstrate that you have the minimum qualifications and experience required for the job.
· Tailor your resume to the job. Position the information that is relevant to the job strategically, up-front, Use special formatting to draw attention to it.
· Include all information about yourself which is relevant to the job: what degrees you have, in what subjects, where from, when you got them; what jobs you have had, from when to when, doing what.
· Include specific information on what you actually taught and to what kind of students. (E.g. writing to college-bound students, conversation to Korean junior-high students, Pronunciation to business professionals.)
· Point out your contributions to and active involvement in the profession.
· Be accurate. Avoid embellishing and exaggerating.
· Make your resume visually attractive.

DON'T:

· Mix irrelevant, non-teaching job related information with relevant information.
· Provide references only "upon request.

V. COVER LETTERS

DO:
· Understand that the main purpose of the cover letter is to summarize your resume and provide supporting information on how you meet the job requirements.
· Be brief, explicit and to the point.
· Sell yourself effectively.
· Request an opportunity to interview or speak with the administrator, even if only for informational purposes.
· Give complete contact information for yourself.
· Proofread and edit carefully.

DON'T:
· Send out an un-personalized form letter.
· Go into long-winded explanations about your past history.
· Use TESL/Applied linguistics research jargon.
· Be too sure of yourself.
· Be bland and boring.
· Handwrite your cover letter.

VI. LETTERS OF REFERENCE

DO:
· Include three good, well-written references with your resume and cover letter.
· Have former supervisors ready and willing to take phone calls.
· Be sure your letters are up to date.

DON'T
· Ask your famous professor who doesn't really know you to write about you.
· Require your referees to personalize letters.

VII. INTERVIEWS

DO:
· Reiterate the most important points from your cover letter/resume demonstrating that you have the qualifications and experience required for the job.
· Emphasize your mastery of the skills that the job description calls for and how you attained them.
· Be prepared to describe types of activities you have used with various levels and skills.
· Listen to questions very carefully.
· Provide focused answers that have a beginning and an end.
· Ask some questions to demonstrate your interest in and knowledge about the program.
· Emphasize your potential contribution to the program and how you can grow with it.
· Be prepared to give brief explanations of any gaps in your employment history.
· Have some strong opinions about something.
· Dress professionally.
· Have extra copies of your resume.
· Make equal eye contact with all the interviewers.
· Remember names of interviewers and refer to them by names during the interview.
· Be aware of the commonly asked interview questions (see Bolles & Parsons)
· Know your own strengths and weaknesses.
· Practice ahead of time if you haven't interviewed before.

DON'T:
· Be late with or without a good explanation.
· Grouse about earlier employers or badmouth former colleagues gratuitously.
· Be unable to articulate why you do what you do in the classroom.
· Use your financial situation to pressure administrators into hiring you.

VIII AFTER THE INTERVIEW

· Write a thank you note.
· If you aren't offered a job you applied for, but are still interested in working in the program, write a letter indicating that you are still interested.
· Be sure that you have a clear message on your answering machine.

IX. CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

* What Color is Your Parachute: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters & Career
Changers. Richard Nelson Bolles. Published annually: Berkeley, CA: 10
Speed Press.

* The EFL/ESL Job Search Handbook. Adelaide Parsons (Ed.) 1995. Alexandria, VA: TESOL.

Contact the presenters: Isabella Anikst, Joe McVeigh