Introduce, interview, repeat
Project Search career fair connects hundreds with potential employers
6:10 p.m., May 4, 2015--The lobby of the University of Delaware Bob Carpenter Center buzzed with anticipation as hundreds of well-dressed students and young professionals — resumes in hand — waited to seize employment opportunities.
Nearly 300 recruiters and representatives from 117 school districts and organizations from seven states attended the 37th annual education job fair, Project Search, on April 15.
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The event encourages candidates to actively engage with employers and vet the numerous schools to identify which ones best align with their teaching philosophy, education styles and valued skills. By the end of the day, 540 students, alumni and candidates engaged in 4, 681 interviews.
Erica Klieman, a senior elementary teacher education major, was amazed by the experience. “So many districts are here that want to hire you; all the schools I’m considering are at my fingertips," she said. "It gives me a chance to see if I’m a good fit for them, and if they are a good fit for me.”
“This is probably the best-organized teacher job fair that we attend,” said Ed Silver, Kent County, Maryland, Public Schools (KCPS) supervisor of human resources. “We hire numerous teachers from UD, and it is always a high-quality day.”
Silver hired six UD graduates as a result of last year’s Project Search, including 2014 UD alumnus Scott Erwin.
Erwin said he was thrilled to be on the other side of the table this year representing KCPS. Throughout the day, he spoke with numerous students, sharing his success story — made possible by this event — and relating information about his first year as a teacher.
“The education programs at UD made me the best job candidate I could be and helped me be successful in my first year,” said Erwin.
Although Klieman is from New York, she said she wants to stay in Delaware after graduation. “The University has really prepared me for my career," she said. "I know I want to stay and teach here, not only because I am familiar with the school districts as a result of my placements, but because Delaware has given me so much. I want to give back.”
Emily Sklar, a student in the 4+1 master's program for special education, attended the fair to learn about districts she had not previously considered and to build connections. Not long into the event she had spoken with multiple districts and scheduled five interviews.
“Whenever I go into an interview, I feel I have a leg up because of all the things that were required of me in my classes,” she said.
Attendees and representatives alike said they believe Project Search allows for memorable interactions, in stark contrast to being “just another name on a resume.”
“I’ve hired many people from this fair, and they have all been successful,” said Noah Tennant, deputy CEO and principal of Boy’s Latin of Philadelphia Charter School. “The students are thoroughly prepared, attentive to details and understand an interview is a two-way process.”
Tennant is a 1998 UD graduate and said he vividly remembers walking through the aisles of tables when he attended Project Search as a senior. A representative called him over, scheduled an interview and hired him for a job, thereby launching his career in education.
UD students agreed that class work, student teaching experiences and opportunities available through Career Services were invaluable.
Sklar offered comforting advice to her fellow job seekers. “Have confidence in yourself, because UD prepares you to be some of the best grads out there. We’re already a step ahead.”
Article and photos by Elizabeth Adams