TC & instructor Q&A’s

Career Fair

  • Is there a register form for teacher candidates to complete to be able to attend the UBC Education Career Fair?  Teacher candidates are not required to complete a registration form to be able to attend the UBC Education Career Fair.  They just need to arrive at the Fair in the Great Hall in the UBC AMS Nest on January 19, 2024.
  • Are classes cancelled the day of the Career Fair?  Classes for most elementary & middle years and secondary teacher candidates have been cancelled for the day of the Career Fair. Some classes – such as many EDCP 320 classes – will run the day of the Fair and teacher candidates are expected to visit the Fair outside of class hours.. Instructors are encouraged to reach out to Keith McPherson (keith.mcpherson@ubc.ca) well before the Career Fair if they have any concerns or questions.
  • What dress code is expected of teacher candidates for the Education Career Fair?
    Business casual is the typical dress code for teacher candidness attending the UBC Education Career Fair. Two examples of business casual attire include: 1) long pants and collared shirts or polo shirts, and 2) dress pants or skirts paired with blouses or sweaters.  Suits and ties are not necessary, however If you are unsure on what to wear consider a more conservative style. It is recommended teacher candidates aim for a ‘neat and tidy’ appearance.
  • How can a teacher candidate prepare themselves for the Career Fair?  Teacher candidates can prepare for the Career Fair by reviewing the information and videos contained in the Navigating the BEd Program 22-23 Canvas course (click on the Awards, Graduation and Careers button, then click on the Career Fair and Job Seeking tab).
  • Can BEd instructors attend the Education Career Fair? Definitely!

Career Fair Webinar

  • What is the Career Fair Webinar, why might I need to attend and/or view it? 
    The Education Career Fair Webinar introduces teacher candidates to the Education Career Fair format as well as methods for preparing resumes, cover letters and additional resources for the job searching process. The webinar is scheduled for October 2023 and will prepare teacher candidates for the Career Fair and for any job application opportunities that arise in the second half of the BEd program.
  • Is it mandatory that TCs attend or view the Career Fair webinar, and/or the Career Fair itself? Attendance is optional for both the Education Career Fair webinar and Education Career Fair.
  • I am unable to attend the Education Career Webinar for teacher candidates.  Will there be a recording I can view?  Yes! If a teacher candidate misses the Education Career Fair Webinar, a link to a recorded version of the Webinar will be available on the Navigating the BEd Canvas Course – click on the “Awards, Graduation & Career” button.

Resumes and Cover Letters

  • Do we need to have a resume ready and if so, how the resume should be formatted? Although fewer and fewer employers are requesting printed resumes, it is wise to have a print copy of a one-pager resume (both sides of the page) available for employers, especially if they need to get in touch with you to ask more questions or conduct a longer interview.   We suggest creating a one page resume over the winter break and have a handful copies ready to distribute during the Career Fair.
  • My resume is 4 pages long and very detailed.  What recommendations do you suggest?  What you describe is closer to a CV. The few recruiters collecting printed resumes, only want a 1 page resume (both sides).  They may have 2 minutes to review your resume (and application) and the longer it takes them the more likely it is they will give up and move onto another more succinct resume. A resume should quickly summarize and highlight key aspects and accomplishments of your experiences and education. Recommendations for succinct resumes include:
    • Don’t cram so much text on a page. It is tiring to read. Less text is more.
    • Generalize several experiences under one header and describe them as a group
    • Let readers know right away of your intent to be a [fill in grade/s and/or subject/s] teacher
    • Review some samples of teacher oriented resumes online such as those posted in this blog
  • Should I also create and bring a cover letter? We highly recommend you take the time to create a cover letter before the Career Fair. Creating a general cover letter before you attend the Fair forces you to develop a list of key skills, abilities, experiences, goals, teaching philosophy etc., that you can draw upon when speaking with employers.  Bringing a cover letter is not recommended unless  you have a particular employer/district in mind, and they will be at the Career Fair.
  • Should a teacher candidate include references in the resume they are submitting to the Career Fair, and should they approach their SA and FA for a reference before the Fair? At the time of the Career Fair, most teacher candidates’ school advisors and faculty advisors (and principals) will not not have enough observations of the teacher candidate to be able to provide a solid reference.  Thus teacher candidates are not recommended to  approach the SA’s and/or FA’s for a reference leading up to the Career Fair and instead are encouraged to write, “references on request” under the teacher candidate’s resume’s reference list.  (Note, many school and faculty advisors do not write reference letters even after the 10-week certification practicum, as they consider their final practicum reports as their reference letter).   However, if a teacher candidate has references who have seen the teacher candidate volunteer or work for a significant number of hours with K-12 children, and this work is completed before the teacher candidate entered the UBC BEd program, we  encourage the teacher candidate to consider including these references in their resume – at least until their 10 week certification practicum is complete.
  • How far back should a teacher candidate’s resume experience go back for it to be relevant?  It depends.  If you have been an ESL teacher for 20 years and you are applying for an ESL position then this is very relevant information and should be included. In other words, although current work experience relevant to the job may seem to be preferred, older experiences are valuable when they highlight your ability to meet job demands over time.
  • Should teacher candidate include their practicum experience on their resume?  Most definitely yes – especially if the practicum helps illustrate how you are meeting job requirements.
  • Should teacher candidates only list teaching or education experience on their resume? It is wise to list anything that highlights a teacher candidate’s ability to meet the job requirements.    Usually a teacher candidate is applying for instructional positions, thus their list of teaching and education experiences will make up a good portion of the resume.  However, a music specialist (for example) may include their performance experience to illustrate their expertise in the music subject area.
  • Should a resume include specific points and information about each job a teacher candidate has worked at? Or is simply listing the jobs better (more concise)? Definitely include key accomplishments experiences, awards, etc that highlight your ability to meet specific job requirements. Moreover bring they key accomplishments alive with bulleted ‘active-language’ examples. If the teacher candidate is not applying to a specific job posting, they then list all their accomplishments and number them 1 to 30 and include only those which they feel best highlight their qualities and skills as a teacher.
  • Are teacher candidates expected to have several different resumes and cover letters ready for every employer that the teacher candidate is interested in? If not, how do teacher candidates write a general cover letter for the career fair?  No. Most employers are looking for teacher candidates’ email addresses (possibly a printed resume), which they will  use to contact the teacher candidate after the Fair.. (If an employer does ask for a cover letter, please note that a general cover letter can be something similar to the sample Cover Letter posted on the Career Fair Blog (see: https://blogs.ubc.ca/educareer/teacher-candidates/). You can also use and internet search engine to locate and follow the structure ).of 1 page (2 at the max) teaching cover letter example)
  • Should I prepare to answer/ask employers questions? Absolutely. It is best to have source answers to popular questions so you can answer questions with confidence, Some popular questions that employers ask during initial conversations  (And. a teacher candidates can answer before the Career Fair) are:
      • Why did you decide to become a teacher/work with children?
      • What subject or grades have you taught/do you wish to teach?
      • Why are you interested in our district?
      • Are you open to teaching multiple grades?  Why/why not?
      • Are you open to teaching subjects outside your grade or specialization level? Why/why not?
      • Name two ways you motivate students?
      • Describe a time when you worked with a team to solve a problem.Additionally, it is always wise to have some question of your own for employers.  Such as:
      • What are some of the initiative in your district?
      • How involved are parents in the school?
      • What are your districts/organizations’ greatest strengths?
      • What are your districts/organizations greatest challenges?
      • What FTE loads do most new teacher start with?
      • Please describe the mentoring support available to new teachers in your district?
      • What is the estimated time a newly hired teacher stays on the TOC list?

Some questions you may want to ask employers during your conversation:

      • Do you have a teacher mentoring support program in your school/district for new teachers? How does this program support new teachers?
      • What types of continuing education is there for new and experienced teachers?
      • What steps have been taken to encourage professional and social interactions amongst the faculty (teachers/staff/principals) in your school/s.
      • What is the average class size?
      • What are the school’s/district’s strengths/challenges?
      • Please describe the PTA’s role in the school?
      • Is there support coming from the local community?. Please describe.
      • What measures is/are your school/s taking to promote truth and reconciliation?
      • What anti-bulling measures does the school/district employ?
      • What do you believe makes your schools/district unique and one to work in, and one that makes it a privilege to come to work every day?
      • I’ve read the district’s mission statement and reviewed the current goals.  I’m wondering how these are unfolding (have unfolded) and, if the district will be developing these and or new goals in the near future, and if so what might these be?
      • I was intrigued to learn that your school/district has embraced the [policy, approach, program, etc] and I was hoping you could explain a little more on how teachers have integrated this into their instruction.

Make a Future

  • Should I Make a Future account prior to the Career Fair?  It is not necessary to create a Make a Future account before the Career Fair.  However, visiting the district’s employment site and reviewing the job opportunities on Make a Future (especially for employers you are interested in) is a good way to build connections with the employer as well as make for conversation starters.

International Baccalaureate