SIUE Department of Teaching and Learning and Career Development Center Partner to Serve Students
Working to prepare Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students for impactful careers that will help shape a changing world is one of the key reasons behind the partnership between the SIUE’s elementary education program and the Career Development Center (CDC).
“We are motivated and galvanized behind our common purpose,” said Barbara Martin, EdD, assistant professor in the SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Teaching and Learning. “Every year, the elementary education program works closely with the SIUE Career Development Center to provide a wide variety of career development services for our soon to be graduating seniors. The career development opportunities start in the fall, take place periodically throughout the semester and continue into the spring.”
“Our elementary education faculty work closely with CDC Assistant Director Carrie Smolar to strategically plan how we will best support our teacher candidates, as they get ready to seek teaching jobs,” added Martin. “We host resume development sessions, interview preparation workshops, mock interviews with area administrators and education-based career fairs.”
“The partnership is important for both the CDC and the students, because employers reach out to us with their job opportunities throughout the year,” said Smolar. “One of our main goals is to connect students with employers. This partnership allows the students to be more aware of the services we provide and helps connect them to future career opportunities.”
The CDC hosts an annual education career fair that elementary education candidates are required to attend, according to Martin and Smolar.
“Administrators from the Metro East and St. Louis area, and even nationally, attend to meet our qualified candidates and recruit them to teach in their district,” noted Martin.
“This year’s Spring Education Career Fair will be from 3-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 in the Morris University Center’s Conference Center,” added Smolar. “Employers conduct on-site interviews at the career fair, and some students have been presented employment offers at this event.”
“This semester, we will also offer an Education Mock Interview Day for both elementary and secondary education students,” said Smolar. “This will bring more employers on campus to connect with our students and help them gain a valuable skill.”
“We analyze feedback data after the career fair and mock interviews to help inform our elementary education program,” said Martin. “This data gives us suggestions for continued improvement so that our candidates continue to be highly sought after and employed by area administrators.”
For more information on the upcoming mock interviews and spring career fair, contact the CDC.
Photos:
SIUE student Lawrence Gilmore, now a senior, attends the CDC’s Engineering Spring 2019 Career Fair.
SIUE student Hannah Boehme attends the CDC’s Education Spring 2019 Career Fair.
