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President's message |
Your career goals and GCSAA
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Remember the last time you went in for a job interview? Were your palms sweating? Did you feel like you were in control of the interview, or did you feel like you were on some kind of hot seat with a bright light in your face?
All of us have been there at one time or another. We all know how difficult it is to navigate sometimes-churning career waters. There’s finding an open position that interests you, there’s the résumé, there’s the interview. You need to consider all these things, often while handling the demands of your current job, or even worse, while being out of work.
But there is help; help at your fingertips online and help from knowledgeable people who spend their working hours creating tools you can use to further your career, change your career or even resurrect your career.
You may be aware of the association’s career services department, which is under the direction of Lyne Tumlinson, mainly through the ERS Job Postings. It’s there that employers post jobs that are open at their facilities.
But if you think that’s all there is to GCSAA career services, a simple cruise through the department’s section of www.gcsaa.org is an eye-opener. And the time to think about your career is now. Lyne tells me that her staff often does not hear from GCSAA members until after they have lost a job.
Besides ERS Job Postings, here’s just a partial list of resources available to you at a mouse click:
• Tips and samples on creating an outstanding résumé
• Trends in compensation (or the complete GCSAA’s 2007 Compensation, Benefits and Operations Report if you participated in the survey)
• Mapping your career
• How to be assertive
• Interviewing tips
• Developing an employee handbook
• The do’s and don’ts of handling a job offer
• Employment contracts
I could go on here, but there’s not enough room, and you’re probably starting to get the idea. In addition to what you find on the Web, don’t forget those knowledgeable people I mentioned earlier. The career services staff will critique your résumé and/or cover letter at no charge, or for $145, will arrange to have your résumé rewritten and sent back to you on CD and in hard copy along with cover letter paper, as well as some career counseling tips.
And students, the department offers you real-world advice and support on what to expect after graduation, and how to find some great jobs you probably haven’t considered.
And as always, the association will continue to spearhead efforts to promote GCSAA superintendents to their employers. So don’t let GCSAA’s career services hear from you only after you’ve lost a position. Managing your career is a process. Let us help you stay on top of your career goals and development.
Happy holidays and best wishes for the season.
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