This week we had the pleasure of connecting with Jennifer Tozer who is an Employee Relations Officer with the Thames Valley District School Board and an Instructor at Fanshawe College. Jennifer gives her advice and emphasizes doing research when applying for positions!
Why have you chosen to work in the education sector?
I feel the education sector is a good fit for me personally as I am definitely a life long learner. I am also a part-time instructor in Continuing Education at Fanshawe College in London. I believe education is the foundation for future achievement for students, the organizations they go on to work for and the growth and prosperity of the country as a whole.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
The most rewarding aspect is when you have helped an employee. It could be coaching a principal through a sensitive matter involving staff, or allocating resources to help them support students and staff at their school. I thoroughly enjoy the problem solving aspects in much of my work. At the end of the day knowing that you play an important role in supporting student learning is a great extrinsic reward!
What is the greatest challenge that you encounter within your role?
The greatest challenge would be juggling multiple priority items in a changing climate. There have been a number of changes related to employment provisions in the province, so working together with key stakeholders in different departments, other school boards, trustees, the ministry and our unions is crucial.
Has social media played a role in the recruitment process at your organization?
We have utilized our board social media account on Twitter and Facebook to promote job opportunities, especially in our support-staff area. There has been challenges recruitment for some positions, so it has been another way we can push out our employment opportunities to the broader public. I also have used my personal Twitter account to promote positions and have been re-tweeted by influential community members such as local politicians. Personally for me, Twitter has been a great way to connect with teachers, support staff and others in my organization, as many Tweet about educational topics. This has increased my understanding of some of the latest opportunities and challenges in the educational sector.
What types of positions do you find are the most difficult to recruit for?
Some of our technical trade positions like HVAC have been difficult. Also some of our professional student services positions (Psychologists, Speech-Language Pathologists) can be challenging to recruit for. We are actively seeking temporary/on-call Early Child hood education positions and on the teaching side, supply French-Teachers.
I think for a lot of these roles it mostly has to do with the labour market supply and demand. Specifically, for Early Child Hood educators, the Full-Day Kindergarten program has created a large demand for this role as each year schools boards are bringing on more FDK classes until it is fully implemented.
What is the most common mistake candidates make on their applications?
As a large unionized employer in the public sector, we have formal job evaluation programs in place. The key for candidates is to make sure they clearly identify their education and experience qualifications when applying for our support staff positions.
What is the number of times that would be appropriate for a candidate to follow up with their application/interview?
During the application process I would follow up once shortly after the closing deadline. If you have not heard after a month after submitting your application a follow up call to confirm the status of the position would also be okay.
If you have been selected for an interview, I know we generally follow up with all candidates to indicate the results of the selection process. If you have not heard back one follow-up call is appropriate.
What’s one thing you would want to tell to those applying for a job in the education sector?
I would suggest candidates clearly show and demonstrate their soft-skills and abilities. Showing what you can do and what you have to offer the organization is important.
…and…finally:
Do your research! What are the school board’s goals? What is their strategic plan and how does that impact the role that you are applying for? What are some of the challenges impacting the education sector overall? It’s not just about going to the board’s website and understanding the organization layout, it’s about showing you understand where the organization is going and how you can help achieve their goals. I feel that this applies to both teaching and support staff positions.
What is your favourite apple-inspired food?
Apple pancakes! A local restaurant that is a five minute walk from my home called ‘Unique Food Attitudes’ makes the best apple pancakes!
Thank you, Jennifer! Great tip on making sure we do our research and connect it with the role that we are applying for! Also, it is great to hear that you use Twitter to promote jobs both at the Board level and personally. We appreciate your insights, and you can follow Jennifer on Twitter at @jennifertozer
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