Careers & Pathways: Getting the most from your Reading Rescue experience
Building your "Brand" outside of Reading Rescue
Resume & Cover Letter
It's good to always have an up-to-date resume, even if you are not currently looking for a job right now. Some helpful hints:
- Use an online or built-in resume template.
- Refine the language we use to describe the work you can do.
- No jargon. (“F & P”)
Make sure the skills you've developed through Reading Rescue are on your resume and in your cover letters for any jobs you may apply to (see below for help with skills).
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional networking website that can be used for job searching and recruitment, as well as keeping in touch with past and potential employers or colleagues. You should add your resume highlights onto your LinkedIn profile and keep it up-to-date even when not actively looking for a job.
Creating your own Elevator Pitch
What is an elevator pitch? It's a short verbal (or written) summation of your resume and cover letter. It should be less than one minute. When you should use this:
- Spoken: at career fairs, in interviews, when networking
- Written: top of a LinkedIn profile, in cover letters
What skills have I learned as a Reading Rescue instructor?
Being a Reading Rescue instructor helps develop skills that can be applied to other roles and careers. Be sure to add any new or developed skills to your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. A few skills you may have developed as an instructor include (but are not limited to):
- Data collection
- Data analysis
- Data reporting
- Behavior management
- Phonics knowledge
- Time management
- Record-keeping
- Learning a research-based program
- Effective prompting
- Spelling/Writing practice
- Etc.
Resources for opportunities outside of your school
Job Postings: Check out nonprofits, companies (for profits), and public sector
(city jobs or DOE jobs).
- http://www.idealist.org
- http://nynmedia.com/
- http://www.indeed.com
- http://www1.nyc.gov/jobs/index.page
Scholarship Opportunities: Financial support in attaining bachelors and masters degrees.
- http://www.teachnycprograms.net/
- NOTE: Mayor’s Graduate Scholarship Program is not specific to teaching.
Direct Pathways to Teaching: Support with the process of becoming a teacher, no matter where you start from.
- https://nycteachingfellows.org/overview
- https://nycmenteach.org/
- http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/2804/become-a-teacher
- NOTE: Some programs have specific eligibility requirements (e.g., NYC Men Teach is for men of color).
Other Education Roles: If searching for related roles, try terms like: tutor, educational support, education/school aide, after-school tutor, special needs tutor, literacy tutor, reading support
Lead teaching assistant: http://www.teachnycprograms.net/getpage.php?page_id=84
Bilingual Pupil Services: http://www.teachnycprograms.net/getpage.php?page_id=96