If you’ve recently applied for or renewed your candidacy with CS&A, you’re ahead of the 
curve. The late summer and early fall months are the perfect time to complete and perfect your CS&A file, have conversations about your goals with your CS&A placement team, and prepare yourself for the hiring season, which begins with a bang in the late fall and early winter months.
When you speak or email with your CS&A Associate, it’s important that you tell him or her certain things about your job search. At CS&A, we want to make the right match—for both our candidates and our client schools. If you’re a candidate with us, make sure to convey these three things to your Associate.
1. Your ideal job
Even if it’s not realistic to attain every aspect of your ideal job, it’s important to know what your own ideal is, so you can figure out what characteristics are most important to you. In the early phases of your job search, paint a dreamy picture for your CS&A Associate. Tell him or her what exactly, in an ideal world, you would be doing in your next role. That includes everything from what type of mission and values inspire you, to the kinds of classes you’d love to teach, to how you’d best like to spend your time outside the classroom.
2. Where you’ll go (and where you won’t)
One of the most important parts of your search for our team to know is where you will consider relocating. We only want to send you opportunities in places you want to be, so we encourage you to tell your placement team early on what cities, states, and countries you find most appealing. So whether you’re completely flexible, not at all flexible, or a mix of both, make sure you let your team know the details.
3. A story
As much as your resume and references, your personality is incredibly important in getting you hired. We want to know as much about you—both your skills and accomplishments and who you are as a person—as we can. Tell your Associate a story about your teaching. Relax, get to know your team, and let them get to know you.
Image credit: Fotolia via Microsoft