Career Communities
EDUCATION & HELPING PROFESSIONS
Explore potential careers and develop industry specific skills for success in the Education & Helping Professions Community. The Career Center offers individual counseling, job and internship resources, networking events, and professional development opportunities to help students succeed. Below is a quick snapshot of relevant industries, career outlook, community specific resources, and related Registered Student Organizations to help direct students along their career path in the Education & Helping Professions Community.
OCCUPATIONS & BROAD INDUSTRIES:
- Adult Education
- Coaching/Athletic Administration
- College Administration & Student Affairs
- Counseling (Mental Health; School/Guidance/Career; Marriage/Family; Substance Abuse; Rehabilitation; Crisis; Pastoral; Art/Music Therapy; etc.)
- Community Services
- Curriculum Development
- Education/School Administration
- Education Advocacy
- English as a Second Language Teaching
- Libraries/Information & Media Services
- Pre-K & K-12 Teaching (Public, Charter & Private/Independent Schools)
- School Psychology
- Social & Human Services
- School Specialists (PT; OT; Speech/Language)
- Family and Social Services/Social Work
- Student Services
- Teaching Abroad
- Vocational Education
- Youth Development
EDUCATION RESOURCES:
Helpful Resources
- Office of Certification and Accreditation at the University of Delaware
Contains links to certification procedures, testing requirements, informational meetings, etc. - State Departments of Education and Certification Information
Contact information for state DOE's and steps and requirements for certification in each state. - From Campus to Classroom
A helpful job search guide for teacher education majors - Work Monger: a free resource to help find non-teaching jobs in Education (e.g. leadership, policy, fundraising, curriculum, finance, operations, technology, data management)
Job Search Resources/Tools by State
- Join Delaware Schools
- Kelly Educational Staffing and the Substitute Teacher Service
Two agencies that provide substitute teachers to many Delaware and Pennsylvania schools. - Maryland State Dept. of Education (MSDE)
- Pennsylvania Department of Education
- TeachPHL
- PA-REAP (PA- Regional Educational Applicant & Placement Program)
Part of the National School Applications Network, this is a free service. Candidates interested in Pennsylvania public school employment are strongly encouraged to utilize this tool. - PA-Educator.Net
- Teaching Jobs in PA
- NJ School Directories
- NJ SchoolJobs.Com
- OLAS/On-Line Application System (New York)
- Math for America (New York)
- CT-REAP (CT- Regional Educational Applicant & Placement Program)
Part of the National School Applications Network, this is a free service to teacher candidates. Candidates interested in Connecticut public school employment are strongly encouraged to utilize this tool. - Connecticut Education Association
- TEACH Massachusetts
- TeachNOLA
TeachNOLA is a highly selective program that trains professionals and college graduates to become teachers in New Orleans' highest needs schools.
Additional Job Search Resources / Tools
- AAEE
Join the American Association for Employment in Education as an Educator Candidate member to become part of a database of candidates available to AAEE school district members, as well as access the job board and other helpful resources.
- CharterSchoolJobs.com
A resource for candidates pursuing positions in charter schools nationwide. - Council for Exceptional Children
Click on "Career Center" for job search information (located under the "Professional Development" tab). - EducationAmerica.net
A comprehensive site for those pursuing K-12 teaching, administrative or support jobs. - Selected
Free school matching and career development tools. 1,200+ public/private, PK-12 schools in urban metro areas in the Northeast (NYC, NJ, Philly, DC, Boston) and Los Angeles. - K12JobSpot
Thousands of job postings from schools/school districts across the United States. Free to job seekers. - National Public School & School District Locator
Identify schools, school districts and Federal program information by searching respective databases. - SchoolSpring.com
A helpful employment source for educators. - Teach for America
Teachers commit to teaching for two years in urban or rural schools. - Top School Jobs
A personal job search tool for educators.
Private/Independent School Information & Placement Services
- Carney, Sandoe & Associates
Provides teacher and administrator placement for U.S. and international independent schools. No fee is charged to candidates. - National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
Contains information about private schools, careers in independent school teaching, and related topics. - Southern Teachers Agency
STA helps connect teachers to positions in private and independent schools in the South (no fee to candidates).
Higher Education
- Academic Careers Online
- ACPA (Career Central)
- The Chronicle of Higher Education (Academic job postings and news)
- HigherEd360
- Higher Ed Jobs.com
- Inside Higher Ed
- NASPA (Student Affairs Administration)
Opportunities at UD
- Summer Scholars - Application deadline is usually March 1.
- Summer Fellows - Application deadline is usually April 30.
- INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) - Application deadline is usually March 1.
Typical components of REU applications:
CV/Resume
Prepare a good, well-crafted CV or resume. Receive feedback from the Career Center through Drop-In Hours and by uploading your resume for approval on Handshake. For industry-specific feedback, ask a faculty member to review your document.
Suggestion: Every semester, plan on adding at least one bullet point to your CV or resume. Volunteer to do some research even if it is only for an hour per week. Eventually, this will grow and give you content for publications and presentations.
An essay (or a research statement)
If needed for the process, read the position advertisement that you wish to apply for carefully, and identify if they are looking for anything specific in the essay or statement. If no instructions are given, you may consider covering the following:
- Why do you want to apply for the position, or what do you wish to accomplish from participating in the research program? (Possible answers: prepare for graduate school, solve scientifically important problems, apply knowledge gained from coursework to solve real-world problems or to gain research experience.)
- What prior experience do you have with research? If you haven't participated in research before, include relevant course projects or scientific methods with which you are familiar.
- What are your research interests? If you already have research interests, describe them and connect them to topics mentioned in the position description. It is okay to be flexible in describing research interests so that you maximize your chances of getting the position and give yourself an opportunity to learn new things. You may consider seeking advice from a faculty member in your department.
Recommendation letter
Typically students ask course instructors for letters of recommendation. They can speak to your work ethic, but can't always speak to your research experience. To stand out among applicants, volunteer in labs and talk with faculty about your research interests. Once you have some experience, you can ask your research supervisors for letters of support.
Note: For UD Summer Scholars and Fellows programs, you should contact a professor with whom you want to work to discuss a research topic. You will need a letter from that professor to support your application. You may wish to contact multiple professors to see what opportunities are available.
- Association of Pre-Professional Leaders in Education (APPLE)
- Secondary Educators of Tomorrow (SET)
- Student Association for the Education of Young Children (SAYEC)
- Academic Support Program Inspiring Renaissance Educators (ASPIRE)
- Autism Speaks
- Best Buddies
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Charity Crossing
- Lori’s Hands
- Music with Heart
- Special Olympics
To find out more about these RSOs and how to get involved, visit Student Central.
American Art Therapy Association
American Association for Employment in Education
American Association of School Librarians
American College Counseling Association
American College Personnel Association
American Counseling Association
American Federation of Teachers
American Music Therapy Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
American School Counselor Association
American Sociological Association
Association for Career & Technical Education
Association for Middle Level Education
Association for Talent Development (formerly ASTD, American Association for Training & Development)
Association of International Educators
Council for Exceptional Children
International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors
International Literacy Association
NAADAC: Association for Addiction Professionals
NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association of School Psychologists
TOP TEN EMPLOYERS:
- Appoquinimink School District (DE)
- Boys & Girls Clubs
- Child, Inc.
- City Year
- Easter Seals
- Fairfax County Public Schools (VA)
- Howard County Public Schools (MD)
- State of Delaware
- Success Academy Charter Schools (NY)
- Teach for America
CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY TODAY
- Login to your Handshake account
- Choose "Personalize Handshake" at the top of your home screen
- Choose from 8 different industry focused communities
- Start learning about jobs, internships, and events that interest you
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The UD Career Center is part of the Division of Student Life, which advances equity and inclusion, deepens student learning and drives holistic development through education, experiences and communities.