Philip Parham is Campus Recruitment Manager for Massachusetts and is a former Teaching Fellow

This time of year comes with the typical seasonal distractions, whether it be the tryptophan from National Turkey Day, the mind-numbing shopping carols played throughout malls everywhere in preparation for the most wonderful time of the year, or the equally mind-numbing studying in preparation for passing this semester’s finals.  For seniors, added to all of this craziness is the new, stressful activity of thinking about next steps after college.

Knowing where you’re going next helps to alleviate some of this craziness, and what better way to know where you are going than to apply to jobs before the craziness begins!  Citizen Schools’ first deadline is THIS FRIDAY, November 18^th, right before you fly home for the above stated turkey infusion.

In all seriousness, the reason you are reading this post is that you care about education AND want a job.  To that end, let me tell you about the three advantages of applying early.

1. Know what you want– The earlier you start looking for jobs, the better sense you can develop about which opportunities best fit your post-graduate needs.  Job searching is a lot like writing a term paper; it can actually be a lot of fun when you give yourself enough time to do it.
2. Stay ahead of the game – Most programs including ours, start looking for their next cohort as early as the summer before.  Most students, not including you, start looking for jobs sometime after they wake up from their spring break in Cancun.  It’s November, meaning now is your chance to get the best access to recruiters and alumni to find out everything you need to know about programs and application processes before their inboxes are flooded by applicants.
3. Get accepted earlier – Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the last semester of college was stress-free and fun-filled?  Well, if you know what you are doing after college, you have a much better chance enjoying the last steps on the bridge from high school to real life.  Not to mention that trip to Cancun will be a lot more fun for you than your friends who procrastinated on the job search.

The application for Citizen Schools National Teaching Fellowship is here, and we would love for you find out if it is the right opportunity for you.  Feel free to email any of the Campus Recruitment Managers to find out more.

New York: Sarah Brown

New Jersey: Amy Heuer

North Carolina: Nichole Montgomery-Boone

California: Holly Przybyla

Massachusetts: Philip Parham

Texas and New Mexico: Cynthia Sandoval

Have any questions about the Citizen Schools National Teaching Fellowship? Ask here.