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Job fairs are a major part of recruitment for educators in Alaska. ATP hosts several job fairs annually. The biggest one is in Anchorage. We also host one in Minneapolis and one in Washington state. ATP also rents booths, and sends representatives to several other job fairs throughout the U.S. The majority of educator job fairs nation-wide are held in March and April, at the height of the recruitment season.
In addition, we have another page about visits to other job fairs in the Lower 48 that ATP representatives will travel to recruiting for Alaska districts.
Visit our photo gallery from Past Alaska Job Fairs.
Alaska-focused Job Fairs are usually held in March and April. The largest event ATP hosts is the the well-known flagship event at the Captain Cook in Anchorage, the Alaska Educator Expo. This year ATP will once again host a Lower 48 Job Fair in Minneapolis, Minnesota as well as one in Seattle, WA. You can read more about these on the ATP Job Fairs page.
Here are the basics of this spring's events:
ATP Anchorage Job Fair
April 13-14, 2012
Hotel Captain Cook
Anchorage, Alaska
5:00-7:00 PM Thursday - Registration Open
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday - Job Fair
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM Saturday - Job Fair
Download Brochure:ATP Anchorage Job Fair Flyer
Seattle L48 Job Fair
April 15, 2012
Hilton Seattle Airport
Seattle, Washington
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday
Download Brochure:ATP Seattle Job Fair Flyer
Minneapolis L48 Job Fair
April 22, 2012
Embassy Suites Minneapolis Airport
Minneapolis, Minnesota
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday
Download Brochure:ATP Minneapolis Job Fair Flyer
Dates and locations for the 2012 ATP Job Fairs have been set, and locations for the Lower 48 fairs we host or attend are being finalized.
The online registration form for all ATP-sponsored Job Fairs is now active! Register for the ATP Applitrack Job Bank, and go to Step 6 to register.
Here is a screen shot of what you need to do!
Please fill in your online Employment Application form carefully, as this is the screening data that districts will be viewing prior to the event.
Districts: 2012 Job Fair registration for districts and employers will be ready soon! When added to the Applitrack system, you will need to log in to access ATP Job Fair sign-up, registration and information!*
In addition to our in-person events, ATP also hosts numerous Live Chats with special guests, as well as a few “Virtual Job Fairs” which allow candidates unable to make the trip to Alaska or Minnesota to still network with hiring officials and feel out job opportunities in more depth.
Many working relationships between educators and administrators have been forged during ATP Virtual Job Fairs and have even been known to lead to a job offer. ATP staff provide technical help online and via audio.
A new format allows us to provide live, online events in a much more interactive fashion than in the past, and will provide video segments, questions and answer sessions, and private messaging with specific district representatives. Watch this space for more information about upcoming Virtual Job Fairs and Live Chats.
Upcoming Live Chats
We are in the process of scheduling Live Chats on Teaching in Alaska, Living in Rural Alaska, Alaska EED Teacher Certification, and First Year Mentoring!
All Live Chats and Virtual Job fairs are held in our Live Chat Area from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Alaska Time
Online participation requires internet connectivity, and the interface is by live chat, streaming audio and video from us, and Private Messaging.
If you are seriously considering Alaska, we strongly suggest you visit the ATP Forum to post questions, learn more about Alaska, and meet other educators.
Please make sure your online application on this website and any supplemental information you wish to bring is updated prior to attending the job fair! Bring at least three printed copies of your resume and your professional references to the job fair to hand out to potential employers.
You may want to bring additional information such as a letter of introduction (cover letter), portfolio or sample lesson plans for interviews. Alaska Teacher Placement will not bring any of the above information to the job fair; School Districts will be able to see what you've entered online and what you hand them at the job fair.
Every year candidates ask Alaska Teacher Placement lots of good questions. Here are some of the more common ones related to the ATP Job Fairs.
Over 45 of Alaska's 52 school districts normally attend the Anchorage Educator Expo. This is the premier job fair for Alaskan teaching jobs and the venue from which more Alaskan teaching jobs are filled than any other.
Typically, 15 to 20 school districts attend the ATP-hosted Lower 48 Job Fair in Minneapolis. A list of the school districts taking part in the Lower 48 Job Fair will be posted closer to the date of the event. The numbers for the other Lower 48 events are expected to be similar, but this is the first year for them.
There is no guarantee. However, if you are certified or easily certifiable, have a good educational background, and have skills that districts need there is a good chance that a trip to the Anchorage or Minnesota ATP Job Fairs will result in employment offers either at the event, or later as a result of the event.
In the last three years alone, at least 3000 teachers have obtained positions this way, so there is no reason to believe that a marketable candidate won't get hired!
The time varies. Some districts are under very tight timelines and will need an answer within hours. Others will have more flexibility.
Be Professional - If you are not interested in a job, do not string a district along - decline the job so they can offer it to another candidate. Also, if you tell a district that you will have a decision for them in a given amount of time - stick to the timeline. Districts have other candidates who may be able to fill the position that you decline. They will remember the next time around if you string them along.
We strongly encourage that educators explore all possibilities. If you are receiving pressure to sign a contract before you are ready, consider asking for more time to consult and do more research, ask to speak with a teacher or administrator from the school site (video conferencing is available to many schools), or simply indicate that you need more time to consider your options.
With that said, if the job is one that you have researched well, and feel is an especially good fit, go for it!
Absolutely! You can expect school districts to do background checks and contact your references. In fact, you should bring a list of primary and secondary contact numbers that can be reached during the job fair if you hope to get a contract during the fair itself. Few districts will hire without doing “due diligence”.
Staying at the host hotel will save you time and money. ATP has been able to negotiate a special rate for job fair participants and staying close to the job fair will help reduce the cost of transportation (rental car or taxi cab). In addition, there will other ATP related events taking place during the evening for educators and districts. You will also be in close proximity in the event school districts want to reach you. Staying at the host hotel can also make you more visible to school districts.
Districts like to interview all potential teaching candidates. However, if your spouse can not attend, bring copies of both of your resumes, and introduce yourself as a teaching couple. Your spouse should be available for a phone interview and you should inform districts that he/she is available via phone.
Often, graduates seeking employment in the same village will approach school districts together. Districts also often need to economize on housing and these arrangements can sometimes be accommodated.
Also, download the brochures for the Job Fairs. These documents provide the basic information of what you need. There is a brochure for each of the fairs, and they are linked above where the details for each job fair is listed. You can download them in PDF format.
So, you keep hearing “do your homework” about districts, the state itself, and the cultures. You may be wondering where to do that. Check out the links to your left. There is a growing body of content there that is written by teachers and school administrators. The links will provide you with the other resources you need to learn about the state, its geography, cultural and logistical issues. Dig deep!
At the Job Fair in Anchorage, at least, ATP arranges to have a resource area, and computers available for you to research villages and districts. ATP sets up a resource room with online computers, books, maps, and videos to help educate candidates. This is not possible at the other job fairs, so do that homework before you get there.
Want to Contribute?
Since the ATP website uses a wiki database engine, you can add links that you think are good by simply creating an account, and directly editing any page yourself!
Adding your links, resources and suggestions to the ATP website is quite easy once you give it a try, and you won't break anything. You can even create new pages, and upload pictures.
Together we can build a better website, and a social network of Alaska teachers, administrators and job candidates helping each other!
