Careers in Education and Research

Welcome to the Evisors Webinar
Visit us online at www.evisors.com
Beyond the Classroom:
Careers in Education & Research
featuring
Lindsey Mathews Padrino
Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars

Careers in Education & Research
I. About Lindsey
II. Overview Of Career Paths
III. About The Industry
IV. How To Research The Industry
V. What Are Firms Looking For?
VI. How To Start Finding A Job
VII. Q&A

About Lindsey
• Assistant to the CEO
• Deputy Director of New York
• Special Asst. to the Chancellor
• Asst. Dir Resource Allocation
• Chief of Staff, Equality Office
• Co-founder and Chief of Staff
• Consultant
Coro Fellowship in Public
Affairs
NYC Dept of Education
New Leaders for New
Schools
Education Innovation
Laboratory
Wharton (MBA)
McKinsey & Co
• Fellow
Position Purpose
• Broad exposure to non-profit world and
education policy; found a mentor
• Responsibility, skill-building
• Broad exposure to system and players
• Responsibility, skill-building, impact
• Responsibility, skill-building, impact
• Impact, found a mentor, new skill building
• Skill-building, credibility, impact
• Education, exposure to public policy and major
players
• Studied strategic management
and operations
• Skill-building

Overview of Career Paths
School systems Policy Non-profits
• Federal DOE
• State DOE
• Local DOE
• Charter management
organizations (CMOs)
• Research
• Advocacy
• Direct-service (i.e.
after-school,
mentoring programs)
• Support programs for
schools (i.e. arts,
training, technology,
athletics)
• Support programs for
systems (i.e.
curriculum dev’t,
technology, advocacy)

There is no one right career path or single
entry point into education
Non-
profit /
Research
Policy
School
system*
* Going into this field, people may give you more credit if you have been a teacher, but it is not required

Overview of Content Areas in the “Puzzle”
of Improving Student Outcomes
Parent
involvement
Student
involvement
Operations and
finance
School leaders Whole child Teachers
Curriculum and
supports
Standards
and
assessments
Portfolio of
learning options

Primary Trends in Education Right Now
Data
Accountability
Empowerment
Technology Human capital
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/14

What are Organizations Looking For?
• Understanding of and commitment to the mission, which manifests as intrinsic
motivation
• Development of a skill set that can be applied to a job
– Generalists are not as helpful after entry-level positions, though skills can be
developed in entry-level positions
• Initiative and industriousness
– Personal investment: training will not always be available; how industrious are
you at getting your own mentoring and training
– Organizational: most organizations do not have enough resources and staff
wear many hats; are you flexible and/or proactive about improving an
organization?
• Learning orientation
• Ability to take on more responsibility quickly
– Most organizations are great meritocracies and strong, motivated performers
will be given as much as they can handle
• Demonstrated performance or impact
– College, volunteer or job experience
• Resilience in the face of failure
There is no one set
of skills across the
industry:
Know what the
organization is
looking for, why they
are looking for it and
why that is a good
match for you

How to Research the Industry
Read and talk – but with focus.
• Narrow your search:
– Content area or mission
– Organization size
– Organization function
• Just start reading:
– Websites: EdWeek.org, eduwonk.com, This Week in Ed
(scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/)
– Follow a system through local online papers
– Follow an issue through research publications, blogs, etc
• Just start talking
– Set up “informational interviews”: ask people for 15 minutes of their time so that you can learn more
about their organization or an issue they know
– Come well-prepared with meaningful questions and a polished pitch about why you want to get into
the education world
– Ask them for suggestions of other people to talk to
– Follow-up with a thank you and attach your resume in case they hear about jobs within the org.
– Keep checking with people
1
2
3

Where to look for jobs
1. Websites:
1. Idealist.org
2. Ed Week
3. Blogs
2. Search firms
1. On-ramps
2. Bellwether Education Partners
3. Network
1. Talk to people
2. Follow-up with people
3. Follow-up with their people
And some quick interview tips:
• Know what their mission is; practice
articulating it in your own terms
• Know what their theory of change is
• Think about what their biggest challenge
might be
• Find out about the culture of the
organizations
• Learn about their organizational
structure
• Learn about their funding structure
• Have questions prepared for them

Questions & Answers
Question 1:
How important is your academic
performance when screened by
organizations?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/14

Questions & Answers
Question 2:
What is the best advice you have ever
received when working or looking for a job?

Questions & Answers
Question 3:
Is it true that education is a frustrating/slow-
developing sector?

Questions & Answers
Question 4:
How does the international education
experience differ from a domestic
education?

Questions & Answers
Question 5:
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?

Thanks for Joining!
Book your session with Lindsey at
www.evisors.com/expert/245
View past webinars at evisors.com/webinars and follow
us on Twitter @Evisors for updates on upcoming
webinars.

Careers in Education and Research

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