Cindy Kim

2007 Graduate of SUNY Geneseo

Major Education

FGNY (Full Gospel New York) Private School

Cindy is currently a full time teacher at FGNY private school teaching elementary level students. She considered the career services department to be more helpful to her upstate New York peers than herself as Cindy originates from downstate in NYC . Therefore, she stressed the importance of having previous experience. “If your school doesn’t have the network to help you, a resume with experiences relating to your career choice can essentially be the determining factor for a job." "Sometimes, you just have to get out there and network because it is much better to make a good first impression and meet someone in person than making a phone call or writing an e-mail." 

Cindy has done the required student teaching portion for the education department but she stresses experience. There were no clubs or courses that could have prepared her for the future. "My hands-on experience taught me more than I could ever learn in a classroom setting."  Cindy states that firsthand experience prior to taking on a job is critical. “Working with a classroom full of students full time is different than helping a teacher out throughout the day.” Her past experiences which include working at a daycare, private tutoring, proctoring afterschool programs, and summer schools definitely helped her get the position at FGNY (Full Gospel New York) Private School. The experiences also were a big factor in her transition from a student to a full time teacher. She said “people don’t realize how physically/mentally draining the job is. You can no longer go to the bathroom whenever you please, you can’t ask the professor for an extension, there is no such thing as skipping class...etc. I was lucky enough to have experience in the field prior to the actual full time position.”

Be Decisive

Cindy suggests that one should be sure of the career path they would like to take, as much time and effort must be contributed; factoring in with the difficulty in transitioning to another career/field of work. The need for experience cannot be stressed enough; it is essential as it helps with work and strengthens the resume.  “A resume sets you apart”, ultimately shows your prospective employer your capabilities without doing any actual talking.

Be Nice

Networking can also happen at any place and at any time so she suggests being friendly and outgoing to even strangers. She has met school counselors, principles, and teachers at random places such as the nail salon, book store, and even Starbucks.  She has kept in touch with these network contacts and found them useful throughout her job search. Cindy found that people were generally willing to help based on their perception that she was diligent and friendly. Generally try to put yourself in a social setting.

Research

Doing background research for any institution/corporation that you want to work for is essential. For every teaching position that she interviewed for Cindy did a lot of background research to be knowledgeable. Therefore many interviewees found her to be well prepared and qualified for the positions she applied for. She said “employers generally want you to know about where you work, who you work for, and what your purpose is” so knowing who, what, when, where, and why is critical.

Cindy advises everyone to follow their "passion not the money involved" as "you don't want to end up with a mid-life crisis and a huge bill for the therapist."