Career Development in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism: A Positioning Approach outlines a step-by-step plan for career development based on the technique of positioning. In contrast to traditional job search methods, the positioning approach shows you how to increase your chances of securing your preferred job by placing yourself close to the person with whom you want to work, the place or organization where you want to work, or the position that fulfills your career goals. Using the positioning approach, author Robert B. Kauffman has guided students through internship into the profession and beyond.
Based on contemporary research and literature, Career Development in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism: A Positioning Approach prepares students for the next step in their preprofessional and professional careers. This resource offers expert advice and tested techniques to help students do the following:
Decide on the job they want and begin to proactively seek out opportunities in that area.
Determine the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences (KSAEs) required to get the job they want and start developing those KSAEs.
Use professional networking to meet people in the field and advance their career goals.
Gather information on the field, the organizations they want to work for, and the positions they’re interested in so they can better show where they fit in the organizations and why they should be hired.
Engage in one-on-one interviews with the people in charge of hiring at the target organizations.
Prepare for interviews and develop the tools they’ll need during the job search, including resumes, cover letters, portfolios, and business cards.
The book includes individual and group exercises to help students better understand each step in the positioning approach, as well as sample resumes, letters, and e-mails. It also features stories from students and professionals who describe how they used the positioning approach to reach their career goals. Throughout the text, the author provides examples, tools, and tips from his years of experience helping students use the positioning strategy. He also offers techniques for succeeding in more traditional job searches, including preparing for the formal job interview.
Jump-start your current career or learn how your coursework and field experiences can open doors to your career goals. Whether you’re just beginning a course of study or just entering the profession, Career Development in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism: A Positioning Approach will help you develop the skills and tools to get the job you want.
Chapter 1 The New Paradigm
Discovering the Positioning Model
Positioning and the Seven-Step Sales Model
Positioning in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism
Nine Steps to Positioning Yourself
Case Study: Sally Herr
Paradigm Shift
Putting It All Together
References
Exercise 1.1: Comparing Your Resume With Sally Herr’s
Exercise 1.2: Surveying Your Hidden Jobs
Exercise 1.3: Determining Your Hidden Jobs
Chapter 2 Proximity Is Everything . . . Well, Almost Everything
Where do I want to work?
Seeking Proximity in Your Job Search
Determining Your Career Goal or Where You Want to Work
Putting It All Together
Exercise 2.1: Analyzing Sally Herr’s Career Path
Exercise 2.2: The Blank Resume
Exercise 2.3: Which Student Example Is Closest to Your Story?
Exercise 2.4: The Five Ws and Developing Your Career Goal
Exercise 2.5: Finding a Job Announcement on the Internet
Exercise 2.6: My Favorite Job
Exercise 2.7: My Least Favorite Job
Exercise 2.8: Analyzing Your Resume
Exercise 2.9: The Blank Resume—Part II
Chapter 3 Being Proactive, not Reactive
Do I actively seek the job I want, or do I wait for it to come to me?
Benefits of a Proactive Attitude
Assessing How Proactive You Are
Proactive Career Development Traits
Putting It All Together
References
Exercise 3.1: Proactive Career Development Instrument
Exercise 3.2: Proactive Job Search
Exercise 3.3: Proactive Job Search Skills
Chapter 4 Think Evaluation
Why should they hire me?
Starting With the Evaluation Instrument
Determining Your KSAEs From Job Announcements
Think Evaluation as Part of the Traditional Job Search Process
Putting It All Together
Exercise 4.1: Evaluating Sally Herr’s Resume
Exercise 4.2: The Hiring Unit
Exercise 4.3: Determining Your KSAEs
Chapter 5 Bridging
Am I prepared for the job I seek?
Understanding Bridging
Academic Preparation
Professional Development
Continuing Education
Volunteer Activities
Acquiring Your KSAEs
Putting It All Together
Exercise 5.1: Your Plan to Obtain the KSAEs You Need
xercise 5.2: The Blank Resume
Exercise 5.3: A Comparative Analysis of Your KSAEs
Exercise 5.4: Now that You Know What to Do, What Should You Do?
Chapter 6 Professional Networking
How do I meet the person who will hire me?
Professional Networking
Avoiding Black Holes
Developing Your Professional Family
Professional Mentoring
Putting It All Together
References
Exercise 6.1: Identifying People
Exercise 6.2: Working the Room
Exercise 6.3: Networking Costs and Benefits
Exercise 6.4: Living Legends
Chapter 7 Casing the Joint
Do I know everything about the organization and the job I seek?
Places to Look
Casing the Field
Casing the Organization
Researching the Position
Casing the People
Positioning Yourself
Putting It All Together
Exercise 7.1: Casing the Joint Worksheet
Exercise 7.2: Introductory E-Mail
Chapter 8 The One-on-One Interview
Who within the organization can hire me?
The Seven-Step Sales Model and Positioning
The Seven-Step Model and the One-on-One Interview
The Individual Job Announcement
Dressing for Success
Seating Arrangements
Starting the Conversation
Putting It All Together
Exercise 8.1: Seating Arrangements
Exercise 8.2: The Good Listener
Exercise 8.3: Perfecting Your Greeting and Introduction
Exercise 8.4: Writing Your Individualized Job Announcement
Chapter 9 The Formal Interview
How should I prepare for a traditional interview?
Strategies
Typical Questions
Questions for Recent Graduates
Transition Questions
Gotcha Questions
Three-Doors Questions
Inappropriate or Illegal Questions
Phone Interviews
Following Up
Putting It All Together
Exercise 9.1: Mock Interview
Exercise 9.2: Mock Phone Interview
Exercise 9.3: Talking to Your Talking Points
Chapter 10 You and Your Resume
Does my resume reflect who I am?
Design Principles
Reverse Chronological and Functional Approaches
Parts of Your Resume
Your Resume as an Art Form
Putting It All Together
References
Exercise 10.1: Individual Resume Assessment
Exercise 10.2: Group Resume Assessment
Chapter 11 Portfolios and Business Cards
Do I have the job search tools I need to obtain the job I seek?
Types of Portfolios
Layout Considerations
Parts of Your Portfolio
Business Cards
Putting It All Together
Exercise 11.1: Business Cards
Chapter 12 Cover Letters and E-Mails
Do I have the job search tools I need to obtain the job I seek?
Cover Letters
E-Mail and Other Electronic Communications
Putting It All Together
References
Exercise 12.1: Writing a Cover Letter
Chapter 13 Putting It All Together
Exercise 13.1: Applying the Positioning Model
Robert B. Kauffman, PhD, is a professor in the recreation and parks management department at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland, where his work with students as internship supervisor led to the development of his theory of job search positioning.
As a researcher, Kauffman has focused on the study of resume construction and the evaluation criteria of employers reviewing resumes of job candidates. Kauffman also was the editor of Employ, a former publication of the National Recreation and Parks Association, which provided tips and tools for the job search and career opportunities in the recreation and parks field.
In April 2005, he received the Citation Award from Maryland Recreation and Parks Association, the highest award presented to individuals who have made a significant contribution to recreation and parks movement in Maryland. Kauffman was awarded two Golden Quill Awards in 1990 and in 1989 from the American Camping Association for literary contribution to the camping field. In 1989, Kauffman received the Golden Eagle Award from the Council for International Non-theatrical Events (CINE) for his film Cold, Wet, and Alive. He received this award a second time in 1994 for his film Heads Up.
Kauffman designed and built the home where he and his wife, Sally, reside in Frostburg. In his free time, he enjoys home construction projects, whitewater canoeing, rafting, and wilderness canoeing and camping.