NASP 2009 Annual Convention

Career Service Employer Guide

Grand Ballroom, Salon G
Marriott Copley Place Hotel
110 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116

Schedule

Thursday, 2/26/09:

7:30–9:00 a.m. Check-in and Set-Up: Employers Only
9:00–10:00 a.m. Career Expo
10:00–10:30 a.m. Interview floor closed to candidates
10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.Interviews by appointment

Friday, 2/27/09:

 8:00–9:00 a.m. Check-in and Set-Up Continues: Employers Only
 9:00–10:00 a.m. Career Expo
10:00–10:30 a.m. Interview floor closed to candidates
10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Interviews by appointment

Nothing beats the opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with the nation’s brightest career candidates, and the Convention Career Service is ready to go to work for you at the NASP 2009 Annual Convention. Interviews are offered free of charge to NASP members attending the convention, assuring you a good turnout of potential candidates. Our Interview service gets results, in a business-like setting. Distractions are kept to a minimum during interviews—and as an employer you’re free to come and go according to your own schedule—unlike in the Exhibit Hall. You can specify what candidate positions you wish to discuss, and tell us how you want to run your interview schedule for up to 12 hours of candidate interviews. For an additional $100, you can even advertise in a high-traffic area outside of the Career Service.

Be Listed as "Scheduled to Attend"

Let us announce you. Employers who complete registration online for the 2009 Convention Career Service by December 31, 2008, will be listed by name and home state on the NASP convention website, along with information for candidates planning to attend.

Morning Check-in and Set-Up for Employers at Convention:

Thursday morning is our traditional grand re-opening of the Convention Career Service. The Grand Ballroom (Fourth Floor), Salon G will open at 7:30 AM on Thursday and 8:00 AM on Friday. Table assignments and final details are handled here. If your agency registered or made a late payment, please bring a copy of your registration confirmation with you to check-in. If your registration included the optional display board, please remind us of that as you check in at the Convention Career Service. 

Your agency is invited to have up to three representatives present at one time during the Career Expo and interview sessions, and once we verify who is on your representative list we will be pleased to have one of our convention assistant staff seat you at your interview table. Space is very limited in the ballroom, so you will be asked to have no more than three representatives seated at any one time. For the standard registration, display space in the ballroom is strictly limited to table displays and materials placed for distribution on your assigned table. Access to additional floor space or electrical outlets is not available for the standard interview table.

As an option, a limited number of premium interview tables will be available for an added fee ($50), but must be ordered as part of the agency’s initial registration payment. These tables will include additional floor space for one freestanding display immediately behind or adjacent to the premium interview table (not to exceed eight feet in width or height), plus access to one electrical outlet. Displays at premium tables must not intrude on neighboring tables. Any additional equipment (i.e. projection screens, stands, etc.) must fit within the allotted floor space. Multiple outlet plugs or other set-up supplies must be provided by your agency.

A workstation for employers is provided for a quick check of emails or other Internet access for employers while at the Convention Career Service. This workstation is shared with other employers, so document production or printing of multiple copies is not permitted.

Please ask friends and family members not to drop by during interviews unless it is urgent; we strive to limit the disruptions during interviews. Any visitors will be expected to wait in the reception area while we verify that you are available.

Interview appointments are recorded manually, on a sign-up sheet provided to each employer (one set per table). At employer check-in, you will be given two color-coded appointment logs, one for Thursday and one for Friday. At that time, you may "block-out" any times that you do not wish to be available for interviews.

Display Boards Offer Further Opportunity

An exclusive, further option for employers attending the 2009 NASP Convention Career Service is additional display space to advertise current openings. Let us supplement your recruiting drive with a display board measuring approximately 4 ft. X 8 ft. in a high-traffic area near the other activities of the Convention Career Service. We have chosen a prominent viewing area where the large numbers of convention participants are likely to see your display. Space is limited, so register online as an employer today.

Display Boards Are Scheduled for Convention Participants to View:

Thursday 2/26/09 and Friday, 2/27/09:
8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.      
Lobby outside Grand Ballroom (Fourth Floor)
Marriott Copley Place Hotel

Wanted: Bulletin Board Design Creativity

Posters and local events at your home schools are always popular. Maps and recreational information add to the unique appeal of the area. If you post removable brochures or handouts, be sure to check that these items are pinned securely to the display board. You are responsible for refreshing any free give-away materials.

Employers provide their own supplies for the display—construction paper, pins, tape, etc. The Business Center in the hotel should have the essential supplies in-stock, if you run short, but we suggest that you plan and ship ahead (see below for pre-shipping information).

We Will Watch Your Display

Next, you can focus on interviews. Our staff of convention assistants will be close by while you attend the Career Expo and Interviews. They will be ready to direct any potential candidates your way. Unauthorized postings or materials that come to our attention will be discarded. Please note, however, that NASP cannot be responsible for your display materials.

Additional easels for posters or other free-standing display materials and open boxes and stacks of materials are not permitted. Please do not bring chairs into this area or block the egress around the display boards. Your display board has one designated location for the day and must not be moved.   

Bulletin boards should be ready for viewing the second day by 8:00 AM on Friday. To ensure safekeeping, it is suggested that you arrange to remove and store your materials overnight on Thursday, then post them again Friday morning. Materials remaining as of 5:00 p.m. on Friday will be discarded.

Career Expo

The fun begins on Thursday and Friday morning at the Convention Career Service with an open forum in the Grand Ballroom, Salon G. This is an informal meet-and-greet with lots of surrounding activity in the hall. At the Expo, you will soon discover that some who drop by are qualified candidates seeking immediate employment, some are merely curious about pay or work requirements or what it might be like to live in your community, and some are potential interns. Feel free to distribute and display materials within your table area. We suggest that you use this time to schedule your "true" candidates at interview appointments later in the day. You will have the interview sign-up sheets for both Thursday and Friday, if you wish to schedule interview appointments for later in the day.

Interviews and Open Sign-up

Our "closed" interview sessions offer employers the discretion to focus attention on qualified candidates without interruption. The typical interview appointment is 30 minutes, but if you wish to make other arrangements please notify us at check-in to the Convention Career Service. During interview sessions, candidates are escorted to appointments from a common waiting area, and are not permitted to interrupt interviews already underway. Ask any of our hardworking convention assistant staff to assist you with any scheduling needs or concerns you have during the day. We will do our best to keep everyone running on-time.

While you are conducting interviews on Thursday and Friday, your agency’s Interview sign-up sheets listing any open appointment times will be posted in the lobby of the Convention Career Service. This way, candidates can continue to make appointments. The convention assistant staff will oversee the appointment process for you.

A common question is how many appointments employers should anticipate, which depends on many factors. Larger school districts on the East or West Coast tend to draw the greatest number of potential candidates, but not always. Employers willing to discuss both paid internships and entry positions for licensed school psychologists tend to draw more interviews. The largest demand for interviews tends to be on Thursday, but there are exceptions. We anticipate 175–200 candidates who will register with the service and participate in about 300 interviews at the 2009 convention.

University employers seeking faculty positions, please note: the NASP Convention Career Service is infrequently attended by candidates seeking these openings.

NASP cannot make warranty regarding the number of interviews or the caliber of candidates participating in the Convention Career Service.

Overnight Security

The front door to the Grand Ballroom will be locked and there will be no public access overnight on Thursday. However, after-hours security cannot be assured. Plan to remove valuables, please. Also, materials not removed by 5:00 p.m. on Friday will be discarded.

Pre-Ship Your Materials and Save a Carry-on

Save on checked-luggage fees, to say nothing about your own personal wear and tear at Baggage Claim. Ship packages several days in advance of your arrival, to your attention at the Marriott Copley Place, via U.S. Mail or other commercial carrier. Packages should be clearly labeled with the guest name and anticipated pick-up date. You may also arrange for assistance within the hotel from the Bell Desk as you check into the hotel. The shipping address:

Marriott Copley Place Hotel
110 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 236-5800

Even After the Convention, It’s Not Over—The NASP Online Career Center Is Open Year-Round

Included in the employer registration for the 2009 Convention Career Service is a complimentary position posting in the NASP Online Career Center website, beginning March 1, 2009.

You’re in for a treat if you haven’t already visited the NASP Career Center—the only online interactive career center dedicated to school psychologists—at www.nasponline.org/careers. This service operates 24 hours a day every day, year-round, to connect job seekers to schools, clinics, hospitals, universities, institutions, agencies, and other employers. Our experienced convention staff will be on hand with free demonstrations and hands-on practice to get you connected.

For More Information

For further employer information, please inquire with Pete Reynolds, Cochair for Convention Career Service: pete@petereynolds.net, or call (702) 799-1222, ext. 5129 (Pacific Time Zone).