Because of the interwebs and the ubiquity of iDevices (iPod/iPhone/iPad), here are some tools you can use for the job hunt whether you are the hunter or the hunted.
Warning: I’m about to mix a bunch of metaphors.
Teacher recruitment is a two-way street. Candidates are trying to entice employers, employers are trying to hook candidates. It’s a lovely, symbiotic dance of courtship, candidates and administrators orbiting and sucking up to each other. Of course, getting a job is not as easy as all that, and you have to be organized and prepared.
Calendars and Appointments:
Google Calendar (google.com/calendar, web app) – Google is fast becoming the undisputed master of mobile and browser-based applications. It’s Calendar is flexible and plugging it into any device you happen to carry is simple. On an iDevice, Google’s interface functions like a stand-alone app, but requires internet access. Also allows for To-Dos, Contacts, Gmail, and other Google services. The best free application suite you can find, even for mobile devices.
Calendar (Free, comes with iDevice) – I find that the included calendar app is more than adequate for most of my scheduling needs, and hooks in elegantly with Google calendar accounts.
Calvetica ($2.99, iTunes website) – Calvetica is a calendar designed around the stark and minimalist aesthetic of the cult-font Helvetica. It really is a gorgeous app, and I hope they come out with an iPad version. Even so, hooks into Google calendars and any other calendar account that can be subscribed to. Worth three bucks for a change of pace. All the bells and whistles of standard calendar apps, with better look and feel. Well integrated into the iOS.
Tungle (Free, iTunes website) – This app hooks up with your existing calendar service (Google calendars, iCal, Outlook, Entourage for Mac, Lotus Notes) to give you an excellent way to schedule appointments for those hectic job fairs. Never double book meetings again. Allows you to share meeting times with colleagues, find the best time to meet, send meeting invites, etc.
TextMinder ($1.99, iTunes website) – Allows you to set up regular or one-time SMS text reminders for important meetings or events.
Business Cards and Contacts:
Business Card Reader ($3.99, iTunes website) – This very slick app lets you scan a business card using the camera on your iPod (newest version) or iPhone and import the data directly to your contact database. Pretty awesome. For teachers it could show how magical and tech savvy you are, for Admin it could show that you’re edgy and “hip”. And anyway, it saves paper.
SnapDat Digital Business Cards (Free, iTunes website) – Create your business cards digitally from the beginning and easily share them over email. Even allows you to take notes on business cards, in case there are some thoughts you want to capture about a new contact.
Bump (Free, iTunes website) – Smashing two iPhones together doesn’t sound like the most sane thing in the world, but it’s a surprisingly fun way to share info. And you don’t have to bump the phones themselves. Anyway, after your very “hip” fist-bump, you have traded contact info that will be useful later on. Again, will make you cooler in the eyes of certain people, but I can think of a few people with whom attempting to “Bump” might backfire.
File Management:
You have a bunch of resumes in your inbox and you want instant access to them? Have no fear, Dropbox is here.
Dropbox (Free, Dropbox.com referral link, iTunes website) – If you don’t have a Dropbox account, you really ought to have one. Now. In case I haven’t said it before, this is the most useful tool on a computer, ever. If you have multiple computers and devices but need access to your digital files, Dropbox syncs them across your computers and devices automagically, no effort required. You will always have an up-to-date, local copy of all your files. And if you’re away from your computer, you can get at your files via their secure website. Dead simple, and unusually powerful. Set up a folder in your Dropbox for digital resumes, and access them from your iDevice during your working lunch, or even read the resume on your iPad during the interview! Don’t forget to mention during the interview how much you love the environment and saving the lovely trees. It can’t hurt.
Apps that hook into Dropbox:
Many document manager apps hook into Dropbox (and other cloud-based file servers), but here are the ones I know and love.
GoodReader ($1.99, Good .iWare) – I’ve written about GoodReader before on Wandering Academic, but the app has been updated in the meantime and it is better than before. It will allow you to access documents from Dropbox or your Google Docs account (or MobileMe, WebDAV, FTP, iDisk), read them on your iPad, and then either highlight or annotate them (pdf only) or open them in Quickoffice and edit them. You can also do things like collect a bunch of files into a zip file and email them, or download documents off the built-in web browser. Worth way more than it costs, and the best way to manage files on the iPad or the iPhone. Works over Wifi, USB, downloads email attachments, and on and on. For iPhone/iPod and iPad (two different apps).
Quickoffice ($9.99, iTunes website) – A mobile version of Office with a pared down feature set. The best thing about it is that it allows you to access, edit and re-upload files from Dropbox, box.net, Google Docs, MobileMe and more. You can even access a file in GoodReader and if you find you want to edit it, open it up in Quickoffice. Not fancy, but gets the job done, and if it works with Dropbox, I don’t worry about access to an external harddrive, or backing up files. It’s done for me.
iA Writer ($4.99, iTunes website) – This iPad-only writer creates a new folder in your Dropbox called “Writer” and auto-saves all your writing into it. Simple and elegant, this writing program is a great way to avoid distraction and focus on your text. Great for taking notes in meetings.
Games for breaks or plane rides:
Scrabble ($9.99, iTunes) – This links to the iPad version, which is the most beautiful version, but there is a friendly little Scrabble version for iPhone.
Crosswords ($9.99, iTunes) – Downloads tons of great crosswords from across the web and allows you to work on them on your iPad. Saves local copies, so you can work offline.
Conquist ($3.99, iTunes) – Just like Risk, but slicker and has more types of maps. Good for a ten minute diversion or marathon sessions. For those who aren’t so into wordy-nerdy games.
Any other iDevice apps that might enhance the recruiting season? Post a comment! If you want to sign up for Dropbox, you get 2GB free, and make sure to use this link!
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