NOTE: The next teacher recruitment fair is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2015. In order to attend, you must be a pool-approved candidate. To view and apply for teaching positions at HISD, click here.

The lobby of HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center was buzzing on the evening of May 13, filled with occasional cheers and even bell ringing; the sounds reminiscent of a pep rally.

HISD’s teacher recruitment fairs give educators a chance to meet directly with principals who are hiring for the upcoming school year to discuss joining Team HISD.

In reality, the district was hosting a teacher recruitment fair, designed to bring together highly effective educators and principals looking to fill vacancies. Each time a candidate accepted a teaching position at HISD, the Talent Acquisition team would ring a bell and cheer.

Because HISD stresses hiring early in order to attract the best possible quality candidates, events such as these provide a unique opportunity where campus leaders and teacher candidates can find the best fit for the upcoming school year.

More than 300 teachers attended the event, and representatives from 101 HISD campuses were on hand to meet and interview candidates. A total of 23 offers were extended during the two-hour event and countless follow-up interviews were scheduled.

Autumn Long, who drove up from Portland, Texas, was one of the teachers who attended. She is planning on relocating to Houston after this school year and, after doing research, decided HISD is the place she wanted to be.

“This is more of my calling,” she said. “This is the student population I want to work with.”

HISD will host another teacher recruitment fair June 18. In order to attend, you must be a “pool-approved” candidate, so apply now by clicking here.

Long received an offer while at the event and accepted a position at Patrick Henry Middle School.

“I just thought I’d give them my resume, leave, then expect a phone call,” she said. “I’m very happy it worked out the way it did.”

Tammie Daily, principal at Shadydale Elementary, was able to meet with several candidates and said she has a few follow-up interviews scheduled on her campus so they can learn more about her students and culture. However, these types of job fairs are invaluable toward creating opportunities to make that initial connection with potential candidates.

“It’s very helpful,” Daily said. “We know these people have been vetted and screened (by the Talent Acquisition team), and they know they’re eligible to be hired. It’s very important (for the hiring process).”

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/127956173″ ]