Career Development in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism

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.

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 Exercise 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