Author: annatrester

Audio and Video

BLx2W now available as an audio book

annatrester

book cover

In my years of working with career-oriented linguists, I’ve recognized a simple opportunity that more linguists should be exploiting: we need to be having more conversations about career!

That’s why it so exciting to have a version of this book now available in audio book form, one that feels more like a conversation. A conversation about career conversations!

If you’ve never used audible before, your first book is free!!

Be sure to use this link so that they know you were sent by me!
About Bringing Linguistics to Work:
This book has been designed to help linguists bring linguistic knowledge, skills, and abilities to the task of communicating about our knowledge, skills, and abilities in the texts and interactions that comprise looking for a job.

You are not likely to find a job application where the ability to “rigorously analyze language and the social construction of meaning” is being sought. Most employers are not actively looking for a linguist—much as they might need one—simply because they do not know to ask for what we bring. In any career interaction, the onus is always on the jobseeker to make the case, but if it feels harder for linguists, it is because what is being brought is likely wholly unfamiliar. The good news is that we can anticipate this misunderstanding and bring our knowledge of the ways that language structures and is structured by interaction to manage the complexity and ambiguity entailed in helping others to clearly see how our knowledge, skills, and abilities make us uniquely suited for a given job’s tasks, duties, and responsibilities.

I like to think about this showing how it what you bring matches what is needed as a venn diagram:

vinn-03

Your communication task is to communicate the alignment in the overlap. And pPerspective-taking, or being able to put yourself in the shoes of those reading your materials, is key.  This begins with knowledge. You need to have knowledge  about what you bring, about what they need, and about how what you bring aligns with what they need.  It also requires an ability to describe this alignment using language that will be understood, which  will also mean having knowledge about their ways of communicating, knowing about their expectations and values etc etc etc.

So, it’s probably no surprise to discover that you have some homework to do. But the good news is that linguists are very well positioned to do that homework—and to do it well. We are experts in language after all. There is absolutely no reason why our resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles shouldn’t be the very best ones out there in terms of effectively communicating an alignment of needs  with skills. But more than anything, we need to bring attention to the language we use in networking interactions.

And not just when we are job seeking!

We need to continually participate in open, broad-ranging discussions about our skills and interests, and professional applications thereof. We need to make space for conversations that invite curiosity and establish connection and community. We need to listen for, find, and tell more career stories. Such interactions are a crucial means for discovering what we can offer the world of work. They give us insights into where we are needed and the kinds of things we might be doing, opening our eyes to possibilities we might never have considered. Importantly, they may also create opportunities to do just that. They are also the way to begin a career journey because they afford us valuable opportunities to practice talking about ourselves, to gauge how our message is coming across and adjust it, to solicit feedback and to ask for things!

Get it using this unique link: https://www.audible.com/pd/B07K6S8Y11/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-133187&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_133187_rh_us

Events

Talk to Career Linguists at the AAA Careers Expo – 11/16 (San Jose, CA)

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Headed to the AAA meetings in San Jose next week? 2018_meeting_250
Career Linguist Laurel Sutton and I are going to be woman-ing a booth focused on the topic “Linguistics Beyond Academia” at the 13th annual careers expo as part of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) annual meetings. https://lnkd.in/gJVpjFd. Stop by anytime between 11am and 4pm. I will have resources on hand including information about this blog, about our community, and about networking. I will even be raffling off a copy of my book Bringing Linguistics to Work!!
Last year there were more than 700 people in attendance at the Expo, and this year we are expecting many more, including (for the first time, thanks to members of this community) nearly a dozen linguists!!
Please stop by to share stories, inspiration, and ideas – build our community as we create opportunities for linguists and anthropologists.
Job postings

job posting: intern at Reboot (NYC)

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We are seeking self-motivated recent graduates with a passion for user-centered design, international development, and public sector innovation to join our Brooklyn & Abuja offices. Interns play an integral role at Reboot, working closely across all our departments in support of real-world projects. Sign up for job alerts here and we’ll notify you about opportunities to join our internship program.

https://reboot.org/careers/

About Reboot

We are builders, makers, and entrepreneurs; equal parts strategists and storytellers, anthropologists and economists; designers, technologists, and political scientists. There is no one Rebooter formula. Our team’s strength is our personal and professional diversity.

That said, we do share core characteristics. Rebooters are:

Entrepreneurial, with a bias toward action. Rebooters work toward the vision of a 21st century social contract with self-starter genes and an innate drive to strategize and do.

Humble, empathetic, and generous. We know what we don’t know, but are also eager to share our expertise. Group comes before self—entitlement and ego are checked at the door.

Open-minded and adaptable. We roll with the punches in different settings and work streams. Rebooters live to learn about new cultures and people, sans stereotypes. Global literacy is a core competency.

Inquiring and political, uncowed but diplomatic. We ask “Why?” to challenge conventional wisdom and power. No answers are taken at face value. We seek to understand and analyze the sociopolitical contexts behind them with respect and diplomacy. We are skeptical optimists at heart.

In addition to the above, Rebooters are  narrative-driven, analytical writers and articulate speakers. We adopt a client-services and detail-oriented approach to everything we do.

Job postings, Uncategorized

job: part-time social media manager for Career Linguist

annatrester
I am looking for a host for the Career Linguist Mighty Network – a community-building platform for professionals who employ language and linguistic training in a variety of contexts. Ideal candidate is passionate about the application of linguistics. Responsibilities include posting, monitoring, and responding regularly on weekly discussion threads, identifying and sharing relevant research (exploring topics including language in the workplace), researching current issues/events involving language and communication likely to be of interest to a community of linguists, occasional writing (short pieces – blog length) on linguistic topics of interest.
Time commitment 3-5 hours per week. Rate: commensurate with experience.
Desired qualities: responsible and self-motivated, creative and expansive thinker, knowledge of (or at least curiosity about) the business world, ability to write and interact in a professional style. Experience with social media a must, leadership experience a plus.
Interested? Please contact Career Linguist to submit a resume and cover letter.
Resources

Call for Applications: 2019 RWJF Culture of Health Prize

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS PRIZE COMPETITION
Call for Applications: 2019 RWJF Culture of Health Prize

  • Application Deadline: November 01, 2018, 3:00 p.m. ET
PURPOSE: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize (the Prize) recognizes communities that have come together around a commitment to health, opportunity, and equity through collaboration and inclusion, especially with historically marginalized populations and those facing the greatest barriers to good health. The Prize honors those communities that are working to give everyone the opportunity to live well, including residents that are often left behind. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—our access to affordable and stable homes, quality schools, reliable transportation—make a difference in our opportunities to thrive, and ultimately all of this profoundly affects our health and well-being. The Prize elevates the compelling stories of community members who are working together to transform neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and more—so that better health flourishes everywhere, for everyone.

ABOUT THE PRIZE: At RWJF, building a Culture of Health has become the central aim of what we do, with a goal of giving every person across the nation an opportunity to live the healthiest life possible. Communities are already leading the way to drive local change, and ensuring all residents have an opportunity to make healthy choices in their schools, workplaces and neighborhoods. The RWJF Culture of Health Prize, a collaboration between RWJF and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, is the Foundation’s way of honoring communities—urban, rural, tribal, large or small—that are beacons of hope and progress for healthier people, families, and places.

ELIGIBILITY: The RWJF Culture of Health Prize honors U.S. communities; submissions representing the work of a single organization will not be considered. With the exception of previous Prize winners and 2018 finalists, all past applicants are eligible to reapply for 2019 (2018 finalists may reapply in 2020).

APPLICATION PROCESS: Through the RWJF Culture of Health Prize application process, a community comes together to tell their inspiring stories of collaboration, action, and results. Communities should understand they are applying for a prize and not a grant. The Prize recognizes work that has already been accomplished so there is no required workplan or budget. To be competitive, it is imperative that Prize applicants keep a community-wide focus in mind through all phases of the competition.

Events

About the networking meetup in Boulder last month

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Linguistic Society of America
Linguistics Beyond Academia Special Interest Group
Meet UpIMG_3496 (5) in Boulder, CO
September 19, 2018

Guest Post by Olivia Hirschey:
I had the pleasure of hosting the Linguistic Society of America’s Linguistics Beyond Academia Special Interest Group meet-up in Boulder this September. Events like these are a productive way to form connections and pathways between academia and industry, particularly as an increasing number of companies are starting to take note of the unique, valuable skill set linguists bring to work. It’s important to remember that work in academia and industry does not have to be an either/or situation, as this meet up showed.

At the event, graduate students and industry professionals met up at The Med (a delicious restaurant in downtown Boulder, thank you Med) to share advice, ask questions, and make connections across multiple linguistic subfields and industries, spanning from conversation analysis to computational linguistics, from tech companies to political campaign organizations. Please join us the next time we meet up and continue to build our networks of linguists, and feel free to email me at olivia.hirschey@colorado.edu.

Do you want to host a regional meet-up in your town?
Get in touch with the Linguistics Beyond Academia Special Interest Group!!

It’s a great way to give back, build our community, and create opportunities (for yourself and others – which brings us back to giving back, and building community )

 

Job postings

job posting: Language Training Specialist (Washington, DC) Peace Corps

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https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/511939800

NOTE: In addition to the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate will also have:

·         MA in Teaching English or other languages as a Second/Foreign language, or MA in Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, or similar with a focus on teaching languages. 

·         Documented training or experience as Trainer of Trainers or Trainer of Language Teachers.

·         At least five years’ experience teaching English or a foreign language to speakers of other languages in a variety of contexts, at a variety of levels, at least two years of which are overseas.

·         Experience evaluating language learning programs and making data-informed program recommendations.

·         Experience designing, editing or reviewing language teaching materials.

·         Experience and comfort working and communicating interculturally in low-resource international development contexts.

·         Experience managing language teaching or language teacher development projects or programs.

·         Experience designing and facilitating online professional development for language instructors.

·         Experience developing curriculum for language teaching and language teacher training programs.

·         Experience managing online social networks.

·         Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, especially for document design and collaborative editing, data collection and analysis, and presentations.

 

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support (OPATS), Language Division. The purpose of OPATS is to support programming, training and evaluation staff at overseas posts to best position Volunteers for successful service. OPATS supports the Peace Corps’ three regional offices (Regions) Africa (AF); Europe, Mediterranean and Asia (EMA); and Inter-America and the Pacific (IAP) to set standards and respond to programming, training and evaluation needs.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Language Training Specialist performs the following major duties:

  • Evaluates Peace Corps language training programs, strategies, techniques, and methodologies, and identifies aspects of training models that are successful.
  • Writes formal and informal guidance on language program planning and implementation.
  • Designs standardized templates for language training materials such as textbooks, practice books, teacher guides, etc. and advises post on adapting them.
  • Collaborates with Region and post staff to plan, design and facilitate training workshops on language materials development.
  • Evaluates professional development needs of language teaching program staff globally, regionally, and locally and reports findings to posts, Regions and headquarters.
  • Develops and implements or facilitates online training and development opportunities for language staff.
  • Conducts research on program design and implementation, analyzes data and reports finding to stakeholders.

Travel Required

25% or less – This position requires up to 25% of travel.