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Category: School District Jobs

Advice from an Interim Mentor

She grabbed my arm and, sounding like some sort of romance heroine, said “Don’t go! I never had this before.” “What?” I asked. “A mentor,” she said. The district had taken its time to find the right replacement for its vacant Director of Finance position. It was a big promotion, but she was definitely the right person

April 10, 2015 Short URLDirector of Finance, mentor, mentoring, mentorshipCareer Development, Human Resources, Management, School District Jobs

Strengths and Weaknesses

Interview questions about strengths and weaknesses are old standards. Everyone preparing for a job interview needs to be prepared to answer them. Strengths: Forbes suggests that you brag without being obnoxious. Provide concrete examples to illustrate your successes. Tell a couple of brief stories and make them memorable Weaknesses: This is the hard part. The classic advice is to

December 29, 2014 Short URLinterview questions, preparing for a job interview, strengths, weaknessesCareer Development, Human Resources, Management, School District Jobs

Book Review: Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work

I wish I could have read “Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work…and What Does” by Susan Fowler at the start of my career. It would have been helpful to not only learn the concepts but also to be coached in their practice. I have gleaned some of this information from mentors and coaches, such as: “money is only a de-motivator”. and “when you

December 26, 2014 Short URLemployee engagement, Motivating People, motivationBook Reviews, Human Resources, Management, Productivity, School District Jobs, Working Together

An Interview Question on a Mission

If you are going for a leadership role in the Business Services section of a school district, you are probably going to be asked something like the following in an interview. If we hire you into this role, how will you advance the mission of the school district? Not Recommended: You created this position so I don’t have to tell

February 7, 2014 Short URLcareer development, communication, education, employment, hiring, interview, interview question, job, job interview, mission, question, school finance, strategic plan, strategy, workCareer Development, Finance, Government, Human Resources, Management, Public Schools, School District Jobs, Working Together

Resources for Aspiring School Business Leaders

Continuing my series for future school business leaders, I offer short commentaries on some of the most useful technical and policy resources for California school business aspirants. In no particular order, here they are: 1. School Services of California. This is a subscription service. If you are in California it is likely that your school district is a

January 20, 2014 Short URLaspiring leader, auditor, business, California, California Department of Education, California school districts, career development, CASBO, CCR, Code of Regulations, Edjoin, Edsource, Education Code, fcmat, Google alerts, government, government spending, leadership, legislative analyst, Management, policy issues, PPIC, public education, Public Policy, public school finance, public schools, Sacramento Bee, school district business, school finance, School Services, technical expertiseCareer Development, Finance, Government, Laws and Regulations, Local Control Funding Formula, Management, Procedures and Practices, Public Schools, School District Jobs

Chocaholics, Beware of Vendors Bearing Gifts

Back when I started working for the Pretty Small School District, my boss would pass out tickets to professional hockey games. She would say something like “Look, I have these tickets and I’m not that interested in hockey.” So Spouse and I would go. I later found out that the tickets came from one of the district’s vendors. Back then

January 10, 2014 Short URLbest practice, California Fair Political Practices, career development, education, employment, gifts, gifts to public employees, government, Management, public employees, school district businessCareer Development, Government, Laws and Regulations, Public Schools, School District Jobs

Oh Crap!

Some time back I was a passenger in a car that my friend was driving. We were sideswiped by a 17-year-old driver in a massive truck. This smashed the passenger side. We were pushed into the central freeway barrier. This smashed the driver’s side. Then we spun around several times and ended up on the shoulder,

January 9, 2014 Short URLaccident, best practice, career development, disaster recovery, firefighters, Management, problem solvingCareer Development, Management, Productivity, Risk Management, School District Jobs, Working Together

Victimized by a Bag of Trash

A long time ago I moved into a modest apartment in a poorer part of town. I opened the back window and was at once assaulted by an unpleasant odor. I soon located the source of the stench: an oversized heavy-duty black trash bag on the back balcony filled with moldy garbage. I was incensed. My thinking

January 8, 2014 Short URLapartment, facing reality, garbage, garbage bins, responsibility, taking control, taking responsibility, trash, unpleasant odor, victim, victim mentalityCareer Development, Management, School District Jobs, Working Together

The Job Interview and The Unwelcome Question

First, I introduce everyone in the room. Then I quickly review the hiring process. Then I say “Unless you have anything you want or ask or say, we will begin.” Mostly the interview then gets underway. Occasionally, though, I will get this: Before we begin would you tell me what you are looking for in a candidate?

January 6, 2014 Short URLbest practice, budget analyst, career development, elevator pitch, employee engagement, fit, interview, interview questions, job candidate, job fit, job interview, jobs, school district business, school district jobs, workCareer Development, Management, School District Jobs

A Different Approach to Hiring?

Over the years I have hired a some stars and some near misses as well. Upon reflection my hires generally fall into four groups: Intelligent, motivated, with great interpersonal skills (IQ, MQ, EQ). These are our stars, who are promoted quickly. Intelligent, motivated, with poor interpersonal skills (IQ, MQ). Despite their talents and eagerness, they irritate their fellow workers.

January 5, 2014 Short URLbest practice, budget analyst, business, career development, employee engagement, employment, EQ, hiring, human resources, interpersonal skills, interview, job interview, jobs, motivated employees, motivation, MQ, myers-briggs, personality tests, problem solving, public education, public school finance, public schools, school district business, show me the money, unions, Vladimir PutinCareer Development, Management, School District Jobs, Working Together

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