Career Development in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism: A Positioning Approach

Career Development in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism: A Positioning Approach outlines a step-by-step plan for career development based on the technique of positioning. In contrast to traditional job search methods, the positioning approach shows you how to increase your chances of securing your preferred job by placing yourself close to the person with whom you want to work, the place or organization where you want to work, or the position that fulfills your career goals. Using the positioning approach, author Robert B. Kauffman has guided students through internship into the profession and beyond.

Based on contemporary research and literature, Career Development in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism: A Positioning Approach prepares students for the next step in their preprofessional and professional careers. This resource offers expert advice and tested techniques to help students do the following:

Decide on the job they want and begin to proactively seek out opportunities in that area. Determine the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences (KSAEs) required to get the job they want and start developing those KSAEs. Use professional networking to meet people in the field and advance their career goals. Gather information on the field, the organizations they want to work for, and the positions they’re interested in so they can better show where they fit in the organizations and why they should be hired. Engage in one-on-one interviews with the people in charge of hiring at the target organizations. Prepare for interviews and develop the tools they’ll need during the job search, including resumes, cover letters, portfolios, and business cards.

The book includes individual and group exercises to help students better understand each step in the positioning approach, as well as sample resumes, letters, and e-mails. It also features stories from students and professionals who describe how they used the positioning approach to reach their career goals. Throughout the text, the author provides examples, tools, and tips from his years of experience helping students use the positioning strategy. He also offers techniques for succeeding in more traditional job searches, including preparing for the formal job interview.

Jump-start your current career or learn how your coursework and field experiences can open doors to your career goals. Whether you’re just beginning a course of study or just entering the profession, Career Development in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism: A Positioning Approach will help you develop the skills and tools to get the job you want.

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.