JOHN J. SMITH
Summary
CPS Teacher Residency/Recruitment Specialist who recruits, screens, interviews, and onboards candidates for Illinois teacher licensure and degree pathways. Manages a 1,200+ candidate pipeline in Salesforce and Excel, coordinates admissions with education partners, and leads citywide recruitment events that support teacher candidate enrollment. Builds and trains alumni ambassadors, conducts classroom observations for mentor roles, and helps cross-functional teams exceed recruitment goals by 120%+ each cohort year.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
CPS Teacher Residency/Recruitment Specialist
Chicago Public Schools
12.2022 - 07.2026
- Recruited, screened, interviewed, and onboarded undergraduate, graduate, and career-change candidates for Illinois teacher licensure and degree programs.
- Coordinated and facilitated recruitment events and alumni panels for prospective and current teacher candidates.
- Managed an annual pipeline of 1,200+ undergraduate and graduate candidate leads using Salesforce and Excel, tracking application progress and CPS Teacher Residency requirements.
- Coordinated admissions processes in collaboration with participating education partners.
- Recruited, trained, and managed licensed alumni teachers to serve as program ambassadors, supporting incoming and current resident teachers throughout the CPS academic year.
- Conducted classroom observations to evaluate licensed teachers for program mentor roles.
- Coordinated and participated in citywide recruitment events for CPS paraprofessionals and prospective teacher candidates.
- Led cross-functional teams of departmental staff and education partners, achieving 120% of recruitment goals each cohort year.
Senior Outreach/Enrollment Specialist
National Louis University
10.2015 - 12.2022
- Represented the institution at recruitment events, conducted high school outreach, and coordinated campus tours to help prospective students evaluate institutional fit.
- Cultivated strong partnerships with school counselors and school administrators to better support their student populations.
- Evaluated prospective students’ qualifications and program fit for undergraduate degree programs.
- Implemented and streamlined admissions processes to support onsite and online enrollment.
- Collaborated with academic departments and student services teams to facilitate course registration, contributing to an 80%+ student retention rate.
- Formulated department policies and procedures for student awareness and engagement.
- Coordinated and facilitated on-campus recruitment events to engage prospective students.
- Generated weekly production analysis reports to track performance metrics and support operational decision-making.
- Led onboarding and training for new enrollment team members, evaluating performance and supporting successful team integration.
Assistant Director of Admission
Illinois Institute of Art
05.2008 - 10.2015
- Guided new students through course registration and enrollment processes.
- Conducted prospective student interviews to assess interests, goals, and program fit for campus and online undergraduate degree programs.
- Developed strategic enrollment plans to exceed student enrollment goals for upcoming class starts.
- Coordinated open house and orientation events to support onboarding and engagement of newly enrolled students.
- Developed training materials to support the implementation and ongoing success of existing and new programs.
Senior Admissions Advisor
American Intercontinental University Online
11.2004 - 08.2007
- Conducted admissions interviews to assess prospective students’ interests, qualifications, and fit for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
- Developed and coordinated a team to facilitate college preparation informational sessions and support student readiness initiatives.
- Increased student retention among new-start enrollees through targeted engagement and support strategies.
- Exceeded projected enrollment targets for new class starts through effective recruitment and engagement strategies.
- Served as the designated military enrollment specialist, managing admissions processes and supporting U.S. Armed Forces applicants.
Education
Master of Business Administration - undefined
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois12.2002
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois12.1999
Bachelor of Arts - Mass Communications
Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville, Illinois05.1996
Skills
- Enrollment management
- Recruitment planning
- Admissions operations
- Student engagement
- Partnership development
- Enrollment forecasting
- Yield management
- Student retention strategy
- Territory planning
- Financial aid counseling
- Microsoft Excel
- Office 365
- Salesforce
- Banner
- Google Suite
- CRM reporting
- Compliance documentation
- Transfer credit evaluation
- Lead nurturing automation
- Regional partnership development
Timeline
CPS Teacher Residency/Recruitment Specialist
Chicago Public Schools
12.2022 - 07.2026
Senior Outreach/Enrollment Specialist
National Louis University
10.2015 - 12.2022
Assistant Director of Admission
Illinois Institute of Art
05.2008 - 10.2015
Senior Admissions Advisor
American Intercontinental University Online
11.2004 - 08.2007
Bachelor of Arts - Mass Communications
Southern Illinois University
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
Illinois State University
Master of Business Administration - undefined
Roosevelt University