Dear evaluators,
‘Tis the season for giving thanks. I’m thankful for the experienced evaluators who have guided me, mentored me, and nudged me in the right direction over the past few years. Thank you!
A few months ago, I discovered the 9 top tips for the journalists of tomorrow by the Guardian. They collected tips about the tools and skills that novice journalists need to survive — and thrive — in journalism. What if we created a similar guide for evaluation?
I’d like to collect and compile your career advice for novice evaluators. Want to help me pay it forward? Just add a “comment” below on one or more of the following topics:
- What’s the best evaluation advice you’ve received? Who was it from? How did it affect your everyday evaluation practice?
- What do you wish you knew about evaluation earlier? (Check out Karen Anderson’s take on this question here.)
- What are your interview, resume, and cover letter tips for job candidates? (Or, your pet peeves that candidates should avoid?)
- What are the must-have technical skills and must-have interpersonal traits for the next generation of evaluators?
- “__________ has been the most challenging aspect of evaluation for me personally, and __________ is how I deal with it.”
- “__________ will be the biggest challenge facing our field over the next 10-20 years, and __________ is how we might deal with it.” (Check out more predictions about the future of evaluation here.)
Thanks for your commitment to our field.
Ann
Sam Grant 
3 Comments
This isn’t advice that was given to me personally, but Jane Davidson wrote a rock star article on unlearning our social science habits. http://survey.ate.wmich.edu/jmde/index.php/jmde_1/article/view/68/71
Having her call out the practices that were engrained in me was eye opening. It was liberating to be able to move past these to be a better evaluator.
Ann,
I’d love to answer all of these, but here are a few of my thoughts…
What’s the best evaluation advice you’ve received? Who was it from? How did it affect your everyday evaluation practice?
During my lunch with Michael Quinn Patton at the AEA Conference 2012 he told me networking was going to be key in my career. I’d like to take that a step further and say that network weaving, a craft I’m learning from Susan Kistler, has also been rewarding, to be able to bring people together and show the value for both parties 🙂
What are your interview, resume, and cover letter tips for job candidates? (Or, your pet peeves that candidates should avoid?)
I’m a fan of creativity(colors, links, innovative cover letters), but I’ve gotten good and bad feedback regarding this. I just know from my review of hundreds of applicants for a position, I need something to stick out among the crowd! Anything!
“Being a generalist” has been the most challenging aspect of evaluation for me personally, and having conversations with staff and various stakeholders is how I deal with it.”
I hope this helps a little, thanks for this very engaging post!
-Karen
The sheer volume of available information on evaluation and the lack of widespread agreement within the field of practitioners and theorists on terminology, practice, approaches, theories, etc. has been the most challenging aspect of evaluation for me personally, and reading, reading, and READING more (along with attending AEA conferences) is how I deal with it. 🙂 Hmmmm…I think a blog post is beginning to form…