Securing a Teaching Career
The process of finding employment in the teaching field can be an overwhelming task, if you are unprepared. Quite often more experienced teachers are automatically invited to continue teaching at the beginning of each school year, leaving those new in the field out of luck. Another reason for job seeker frustration is that available teaching positions may be limited and competitive.* There are ways you can make this process a lot less painful by following a few simple guidelines, and before you know it you will be on your way to a new teaching career! If you are a new graduate, visit your local school system"s human resources department or recruiting department and inquire about any possible open positions. If there are currently no available positions ask if you can leave your resume in case something opens up. Most schools interview potential candidates several months before the hiring for the upcoming school year begins.
Beginning as a substitute teacher will help you start your career and this may very easily lead to a full-time teacher position. While attending as a substitute it is important to network with your co-workers and administrators and mingle with the students. If you create an excellent bond with the students and co-workers your chances of getting hired as a full-time teacher will greatly increase. Develop a relationship with the administrators at the school and demonstrate that you are passionate and enthusiastic about having a classroom of your own. If you do an excellent job while substituting you will have more of a chance of getting an interview if you are known by the administration than if you weren"t.
Networking is crucial. Let everyone in your social circle, your family, friends, colleagues, etc. know that you are looking for a full-time teaching position. You never know what can happen in casual conversation. Usually it is easier to get an interview when you are vouched for by word of mouth, especially if you are new to a field.
Many overlooked alternative teaching positions include, tutoring, coaching, training, mentoring, or teaching degree programs. Do not close yourself off to just teaching in a traditional school environment. Usually, if you have just started in the teaching profession, a great way to get acquainted with the field is by "training" positions.
Search for job posting on the internet. If you enter "teacher" or "teaching" or "educator" on any job websites search engine, you will find a huge list of teaching positions. The drawback to this is that hundreds of other interested teachers are looking at the same available positions. Narrowing your search online by searching specific areas of teaching, for instance "math teacher", will narrow your search to that specific job title and make things a little less overwhelming.
Remember, entering any new field can feel like it is overwhelming and daunting, but persistence and hard work will guarantee your success. Â Make sure you start with a visually appealing, keyword rich, accomplishment-based resume and cover letter that showcase what you can bring to the school district.