Maybe you are getting ready to enter your senior year of college in an education program or maybe you have had your college degree for some time. Either way, the market has changed a bit, yet some methodologies for finding a job in education have remained the same while others have changed. Whether you are just entering the job market, you are someone returning after a hiatus, or you are someone transitioning in from a different career, there are some key factors to keep in mind.
First, if you have recently completed a student teaching experience (or plan to in the near future), this is a great way to land your first teaching position in a school district. While you are still developing your craft, your cooperating teacher and your principal will have the opportunity to see the potential you have. Many teachers are offered a position in the school in which they student taught, or the principal may make a recommendation to another school in the district to hire you. In a sense, you are a known factor and you have had a chance to prove yourself, which gives you an edge over someone else coming in whom the principal does not know well.
Even if no position is available in the school in which you student taught, your principal will be a primary reference for you, and he/she may have connections in another school district. That reference will be critical for your job search, so you want to ensure that your principal and any other administrators you worked with know you. How do you do that – especially if you work in a large school? Invite them in to observe a special lesson or for a special event. They will be looking for something to put in a letter of reference for you, so whatever you invite the administrators and supervisors in for, make it representative of your best teaching!
Second, if you have not student taught in some time or have gotten your certification via some type of alternate route in which you did not have to, one of the best ways to promote yourself (and make some extra money) is to substitute teach. By working as a substitute teacher, administrators will have the opportunity to see how you manage yourself with the students, how professional you are, and if you are the right fit for the school. One of the most important factors that administrators look for is someone who can manage a class, which is, not surprisingly, always a challenge for a substitute since some children see them as an opportunity to push boundaries. If you demonstrate that you can handle the students with ease, teach the curriculum, and create a warm, nurturing environment while making meaningful connections with your students, you will be putting yourself at the top of the call-back list for full-time teachers.
Third, when you actually apply for the job, there is often a recommended application process, and many school districts now recommend an online application. The day of the paper resume seems to be out-of-date, right? Well, not exactly. I was recently speaking to an administrator who told me that she was looking for a teacher to fill a specific position. She easily could have used the computer system to peruse the myriad applications to find people who fit the application requirements and then start calling people in. Who stood out to her the most? There were a few applicants who BOTH filled out the on-line application AND sent a cover letter and resume to her directly. That extra step made these applicants stand out and she looked at those applicants first since it was easiest and she knew that they were current.
Of course, you will have to use your judgment; if an application strictly says no paper resumes, you will have to make your own choice of how you want to proceed. These applicants took a risk and it paid off since the application process in this school offered both options to applicants. If both options are offered – online and paper – it might be a good idea to cover all of your bases. Consider who is on the other side reading the application; some people prefer computer applications and some prefer the traditional paper one. In either event, you are covered.
In this tough economy and with the dearth of teaching positions, it is helpful to network as much as possible. Let others know that you are looking for a teaching job. Send your resume out of course, but you would be surprised at how often a small connection might give you an edge up. To land a job, any job, sometimes, you just need a small edge. Education can be a very small world, and you might be surprised to find that your professor, for example, can hand-deliver your resume to the principal of a school!