This weekend I attended a small neighborhood party. As always happens, people were talking about their children and what they might be doing. One couple mentioned to me that their son had graduated a little over a year ago with a teaching degree in economics. So far he did not have a job and was working as a parts salesman for a local car dealership. I asked if he had done anything with his teaching certificate and how that was going. They told me the same story I have heard time and again.... "he continues to send out resumes from time to time, but has not received a lot of interest at this point."
Is this your story too? Have you sent out resumes and filled out online applications, but received nothing of value in return? Today's job market is so competitive and tight that many well qualified, highly motivated teachers are finding interviews hard to find. Even those who get an interview or two, often find they were not the ones chosen for the position. It is frustrating and demoralizing when this situation goes on for months at a time. The question is, just what does one do to turn that situation around? Here are some suggestions.
Do your homework! As I have said time and again in every seminar, it is the best prepared candidate that survives today's market You need a sound marketing plan to get your resumes and application documents to the top of the list. You need to be ready with sharp answers to written screening questions. You need to have a great interview plan ready to go...just how should I focus my interview answers? What do I need to know about the schools to which I'm applying? You CANNOT just send out resumes and hope for the best!! Sharpen your plan and make this your full-time job.
Avoid desperation. I realize when you are on your own in the world and don't have a job, time becomes your enemy. As you begin to see prime interview season winding down with no interviews in your future, panic can begin to surface. Unfortunately, these anxieties can work against you. You can begin to focus your interview thoughts on the "me" instead of the great things you intend to bring to that school. In these circumstances, your confidence can begin to wane, and affect your voice as well as delivery. The only antidote to this is preparation. When you are four square ready for the tough questions with well constructed, sharp answers, your body language and voice exude more confidence. When you know you have a killer portfolio to close the deal, you look and feel more professional. Sorry, but the only way to achieve this kind of self-assuredness is to go back to Rule 1... study and prepare.
Develop your resume while you wait. If you want to be a teacher, then look for opportunities to teach. If a public school job is what you want, but none came your way, then start your career the same way I did... substitute. I know, the pay is poor and you can't live on it. But you can get part-time jobs that allow you time to be in a school a few days a week. Do it. Substitute teachers are needed by every community and you have all the skills they want. Get in those classes, keep a journal, go to their in-service days if allowed, and get yourself established as a teacher. By teaching a wide variety of grade levels, courses, and ability groups your resume will grow by leaps and bounds. Better yet? People will get to know you and what you can do. And just know this; you will not be the first teacher to have been hired from the substitute ranks by a great school.
Widen your job search. Too often we unnecessarily restrict ourselves in our job hunt. We have to have a certain geographic area. I want a high school, not a middle school. We don't want a more urban school. We only want public school opportunities. Every time you place a restriction on yourself, you close off a part of the job market. If you have been unsuccessful in getting interviews, you might just have to remove some of the restrictions and widen your market. Take a look at school districts closer to cities; they often have more turnover than the high profile suburban schools with big names. One of my first jobs was in a totally urban area of New Jersey, and I took some wonderful break-through memories and invaluable skills away from that experience. Think about non-traditional schools. Are there charter schools to which you might apply? How about private schools? Some churches run their own private schools. All of these opportunities dramatically increase your chances of landing a teaching position! Why shouldn't you take advantage of them?
My last piece of advice to you is not to give up. Turn previous disappointments into future resolve. Make looking for a teaching position your full time work; do something towards that future every single day until you have success. Study, prepare, persevere, and succeed. You have all the passion to teach, now take the next step and go get that job!
Is this your story too? Have you sent out resumes and filled out online applications, but received nothing of value in return? Today's job market is so competitive and tight that many well qualified, highly motivated teachers are finding interviews hard to find. Even those who get an interview or two, often find they were not the ones chosen for the position. It is frustrating and demoralizing when this situation goes on for months at a time. The question is, just what does one do to turn that situation around? Here are some suggestions.
Do your homework! As I have said time and again in every seminar, it is the best prepared candidate that survives today's market You need a sound marketing plan to get your resumes and application documents to the top of the list. You need to be ready with sharp answers to written screening questions. You need to have a great interview plan ready to go...just how should I focus my interview answers? What do I need to know about the schools to which I'm applying? You CANNOT just send out resumes and hope for the best!! Sharpen your plan and make this your full-time job.
Avoid desperation. I realize when you are on your own in the world and don't have a job, time becomes your enemy. As you begin to see prime interview season winding down with no interviews in your future, panic can begin to surface. Unfortunately, these anxieties can work against you. You can begin to focus your interview thoughts on the "me" instead of the great things you intend to bring to that school. In these circumstances, your confidence can begin to wane, and affect your voice as well as delivery. The only antidote to this is preparation. When you are four square ready for the tough questions with well constructed, sharp answers, your body language and voice exude more confidence. When you know you have a killer portfolio to close the deal, you look and feel more professional. Sorry, but the only way to achieve this kind of self-assuredness is to go back to Rule 1... study and prepare.
Develop your resume while you wait. If you want to be a teacher, then look for opportunities to teach. If a public school job is what you want, but none came your way, then start your career the same way I did... substitute. I know, the pay is poor and you can't live on it. But you can get part-time jobs that allow you time to be in a school a few days a week. Do it. Substitute teachers are needed by every community and you have all the skills they want. Get in those classes, keep a journal, go to their in-service days if allowed, and get yourself established as a teacher. By teaching a wide variety of grade levels, courses, and ability groups your resume will grow by leaps and bounds. Better yet? People will get to know you and what you can do. And just know this; you will not be the first teacher to have been hired from the substitute ranks by a great school.
Widen your job search. Too often we unnecessarily restrict ourselves in our job hunt. We have to have a certain geographic area. I want a high school, not a middle school. We don't want a more urban school. We only want public school opportunities. Every time you place a restriction on yourself, you close off a part of the job market. If you have been unsuccessful in getting interviews, you might just have to remove some of the restrictions and widen your market. Take a look at school districts closer to cities; they often have more turnover than the high profile suburban schools with big names. One of my first jobs was in a totally urban area of New Jersey, and I took some wonderful break-through memories and invaluable skills away from that experience. Think about non-traditional schools. Are there charter schools to which you might apply? How about private schools? Some churches run their own private schools. All of these opportunities dramatically increase your chances of landing a teaching position! Why shouldn't you take advantage of them?
My last piece of advice to you is not to give up. Turn previous disappointments into future resolve. Make looking for a teaching position your full time work; do something towards that future every single day until you have success. Study, prepare, persevere, and succeed. You have all the passion to teach, now take the next step and go get that job!
My name is Robert W. Pollock. I am an educator, with over 34 years experience, a speaker, a consultant, and the author of 'Teacher Interviews. How to Get Them & How to Get Hired!. I have spoken to 1,000's of prospective teachers on how to interview and get the job. I have consulted with numerous schools around the country. Currently I am a professor of Education at Tusculum College, Knoxville, TN, where I also serve as the president of their alumni board.
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