In most areas of the US, teaching jobs are very difficult to find andsecure. Many suburban school districts receive hundreds of applicationsfor each teaching job opening. With so much competition out there, it’sno wonder there are so many highly-qualified-but-unemployed teachers onthe market today.
The key to landing a teaching job is marketing yourself effectively andmaking yourself stand out above the other candidates. There are 4 areasto focus on when applying for teaching jobs: cover letter, resume,portfolio, and interview.
Here are some specifics to help you get started:
1. Cover Letter
Make your cover letter stand out. Use bold-face print to highlightyour teaching philosophy statement. Include a bulleted list in the bodyof the letter to highlight you accomplishments. Consider adding a touchof color to the heading for a professional touch. Don’t use a genericletter for all schools; customize your cover letter to the schooldistrict you’re applying to.
2. Resume
Your resume should be be professionally formatted. Use anattractive template in Microsoft Word, or copy your favorite on-linelayout. Be sure it includes the same letterhead as your cover letter.Use bold face to highlight your past experiences. Don’t be afraid toinclude a brief philosophy statement or quotation from one of yourletters of recommendation. As long as it is tasteful, a little color orclip art is okay. And remember: Perfect layout and formatting are nosubstitute for content. Your resume should PROVE that you’re the mostqualified and capable teaching candidate there is.
3. Teaching Portfolio
Have a good teaching portfolio with you. Your portfolio should be acollection of lesson plans, photographs, parent newsletters,evaluations, and other paraphernalia to show off your teachingexperiences. It should be chock-full of evidence that you can refer tothroughout your teaching interview.
4. Interview Preparation
Practice teacher interview questions beforehand. Generally, teacherinterview questions will be similar at almost every teacher interviewyou’re invited to. You can prepare yourself by using the Internet toresearch the most common teacher interview questions and planning thetypes of responses you would give. Candidates who know what is going tobe asked, and have planned their responses ahead of time tend to standout and appear confident and qualified when they present themselves infront of the interview committee.
There’s a helpful resource that can help you through each stage of thejob hunting process. It’s an eBook titled, “Guide to Getting the Teaching Job of Your Dreams.” It features advice on the best places to look for teaching jobs, complete cover letter and resume advice, how to build an effective teaching portfolio, and fifty of the most common teacher interview questions and answers. You can download “Guide to Getting a Teaching Job” at iwantateachingjob.com.
Good luck to you on your search for a teaching job!