Tips for Finding a Great Teaching Job

Teachers have a lot of choice when it comes to jobs these days. All around the world, teachers for various reasons are thinking about quitting their jobs and doing other things. There is therefore an ongoing and high level of demand for talented, dedicated teachers. It’s important then that teachers take time to find the best-possible positions at institutions that will value their skills and offer a good package and working life.

Below are some tips for teachers when it comes to finding great teaching jobs.

Tip 1: Never Rule Out Online Teaching

When you’re conducting your search, make sure you include a search for teaching jobs online. Some teachers have expressed their dissatisfaction with online teaching as a whole, saying that it’s an environment they don’t like to be in, but even as we exit the worst days of the pandemic and look to restore some sense of normalcy to schools, online teaching is popular with education consumers --- IE parents and students --- and therefore is a sector that’s here to stay, and has some serious future traction.

Tip 2: Shop Around

The reality right now around the world is that it’s a teacher’s market when it comes to recruitment, especially those interested in international education. Schools all over the country and the world are struggling to recruit, and that’s something that gives willing teachers an advantage when it comes to discussing pay, benefits, and working conditions.

A lot of teachers express their desire to finally find modern teaching roles that will also afford them a decent work-life balance. With teachers both empowered and emboldened by problems in the wider education system, the scope for improving this situation is much greater.

Tip 3: Create Materials that Showcase Your Achievements and Skills

Teachers are uniquely placed among professionals in that they have special ability in communicating complex information in simple and engaging ways. Any teacher who can make multiplication appealing to primary school students can create materials that highlight their worth to a school’s hiring committee.

Such materials create a concrete and undeniable record that acts as concrete evidence as to why you should be paid more, or receive better conditions as you join a new institution. It could be a simple powerpoint presentation, or a paper handout, it doesn’t matter so much what the exact form is, just so long as it’s easy to read and conveys the necessary information.

Tip 4: When Interviewing, Focus on Professional Growth

Most teacher interviews involve talking with principals, department heads and other faculty members. These are people who know the job you’re applying for inside out, much more than a typical HR manager would in a regular office job. For this reason, blagging your way through interviews talking about what a stellar teacher you are doesn’t tend to be a good strategy when you’re looking for that best-fit job.

Instead, focus on challenges that you have faced as a teacher and how you worked with your colleagues, as well as with parents and students to make the problem better. When you have this as your focus, you’re more likely to get a positive response. A good teacher understands humility, growth, the need for collaboration, and sharing credit with others.

Tip 5: Take Time to Learn About Schools You’re Interested In

Another useful tip to help yourself stand out among teacher competition is to research in detail schools and other learning institutions that you are genuinely interested in joining. Getting to know and appreciate the school’s philosophy, mission, and how its leaders operate is a good way to demonstrate your real interest. Schools are miniaturised communities that want to attract like-minded people. Those are the candidates that will fit in better and contribute to the overall mission.

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