Hello teaching friends!
First off, I’ve decided that Sundays are (for now) going to be my weekly upload
day. I've said that this blog is where I will put things that don't have anywhere else to go, so each Sunday will be something a bit
different (mostly newbie teacher stuff). I know, I know... there's usually no post on Sunday. (Bonus points if
you get the Harry Potter reference. Double
bonus if you don’t leave my blog immediately because of that terrible joke. I don’t know why it’s so funny to me, but I've been laughing for like a week.)
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Alright, so I wanted to start off my blog posting shenanigans with
some information about my experience trying to find a teaching job. I don’t have an official job yet so I’m
clearly no expert, but I have learned a few things that I didn’t just find online. After re-writing this post three times and having it total 8 pages of
text I decided that I needed to shorten it up a bit to give you
MY TOP 5 IMPORTANT THINGS EVERY TEACHING NEWBIE JOB HUNTER SHOULD KNOW!
It’s a quick list of things I’ve learned in this never-ending process that is kind of important so there is no way to avoid it. Ready, set, go!
1) ORGANIZE!
Nobody tells you that applying for jobs makes you feel like you’re back
in college. You’re surrounded by dozens of papers,
you’re flipping back and forth between documents, and trying not to lose your
mind all at the same time. Start off by asking yourself “HOW
CAN I ORGANIZE MYSELF?” If you like
sticky notes, try writing each job position on a sticky note, list the
requirements underneath, and attach to the documents when they’re printed. If you’re a fan of folders, give each job a
folder and put all the documents in one place.
If you’re more tech savvy, make a file system on your
desktop. (It’s good to do anyways as a lot
of schools require you to just upload all your documents to their online system. And definitely upload them as a PDF file so they look just
how you intended.)
I ended up using a
crazy combination of a few different ways because that’s just how I
function in life…
- For each position I wrote up a large sticky note with the title, district name, due date and document requirements.
- I left these notes on a clipboard and checked off each requirement as I finished either creating it or printing it.
- Every document type (i.e. resume, cover letter, etc) had it’s own folder on my desktop. They’re generally all the same content, except I tailored it to each position and district (more at tip #4).
- If I needed to print documents for a position, I placed every required document in a folder on my jump drive. That way I could just open the folder, print one of everything, and I was good to go. I also have multiple copies of some documents (like proof of certification that won’t be changing at all) pre-printed, just to make life easier.
- When I was ready to pack the envelope I found the original posting and placed the documents in the exact order as listed on the posting. EXACT ORDER. It kept me from forgetting a part and was a last minute check to make sure the right cover letter was going to the intended school district.
- After sending my application packet out, I'm now left with a sticky note to remind me what schools I have applied to. It is tucked away in my Wonderfile. Honestly the most ridiculous looking invention that you think you don’t need, but you find that it actually works and you fall in love with it years after your purchase it. (I also want one in plaid now...)
2) MAKE IT PRETTY! If you’re in the business world,
you will probably just stick to plain black ink and ‘blah’ fonts. However, as a teacher, I feel that we have
some room to play around with the visual aspect of our documents. I think it sets your documents apart from the
other candidates (although the interview panel might have a black and white
copy of your colored resume and it wouldn’t matter anyway… ). I picked a fancy font & a regular font,
two colors and a piece of simple clip art.
The header on my resume & cover letter matched and my business card
uses similar coloring and fonts. Here's a sample:
{Download smiley monster HERE! Thanks to Kevin & Amanda for the best free fonts. And THIS is where I got my clipart from- they are so kind to share some great little works of art.}
Remember, your application packet is the first thing schools see, so let it speak for you. AND type everything you can using your regular
font choice. It just looks really neat and professional, in my opinion.
3) RECYCLE YOUR THINKING! Don’t think you need to reinvent the wheel in terms
of creating your resume or cover letter. Research a lot... pick out what you like and what you don't. Start
with the same core content and just adjust to match each position and school
district. My resumes are all the same except
the objective matches the position I am applying for (classroom teacher vs.
reading teaching). My cover letter is
also adjusted to each position (reading teacher has more information about
assessment experience, literacy goals, etc). But don’t overwork yourself- just recycle! Although, don’t go six months with the same cover
letter. Change it up a bit- add in some theorists or new ideas as you think of
them.
4) KEEP A LIST OF (NEW?) REFERENCES! In my state, I have
found that many schools require references, which are mostly different from the
people who gave me letters of recommendation.
If you also find you need references, check with people who have worked with you in a professional setting for their permission and then add them your list. Include their official title, where they
are employed, an address, and a phone number in a Word document. Most
schools ask for 3, but I have 5 ready to go at any time.
I copy and paste and it’s easy as that. I thought of doing the same for my basic application information (employment history,
certifications, etc- basically the EXACT SAME stuff on your resume... but that is
a rant for a different post) but it was too late in the process to reorganize myself.
5) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WAITING!
After you send off your application (or multiple
applications, because hey- I’m desperate) you will wait. And wait. And wait. It was over a month before I heard back from any of the schools. Take this bit of time to "reset" yourself. Whether that means resting for a day or so,
drinking tea, eating a celebratory ice cream cone, cleaning up your work area, sorting through paperwork or having a dance party… whatever you need to do,
do it! However, once I started to feel
like everything was “back to normal” I knew I needed to brush up on my teaching
knowledge. It has been over a year since
I graduated and, due to circumstances which were out of my control, I am just
now seriously searching for my own classroom. I use this time to practiced interview questions, re-read old
textbooks (or read textbooks that I was suppose to read in school and never did), searched around my favorite teaching blogs and
learned all I could about Common Core. I have a master notebook (safely stored in my Wonderfile) that is filled with my notes on all sorts of topics I think could be useful. It’s been
really boring, and stressful, and causes me extreme anxiety some days, but I’m
choosing to use my “waiting” time in a positive way.
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Again, I’m in no way, shape, or form saying that you
need to do these things or you should do these things or that by doing these things I will guarantee you a job (remember- I'm still classroom-less too). They just happened to be 5 things I learned on my own, found important, and figured I needed to share with you.
{& If you're still searching for your classroom, you're not alone in this crazy process. I wish you lots of luck with your search! Don't give up!}
Thanks for reading! xx
