Just getting to interview is difficult.
I’m sure that you’ve heard it before. Family, friends and acquaintances discussing the immense teacher shortage: the increased government funding for teacher positions and the plethora of new teaching positions available. It’s almost insulting that there appears to be so many ‘teaching positions’ yet it is so difficult to get a permanent teaching position. Unless you’re a targeted graduate (lets be honest, it’s not going to happen to most graduates), or you’re willing to teach out in rural NSW the chances of you walking into a permanent teaching appointment are pretty low.
Getting temporary teaching appointments for maternity leave, staff sickness and so forth is a different process. Just getting to interview is difficult. There is the merciless culling process, the internal appointments and the thorough selection criteria, which are all important factors, which will determine your success in getting to interview. There are a number of things that you can do to help improve your chances of getting from writing your resume to sitting in front of the interview panel.
Let your referees know that you’re applying: Make sure you read through a copy of the job application and find out which referees are required. Ensure that your principal and your other referees know that you are applying. Their account of your suitability for the role and your professionalism are vital.
Proof read your resume for errors: There are few things that will get your resume thrown out immediately, careless grammar and spelling mistakes are one of them. If grammar and spelling isn’t your strength ask someone else to read your application.
Use the correct school name: It sounds obvious, but this is crucial. When you write lots of resumes many teachers create a template and then personalise the application for each school. The problem with this is that it is very easy to send the wrong application to the wrong school. I once spelt the school name wrong, lets just say it was an embarrassing conversation when I asked the principal what I could do to improve my application.
Ask a supervisor, school executive or your principal to have a read through your resume: A trusted colleague, or experienced teacher familiar with the application process, can offer invaluable advice. When I asked one of my first supervisors to take a look at my very first permanent teaching application, it came back covered in red pen, with multitude of errors highlighted and changes galore. It was a little awkward. Just remember, it’s far better for someone to pick up the mistakes on this end than failing to make interview because of oversights.
Read the school’s annual school report: Whenever I apply to a school I always take some time to read through their most recent Annual School Report. The Annual School Report is usually available on the school’s website. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the goals of the school and to show how you can help the school move towards fulfilling those objectives.
Remember that applying for a job is a complex progress. Some of you will get through to an interview on your first attempt. For most of you, like me, it will be a process of learning and refining your approach. Many of you will fine-tune your resume each time you apply for a job.
Make sure that you keep tying and ask for constructive criticism from each of the schools that you apply for.