The first wave of job hires is now coming to a close. What is that wave? Teachers are encouraged, if they are sure, to hand in their papers for retirement early, usually by the end of January, rather than waiting until May. Some school divisions even provide a bonus of $1000 or so to encourage this. So, why is the early letter important to divisions? The answer is that the division cannot advertise for positions that do not exist even if they anticipate an opening. So, if a teacher's retirement or resignation letter comes in earlier then the division can hire the best candidates before they are snapped up by others. This period of time when you could be an early hire is coming to a close. There are advantages and disadvantages to taking a job early. First, you do not worry about where you will be working and you can spend the latter part of your teacher education focused on materializing your goals for your first job. Second advantage is that you do not have to beat the pavement to network yourself into the system wondering about your future. Third, you will not be lured into becoming a full-time substitute teacher since good, reliable, talented substitutes are not always easy to find and you will be a valuable commodity as a substitute when you really want a full-time teaching position.
The advantages of not being hired in the first wave are first, that you will not have to see your dream job come up and then not be able to even apply for it because you have already signed a contract. Second, you will experience the interview process a few times and learn how to land a job. This experience should never be undervalued since it will provide knowledge for the next job you try for. Third, the most interesting jobs come up after May and you now have a variety of jobs to look into. Never feel dismayed if you do not catch the second wave after the end of May. There is a third wave, too.
Over the years I have found that some of the plumb first-year teacher jobs come up at the end of August/beginning of September. If you missed the first wave, and the second, then do not be discouraged. Sometimes someone has to move at the last minute in August because of a spouse's job change. Sometimes, someone falls ill and a new teacher has to be found at the last minute. The thing I am telling you about here is always be ready. Have your resume polished at all times. Keep your interview outfit clean and pressed in the closet. Prepare how you would go to an interview at the drop of a hat. Use feeds to automatically have ads sent to your email. Have contacts in divisions alert you about any positions coming up. Don't wait for someone to call. Be a sleuth and be ready. Your dream job awaits, but you must be ready.
Please look at the "Get a Job" page at the top for typical interview questions, resume & cover letter templates, and job links.
The advantages of not being hired in the first wave are first, that you will not have to see your dream job come up and then not be able to even apply for it because you have already signed a contract. Second, you will experience the interview process a few times and learn how to land a job. This experience should never be undervalued since it will provide knowledge for the next job you try for. Third, the most interesting jobs come up after May and you now have a variety of jobs to look into. Never feel dismayed if you do not catch the second wave after the end of May. There is a third wave, too.
Over the years I have found that some of the plumb first-year teacher jobs come up at the end of August/beginning of September. If you missed the first wave, and the second, then do not be discouraged. Sometimes someone has to move at the last minute in August because of a spouse's job change. Sometimes, someone falls ill and a new teacher has to be found at the last minute. The thing I am telling you about here is always be ready. Have your resume polished at all times. Keep your interview outfit clean and pressed in the closet. Prepare how you would go to an interview at the drop of a hat. Use feeds to automatically have ads sent to your email. Have contacts in divisions alert you about any positions coming up. Don't wait for someone to call. Be a sleuth and be ready. Your dream job awaits, but you must be ready.
Please look at the "Get a Job" page at the top for typical interview questions, resume & cover letter templates, and job links.
