Land Your Next Role: The Job Search Guide Every Teacher Needs

Whether you’re a first-time job seeker, a mid-career school switcher, a re-locator, or an aspiring school leader - our resources will help cover the job search process and the key components of finding the right-fit school.

To start, no matter where you’re at in your career, there are a few things you’ll want to know about the teacher interview process: the steps, the people involved, the hiring goals of the school, and what makes each round of the process successful.

• Start Here: Map a Path to Your Dream Teaching Job
• Public vs. Private School Hiring Seasons: When To Look For a New Teaching Job
• Teacher Interview Process: What To Expect From Hiring Schools
• Top 5 Resume Tips for Teachers
• Find the Right School for Your Teaching Career (Video Course)
  

With a fairly well-known hiring season in the field of education, it can come to some as a surprise that schools continue to hire for roles throughout the year. No matter when you’re looking for your next position, our team is ready to support you in your job search. For now, check out our resources below.

Job Fairs

While it isn’t a required first step, for many, a job fair is where they start. Universities hold them every year - sometimes even every semester - for their students and alumni, and oftentimes cities will hold career fairs specific to the education field, too. You want to remember that the world of education is fairly tight-knit, and the longer you are in it, the more you will hear people exclaim “it’s such a small world!” So, take the time to network. Meet with schools you aren’t sure about - or haven’t heard of, yet - share your experiences, what has brought you to (and keeps you in) education, and how you plan to impact the field itself. You never know when you will cross paths with that school leader again, or when the teacher you met during the lunch break will be running a school themself!

• How to Put Your Best Foot Forward at a Teacher Job Fair
  

Phone Interviews

For most, once an application is submitted with a school, the next step if moving forward is an invitation for a phone interview - or initial phone screen. Usually, one of two things is happening here:

1. The school has questions about your application, or is simply interested in learning more about you (and which role you might be the best fit for),
2. The school wants to make sure you come across live as well as you do on paper.
   

In either case, these are nothing to fear. Yes, put your best foot forward and make sure you accurately represent your character and abilities. But just as important, gauge your own interest in the school. If you know the following steps will include some type of face-to-face interview and a demo lesson, make sure it feels “right” enough for you to take that next step together.

• Three Things to Know About a Phone Interview with a School Recruiter
  

Interview

Whether your upcoming interview is in-person or virtual (video), preparation is key. Remember that this is typically your first face-to-face interaction with the people making hiring decisions for the school. Oftentimes, this includes the school’s administrators - people you will be working closely with if all goes well.

Dress like you plan on showing up in the classroom: professional, and able to withstand the demands of classroom leadership. And prepare to highlight your strengths and teaching competencies, while also speaking to the ways you plan to continue to develop as an educator.

Prepare

• How to Prepare for Your Upcoming Virtual (Video) School Interview
• Dress the Part: What to Wear to a Teaching Interview
• Top Teacher Interview Questions
• End on a High Note: Six Questions Teachers Should Ask Their Interviewer

Practice

• Top 5 Tips to Ace the In-Person Teacher Interview
• Teacher Interview Hack: It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It
• When You Freeze During a Teacher Interview: What to Do
• Your Next Teacher Interview: What to Avoid Doing

Demo Lessons

If you made it to this step in the interview process, then you are definitely in the running. Everything you shared about your teaching competencies and management abilities struck a chord with the school - they now want to see it in action. Most interviewees consider this part of the interview to be the most nerve-wracking, but you can minimize that stress and anxiety by preparing for the lesson - and rehearsing it ahead of time.

Whether you’ll be doing your demo live in-person or via webcam, or maybe even submitting a recording of yourself teaching, below are key resources to ace the lesson and win over the school:

Planning

• Virtual (Video) Demo Lessons: What Teachers Need to Know
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Your Teacher Demo Lesson (Video Course)
• Exemplar Demo Lesson and Lesson Plan Templates (Video Course)

Execution and Debrief

• Deliver a Successful Demo Lesson (Video Course)
• Five Things To Know Before Delivering Your Teacher Demo Lesson
• Teacher Demo Lesson Gone Wrong: How to Save It

We know those aren’t the only key areas in the job search, and we have dozens of other resources to help you along the way. Below, see a sample of our other topics, and let us know what else we should cover by following us on Twitter @getselectedco or emailing us at hello@getselected.com.

Resumes

Think of your resume as your personal brand. How can you be as clear and concise as possible when telling potential employers what you bring to the table? And how do you ensure you stand out, and stay top of mind?

• Teacher Resume Guide and Master Class (Video Course)
• Top Five Resume Tips for Teachers

edTPA

Don’t make it harder than it has to be! In fact, you can make the process as painless as possible while still achieving a passing edTPA score.

• Three Critical Tips Before Taking the edTPA
• Expert Advice: Avoid These Six edTPA Mistakes
• edTPA Uncovered: Sample Submissions that Passed (5 examples)
• Pass the edTPA: Best Practices and Q+A (Video Course)

Lesson Plans

Lesson plans should guide and maximize the limited time you have with students. Which means you’ll need to plan for: directions and expectations, new content instruction, and meeting diverse student needs.

• How to Write Effective & Engaging Lesson Plans

Classroom Management

Showcasing your classroom management skills is critical during the demo lesson. If you need a refresher or a little more practice, check out the following video courses:

• Establishing Powerful Presence and Building Respect (Video Course)
• Managing Challenging Classroom Behaviors (Video Course)

Communicating with Potential Employers

First impressions matter! Check out our resource on emailing hiring managers, and we’ll help make sure they count:

• You've Got Mail: How to Write a Great Email to a Hiring Manager

Salary Negotiations

It can be one of the stickiest spots in the job offer - and many districts and networks have set salary scales (publicly visible online). But if it’s something you need to talk more about, then we think you should! And we have tips to make the conversations as successful as possible.

• Notes from the Field: Stories from Teachers Who Have Negotiated for More
• Negotiating Your Next Teaching Job Offer

The teacher job search has gone virtual! Download our E-Book with Tips to Acing the Virtual Job Search here.

About Selected

Selected helps teachers find jobs at schools they love. We offer a free school matching and career support platform for teachers that connects them with 1,200+ PK-12 public and independent schools in urban metro areas in the Northeast US, CA, and AZ, including New York City, NJ, CT, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, Los Angeles, SF Bay Area, and Phoenix. Create a FREE teacher profile in 5 minutes and connect with hiring schools immediately!