So, you finally graduated from college. Congratulations! Being a student was a long and bumpy road, and now you’re ready to find your dream teaching job.
You’re about to begin the career that you and your parents may have spent all that money on, or you went into debt to finance.
So, what’s the next step?
Any new graduation needs a job search plan. First, you must have a professional resume and cover letter. But this is real life, and there is no help, is there? Relax and read on. Help is at hand.
We take a great interest in helping students with their university or college resumes. This is a new graduate’s opportunity to prove to the world their worth, enthusiasm, and knowledge. We offer this special to salute those who believe that continued education will “jump-start” their success as educators.
You will need a dynamic, interview-winning resume and cover letter that will grab the recipient’s attention and encourage them to read further. Start with a strong, targeted resume profile, also known as a career summary.
We have prepared many marketing documents for recent college graduates, and all are tailor-made for different areas in education. The cover letter needs to show your personality. When writing a cover letter, write it as if you were talking to the reader. We show the reader what kind of teacher you will be, and this is why our documents get attention.
Even when you are successful in getting an interview, all the work you have done preparing and distributing your resume can be for nothing. It can all be lost in 20 minutes if you are not prepared for the interview. Some questions can be brutal. We conduct mock interviews with job seekers, asking many of the standard questions often put to students and recent college graduates.
This is an eye-opener for most job seekers. Many clients have asked us, “They aren’t going to ask me that, are they?” Guess what – 95% of the time, they do ask that.
A question often asked in job interviews is, “Why do you want to work in education and this position?”
Your interview preparation and research should become apparent here. Give one or two reasons why you’re interested in education and the specific school district and what specifically piqued your interest.
What’s the most exciting personal experience you have had with a teacher growing up, and what made you decide to study education in school? The interviewer is looking for something to prove that you know what you are getting into.
For example, job candidates going into teaching often respond, “I truly enjoy helping people – it is so rewarding.”
This is the worst response a candidate can give and indicates a total simplification of teaching. Understanding both the position’s positive and challenging aspects should be communicated in the interview.
A teacher deals with educating and shaping the youth – but these encounters are not all “rosy.” There are tough times, and the interviewer wants to know that you are aware of this.
A better answer would be: “I have spent a lot of time thinking about my goals, researching, and determining what I am good at, and what I want out of work, and I have decided that education and teaching would be best. I understand being a teacher is not all glamorous, and there will be stressful situations to deal with each day.”
This response shows you have done serious planning, narrowed down your focus, and targeted direction. The answer shows an understanding of the importance of personal career planning and demonstrates an ability to make carefully well-thought-out decisions.
For more information on resume and cover letter writing help, check out this resource or view our products and services.
