Are you looking for an online teaching job opportunity? Teachers are now delivering millions of lessons daily online to growing student populations ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. Subjects range from K-12 core curriculum and college and university level courses and business management offerings to hobbies, such as Chinese calligraphy and woodworking.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching via distance learning and online learning are essential skills for educators. All school districts have had to move their traditional classrooms online. This transition has made educators all need to be prepared and skilled in online instruction. Therefore, the demand for online instructors is at an all-time high.
To meet this demand, a plethora of online teaching job websites have sprouted up on the internet. Hiring trends for online teaching jobs are only going up. Therefore, the question is not where to find online teaching job openings but which one to choose.
Whether you want to teach online full-time or part-time, an online resume is your first step to applying for these growing online opportunities. There are many ways to increase the results of submitting your resume for online teaching positions.
Preparing for an Online Teaching Job
At a minimum, you will require:
- A reliable internet connection with large bandwidth. The quality of your connection may determine whether or not an online class is feasible.
- Skype, What’s App, or another instant messaging app for communication with your students.
- Alternatively, you may use online meetings (e.g., GoToMeeting), Zoom, or whiteboard technology.
- A good headset, microphone, and camera. Cheap headsets can cause headaches, feedback, and other problems. If you are spending a lot of time online, invest in a reliable headset.
- Online teaching material. If it is not already, your teaching material needs to be converted to an online format.
Where to Find Online Teacher Job Openings
Universities and Colleges
Online teaching jobs have grown largely on the back of universities and colleges offering online courses. Most schools offer online courses today to make learning more convenient for busy professionals, stay-at-home moms, and the physically challenged.
Homeschool Programs
Parents homeschool their children for many different reasons – dissatisfaction with the public education system, a busy work travel schedule with children in tow (e.g., military or entertainment families), living in a remote location, special learning needs, a preference for alternative learning models, and, currently, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Homeschool programs can start with children at a very young age. Applied behavioral analysis (ABA, for example) is taught to children (as young as toddlers) with autism, often in a home environment where it is used daily.
When looking into homeschool programs, beginning researching the top schools to learn about their offerings and why they are successful, such as K12.com, the leader in online public schools, or online art schools (for inspiration, visit online courses from the Tate in London or Museum of Modern Art in New York).
Massively Open Online Courses MOOCs
Massively open online courses (MOOCs) have revolutionized learning. Check out The Top 50 Most Popular MOOCs of All Time to get an idea of the wide range of course offerings – from hard skills in computer programming and web development to learning how to think and reason or apply game theory to business problems.
You may want to share your teaching experience with 1 million other learners in a popular course on learning techniques, Learning How to Learn.
Tutoring as an Online Teaching Job
Tutoring is a very active online learning market. English tutoring is one of the most popular offerings. If you can teach Math or Science, you will easily find a position.
Once again, start by researching why the most popular e-learning platforms are on top, and then research the competition. Tutor.com offers a wide variety of math courses.
Many match students and tutors for free. Others provide a full learning platform, including interactive whiteboards and teaching materials. Do you want to make some extra money tutoring in the evenings or on weekends, or while unemployed or a stay-at-home mom? E-learning models exist to suit everyone.
The popular Khan Academy model is comprised of free prerecorded lessons in a wide range of subjects, which are advertising supported. An early pioneer in online learning, the platform has helped educate many children in maths, sciences, international baccalaureate, GMAT, etc. Udemy gives instructors a take of the profits. Teachers and tutors can earn commission on fee-based course offerings, including IT skills, game development, and art courses.
Global Competition
When looking for an online teaching job, you must bear in mind that you will often be competing with other teachers from not just North America but from all over the world – competition is intense. If you can demonstrate enthusiasm, technology skills, and writing ability to online teaching job recruiters, you stand a better chance of landing an interview and potentially securing a new position.
Develop a keyword-optimized resume that is compelling. Ensure it details your internet and computer software skills. List any online teaching work you have done or forums you have participated in to show your talent in delivering distance learning programs. If you are applying for jobs in a foreign market, such as Asia’s busy ESL market, consider following international resume standards.
Create an Engaging Online Teacher/Tutor Profile
A Google search will reveal many more job boards featuring online teaching job boards. Many websites will ask you to create a profile on the job board to apply for a position. You may also be asked to post your resume or fill out a form that details your credentials. Recruiters will then be able to view your qualifications when they search for persons fitting a particular set of qualifications.
More new teachers and retired teachers are finding opportunities to meet students across the world. For whatever reason you are skipping the traditional classroom, online teaching jobs are viable and convenient.
While many recruiters for online teaching jobs are looking for someone to deliver instruction using a predefined structure and course content, other online teaching sites will allow you to develop your teaching program and make their website available as a facilitator and a point of distribution.
If you are flying solo in the international e-learning market, web resources will also accelerate your solo online distance learning teacher job search.
Preparing for the Job Interview
It is of utmost importance to prepare in advance for an online e-learning teacher or tutor job interview. The biggest mistake job candidates make is not checking to ensure their microphones and headsets work properly before the interview.
Do a test run. Interview confirmation forms will often remind you to check your equipment in advance. Schools have little patience for teachers who do not follow the school’s instructions.
Online teacher requirements include communications skills, computer and internet competence, and ideally experience providing and at least taking online instruction. If you apply for an online teaching position within K-12, you will also need valid teaching certification. Your chances of getting an interview will be increased if you reposition your online teacher resume or virtual tutor resume for e-learning opportunities.
A searchable resume with important keywords will significantly increase your chances of securing your target’s online teacher job.
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