How to Find a K-12 Teaching Job

Although good teachers will always be in demand, finding the job of your dreams requires preparation and follow-through.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Printers
• File Cabinets
• Career Counseling
• E-mail Accounts
• Postage Stamps
• Calendars
• Folders
• Computers
• résumé paper

1. Establish your professional career folder at the career center of your graduating college or university. It should contain letters of recommendation, official copies of transcripts and teaching certification documents. These will be kept on file permanently for future employers' reference.
2. Write a one-page statement of your teaching philosophy in which you also highlight your teaching preparation, coursework and classroom methodology. Keep this statement on hand in your personal career file so that you can revise it for each job you apply for.
3. Write your résumé. Consult your career center to obtain examples of other résumés written by those new to the teaching market. List graduation dates, courses related to your specialization, specific courses you taught as a student teacher and other work experiences both in and outside of the classroom.
4. Write a generic cover letter that can be modified for each job for which you apply. Generally, you should indicate why you want to teach at that specific school, your teaching interests and contributions you can make as an educator.
5. Initiate your job search by contacting the following sources: your college career center, local and regional newspapers, Internet sites related to teaching careers and any personal professional contacts you may have.
6. To increase your chances of working in a desirable district, apply to every school that interests you. Although many teaching jobs are available, most openings are in unappealing locations
7. Follow up any applications with a phone call to the school district office to which you have applied.
8. Begin your job search early in the year. Announcements appear in early spring, and most hiring is done by June, although jobs open continually until the jobs are filled in the fall.

Tips & Warnings

• Your career center will offer books on applying for jobs in the teaching profession, examples of résumés and cover letters, and extensive job listings as they become available.
• Decide where you want to teach based on region, cost of living and personal interest. Consider whether you want to teach in a public or private school and whether you want to teach in an urban, suburban or rural setting.

Who Can Help:

• Earn an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix
• University of Phoenix, degree Programs to Fit Your Life.