by Tim Wei
The Upper Mid-West is one of the absolute hardest states to find a job in. In fact, many areas in the United States have a surplus of qualified teachers and very, very few open positions to fill.
Why? It's the economy. The manufacturing jobs that were once the staple of the mid-western economy are going bankrupt and/or relocating to other countries, where labor is cheaper. As high-paying jobs leave the state, young people with families leave to areas with stronger economies. Schools, therefore, need fewer teachers because there are fewer students.
The population in Upper Mid-West isn't growing much (if at all). The economy is dead. The state is getting less tax money as companies and people leave the state. And, yet, high-quality teacher colleges still pump out hundreds of candidates each year. The result: Lots of excellent teacher candidates in a locations with no available jobs.
This trend isn't unique to the Mid-West. Similar teacher job markets exist throughout the northeastern United States, in places such as Upstate New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
So, if you're in one of these tough job markets, what should you do? If moving is a possibility for you, you might consider relocating to places with stronger economies.
If moving is not an option for you, you can still get a job; you just have to work REALLY hard to market yourself. Schools still need SOME new teachers, though certainly not enough to seriously decrease the huge supply. In order to land a job, you'll have to market yourself so well that you stand out as one of the top 2% of teaching candidates.
Suggestions:
1. After you've formally applied for a job through a district's human resources office, send a paper copy of your resume and a letter of interest to the PRINCIPAL of the school you want to work at. HR offices typically forward 10-20% of the candidates to principals and ignore the other 80%. Since principals usually have direct control over hiring, you need to make direct contact with them. If a principal is impressed with your qualifications, he/she can easily arrange an interview.
2. Teaching jobs advertised in newspapers and on the Internet typically have TONS of candidates applying. Your best bet-- call schools directly and ask if they'll be hiring in the near future. Most jobs aren't advertised heavily (because they already have lots of candidates). The jobs that ARE advertised heavily will have way too many qualified candidates -- which decreases your chance of getting the job. So, use the phone book to find those unadvertised jobs.
3. Be sure your cover letter is so good they won't pass you up. Have a great introduction sentence that catches their interest. If you're not a great cover letter/resume designer, have it done professionally. And remember: while good design can get your cover letter noticed, it comes down to high-quality content and excellent qualifications that will get you an interview.
4. Practice common interview questions beforehand. Typically similar questions are asked at all teacher interviews. If you practice beforehand and think about what you'll say, the questions will seem routine and familiar.
5. Here's a link to an eBook about getting teaching jobs. It has advice for finding jobs, tips to polish your cover letter and resume, common teacher interview questions and answers, and more. The eBook has enough solid advice to give you an edge over the other candidates. It can be downloaded at:http://www.iwantateachingjob.com
Best of luck to you in your job search!
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