Make sure that your job application and resume present you in the best possible light.
At some point in your job search process you created a resume. This article asks you to examine that resume with a dispassionate, clinical eye in order to present you and your qualifications in the best possible light.
Meaningless awards and affiliations
The badges you earned while you were a Boy Scout meant a great deal at the time. But they are not relevant in an employment application. On the other hand if you were a National Merit Scholar, that deserves a line. Put that right before the entry about your Fulbright Scholarship or Rhodes Scholarship. Ok, you get the point. Anything to do with academic achievement is something to be proud of. On a private school employment application academic achievement trumps just about everything else. At a minimum it should get you an interview. Remember: you will be teaching young people who want to learn. Your strong academic performance can and will inspire your students.
Outlandish hobbies and interests
Everything in your job application should support the impression which you are trying to create in the reader's mind. "This is somebody we need to interview." You will be teaching young people. They will have enough off the wall influences of their own. The school would rather hire adults who can be exemplars and role models of steadiness and resolve. Their clientele, i.e., parents, expect that and much more. Mainstream hobbies and interests will not raise red flags. Include one or two on your application. Since you are being interviewed for a teaching position, it might be a thought to have a few titles of books you have read recently on the tip of your tongue.
If you have presented at a professional conference, list that. If you just performed at Aspen, list that. Be sure to have copies of the programs for these events in your portfolio just in case somebody asks to see them. Employment applications are designed to create a profile of the applicant. What you say in print translates into a portrait of you. Make sure that portrait is as flattering as it can be.
Physical Characteristics
Unless you are applying to be the fencing coach or some other athletic position, physical characteristics have no place in an employment application. The fact that you are 4'10" or are bald is irrelevant. What you can do for the school as a teacher is relevant. It is illegal to make "employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities, or based on myths or assumptions about an individual's genetic information."
Religious and political views
In a private school job application your religious views may indeed be relevant. If the school requires a statement of faith and you are comfortable embracing its tenets , then by all means refer to your religious views as something which are relevant. However, if you are applying to a non-sectarian school, keep your religious views to yourself. Strictly speaking, religion is not something employers can ask about any way. It is illegal so to do. According to "Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin" in hiring and recruiting, to name just 2 aspects of the employment process in which discrimination is illegal.
Fake credentials
Nothing will get you in more trouble than listing credentials you haven't earned. Every credential you list will be verified. So if you state that you graduated from Princeton but actually only attended a seminar there, that will catch up with you sooner or later. Listing credentials which you don't actually have could be a career limiting event as well. Academic honesty is paramount in any private school.You will find that academic honesty is enshrined in the school's code of conduct and policies.
Here are a dozen or so girls' schools' public thoughts about themselves and their missions.
Make Summer a Special Time! If you have children in private school, then you are most likely looking at three months, perhaps even longer, which you must fill with activities of one kind or another during the long summer break.
Are You Liable? Is your DEL key about to get gaveled? It doesn't matter whether you teach in a public or private school setting. You expose yourself to legal risks every single day on the job.
What To Wear at Your Job Interview First impressions are lasting impressions. What you wear at an interview for a teaching job is important. Almost as important as your qualifications and credentials.
How to Write a Cover Letter When you apply for a position at a private school, you need to use a slightly different approach than you would use if you were applying for a sales job somewhere.
Marketing Yourself in Tough Times Marketing yourself in tough times requires attention to details. Here are some tips to help you achieve success.
Why Should I Hire You? Let's think about the employment process from the point of view of your making me want to hire you. Here are some points to ponder.
Job Search: Matching Your Qualifications Matching your qualifications with what the school is looking for is one of the most important parts of the job process. Get it wrong and you might miss getting an interview.
Asking Good Questions Asking good questions at your job interview will improve your chances. Conversely asking bad questions will damage them.
Making It Accurate and Truthful You must not fudge the facts on your private school employment application. Tell the truth. Put a positive spin on any potentially negative areas. More here.
Private School Jobs Teaching in a private school is different from teaching in a public school. Find out more here including information on duties, compensation and where to find jobs.
How to Find a Private School Job You can send in a resume and use an agency, but the very best way to find a private school job is to use your network. You do have a network, don't you?
Do I Need to be Certified? Each state sets its own teacher certification requirements. While many private schools do not require you to be certified, it is in your best interests to obtain certification. This article includes contact information for state education offices so you can begin the process.
Are You Liable? Is your DEL key about to get gaveled? It doesn't matter whether you teach in a public or private school setting. You expose yourself to legal risks every single day on the job.
What Do Teachers Make? What do teachers make? Teachers' salaries vary from state to state, indeed, from school to school.
Why Should We Renew Your Contract? Here are some reasons and strategies for making sure that the school will renew your contract. Eagerly.
Your Teaching Contract Hasn't Been Renewed? Private school teachers are not unionized. So, if the school decides not to renew your contract, you have little recourse. Here are five suggestions for safe-guarding your employment.
What About Being an Intern? Thinking of teaching in an independent school? Several schools have teaching internship programs. Here's what's involved.
Timeline for Finding a Private School Job Finding a private school job takes time. Lots of time. This time line will focus your efforts on what has to be done and when it ideally should be done.
What About Teaching Overseas? With the job market looking bleak, teaching is an option many recent college graduates are considering. Teaching overseas has all kinds of attractive features. We look at private school teaching jobs and explain what is involved in finding one, applying and more.
The Pros and Cons of Teaching Overseas Hundreds of private schools, and for that matter, public schools, outside the United States will be happy to have you as a teacher for a few years.
Is Your Job Search So 2008? If you have not looked for a job in the past several years, your job search probably needs a refresh. Here's how to do it.
Looking for a Job: Easier When Employed or Unemployed? Looking for a job in these tough economic times is a challenging process. But is it easier to do when you are employed or unemployed. It depends. Here are some answers.
Job Search Resources This guide is designed to provide teachers and administrators seeking employment in private schools a road map for the job search process.
Do You Need a Rebranding? If you have been teaching for a few years, chances are that you will need to consider rebranding yourself.
Employing Foreign Nationals Can non-U.S. teachers get employment in American private schools? The answer is "No" in 99.9% of cases.
Conducting a Job Search Via Social Media Social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and Facebook offer special opportunities for the private school job-seeker.
Your Job Search Is Taking Forever A search for a teaching job in the midst of a severe recession takes much longer than it does in good economic times. Here's how to handle this situation.
Is Your Network Keeping You Connected? The non-unionized private school teacher has to create her own ways of staying connected. Staying connected keeps you informed and gives you a sense of solidarity.
Conducting a Job Search Via the Web The Web offers job seekers all sorts of efficiencies. The same is true with respect to private school job searching.
Gay Teachers Several prep schools have pushed the envelope of diversity by allowing committed same sex couples to live on campus in school housing.
A Teacher's Influence Never underestimate the influence you have on your students. You may not think that you are getting through, but you are! This little bit of fiction shows the influence teachers had on some famous people.
Becoming a Teacher Later Many people have successful careers only to realize that something is missing. Teaching can satisfy that missing 'something'. Explore the possibilities of becoming a teacher in your 30's, 40's and even your 50's.
Don't Leave Any Evidence! Future and current employers can find out all sorts of things about you these days. Make sure that you don't leave behind any damning electronic evidence.
What Is Praxis? Praxis is part of the teacher licensing process many states require.
Blogs, Pods and More Education blogs, podcasts and sites worth a read and a listen.
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Make Summer a Special Time!
Are You Liable?
