Job Search: Matching Your Qualifications

This guide is designed to provide teachers and administrators seeking employment in private schools with a road map for the job search process. It is written for teachers, admissions and business office professionals, and those seeking positions as dean of students and head of school. You will find plenty of practical advice about applying, networking, using job boards, and much more.

• Apply Correctly:
  • Following a Traditional Format
  • Making It Easy to Read
  • Matching Your Qualifications
  • Making It Accurate and Truthful
  • Making Your Application Impressive
  • Writing a Perfect Cover Letter

• Manage your Job Search Process:
  • 5 Most Important Soft Skills to Have on Your Resume
  • Building Your Network
  • Being Active Professionally
  • Conducting a Job Search Via Social Media
  • Conducting a Job Search Via the Web
  • Preparing Professional References

• Manage Job Interviews:
  • Presenting Yourself Successfully
  • Handling Various Interview Scenarios
  • Answering the Expected Questions
  • Answering the Unexpected Questions
  • Asking Good Questions
  • Illegal Questions

• Protect Your Attitude & Morale:
  • Do You Need a Rebranding?
  • Marketing Yourself in Tough Times
  • Your Credentials Need Realigning
  • You Were Terminated
  • You Are Currently Unemployed
  • Your Job Search is Taking Forever

• Working with Agencies and Recruiters
  • The Truth About Search Firms
  • How to Work with Agencies & Recruiters

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It's a very competitive job market. The economy has forced schools public and private on every level to cut their teaching staffs. As a result, when you begin to look for a job as a teacher or administrator in a private school, you will face serious competition from other private school teachers, public teachers, business people and even graduate students who cannot find a college teaching job. Observe these Do's and Don'ts to keep yourself ahead of the competition and land the private school job of your dreams.

DO: Use your network.
Arguably the best way to find a job in a private school is by using your network. These are friends and colleagues who know you, indeed have known you for years, and can talk enthusiatically about you and your skills as a teacher or administrator. Networking is all about meeting people and staying in touch with them. How do you do that? Use all the social and professional networking tools out there. They cost little but reap huge rewards. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and blogs allow you to exchange ideas and comments as well as see what's going on. Professional sites give you an opportunity to become known in the private school community.

DON'T: Use weak references.
When you submit your job application, you will be asked to include 3-5 references. These people will be called if you make the short list. You must make sure that your references include former employers and supervisors who will speak

So, let's assume that somehow, we could rank private schools. After all, asking how a particular school is ranked is something most parents want to know. We are accustomed to comparing just about everything these days. We comparison shop constantly. We rank our favorite teams. We know which pop artist is on top of the charts. And so on. Comparing and ranking anything and everything is just the way we do things. Doing so lets us know that we are getting the best value possible.

That comparison shopping approach works fine for most things in our daily lives. Unfortunately, it does not work when it comes to ranking private schools. Why? Because each private school is unique. How it is run, where it is located, the courses it offers, the sports programs, the extracurricular activities, its philosophy, and the results it gets are all unique. That doesn't mean we can't compare the various features of private schools. That is doable, but it is a lot of work. As we have pointed out in Do Ranks Matter? it is extremely difficult and time-consuming for ordinary people to find the data and information we need to arrive at a ranking system for private schools. But if we did rank private schools, here is how we would do it.

Alexis offers some useful tips for the school selection process in the following video.

Visit the schools.

"Wait a

It's tough enough getting an interview in the first place. So, why destroy your chances by turning up in the wrong attire? Because you are applying for a teaching position in a private school, you must be particularly aware of how you dress. Why is how you look important? The first impression an interviewer has of you is a lasting one. This snapshot of you must convey a positive image of who you are as well as the value which you bring to the situation. Indeed, many hiring decisions are made subconsciously as soon as the interviewer looks at you.

Because the job market is highly competitive, your primary goal is to have the first interview go so well that you make the shortlist for second interviews. The way in which you dress is one part of the picture your future employer will have. Make sure that you create the very best impression possible.

Dress to the level of the job environment.

Teachers are exemplars to the young people they teach. The way you dress sets an example, just as your speech patterns do. It is always sensible to dress conservatively when you interview for a teaching position. Nor does it matter what that position is. Whether you are applying for the Spanish teacher position or the Robotics teacher position, you must present yourself as a professional brimming with ideas and values who will make employers immediately think "Ah! She will fit right in." What may not be