5th January 2024

A Guide on Securing Your Dream Teaching Role this January

Looking for a new role can feel like a job in itself, and can be challenging to juggle when you’re working full-time. If you’re reading this and feel like you need a career change, we’ve put together a short guide that you can follow, enabling you to (hopefully) secure your dream teaching role this January!

Step 1: Re-vamp your CV and LinkedIn Profile

If you can’t remember the last time you updated your CV and LinkedIn profile, it’s probably time to give it a refresh. Remember, stick to the facts and keep it succinct. The beauty of LinkedIn is how customisable it is. Set yourself as “Open To Work” to recruiters, fill out your “About” section with 3–4 sentences giving some insight into who you are, and ensure that your profile picture is up-to-date and professional! Ensure that you’ve uploaded all of your certifications/relevant documentation, and you’ll be good to go.

If you’ve never used LinkedIn before, we highly recommend setting up a profile. There are so many teachers who are missing out on potential opportunities because they aren’t discoverable on LinkedIn. With thousands of teaching opportunities posted globally on the platform, you don’t want to miss out on being discovered. If the idea of setting up a LinkedIn profile feels daunting, then there’s no time like the present! Bite the bullet and use an afternoon off to set your profile up. The beauty of LinkedIn is that there are tutorials available to guide you through how to create a strong profile, so don’t worry – it’s easier than you think!

Tip: Updating your LinkedIn profile and setting yourself as “open” to recruiters will put you at the top of their list when searching for candidates (providing that you fit their criteria).

Send out messages to recruiters to schedule calls for the new year 

In the spirit of being proactive, don’t wait for recruiters to approach you – instead, get ahead and send out messages to recruiters to schedule calls. You’ll be able to get a great idea of what roles are available or what may be coming up in the year. 

This is also a great way to shop around and find a recruiter who you’ll feel comfortable representing you in your job search. Partnering with a recruiter can make the job-hunting process feel less daunting, so take some time to speak to recruiters and find someone that you’re confident working with!

Set out your career goals for 2024

In the art of reflecting, take some time to figure out what you want to achieve in 2024 regarding your career. Not only will this enable you to develop a deeper understanding of how you wish to improve and grow, but it’ll also give you information that you can use in an interview scenario. Self-awareness is a great trait, but just like a muscle – it must be exercised! Reflection and setting out goals allow you to cultivate self-awareness and also gives you a better understanding of what you want.  

A great way of doing this is by writing down the following subheadings and filling them out:

• Self-assessment: What went well for you this year? What didn’t? What do you think you’ve excelled at? What areas of your career do you want to improve? 
• Research: What schools would you like to work in? What do you think they’ll be able to offer you? 

• Advice: Who can you speak to for professional advice? Who do you look up to who is in the role you’d potentially want to have and can you talk to them about their trajectory?

• Next steps: How are you going to make your career goals a reality? What can you influence and when will you start to take the relevant steps?

Set up alerts on job boards and LinkedIn

And finally, set up alerts so you’re aware of when new opportunities are posted!

You can do this across a range of job boards as well as LinkedIn. Simply link to your e-mail or phone number and see what comes up as a match for you.

Why not check out our latest school roles here and drop us a follow on Linkedin while you’re there!