Whether you’re a seasoned teaching expert with many years experience, a recent graduate seeking new opportunities in the teaching industry or someone outside of the education industry looking for new career prospects, finding a new teaching job takes time, effort and plenty of consideration.

Not only is it a daunting process, it’s also quite difficult considering many teachers at schools nowadays renew their option to teach, reducing the amount of free teaching spaces available. Schools will hire teachers who they can trust, so you’ll have to work really hard to persuade them to choose you over someone they know has what it takes.

However, there’s no reason why you can’t find that teaching job you’ve always dreamed of, with knowing where to look an essential starting point. Here are some other helpful tips you can use to make searching for your new teaching job less of a headache and a lot more enjoyable.

Take All the Opportunities That Come Your Way

Even if you are someone with many years experience in the teaching industry, the opportunity to teach should never be put down in an instant. Substitute roles are highly regarded by many schools as it shows flexibility, a passion to teach and the ability to adapt to new school surroundings.

Some schools may be willing to offer you a substitute role prior to taking you on full time, in which case the opportunity should be snatched at without question. As you continue to adapt to your new school environment in a substitute role you will build stronger relationships with both pupils and staff members to the point where your skills are likely to have been noted and respected.

In other words, don’t just look for full-time positions when job searching, as the best full-time opportunities are often hidden behind temporary substitute roles.

Network

Networking is one of the most helpful ways of getting your name out there and you can start by telling your family and friends that you are on the market. Companies will always be eager to hear about potential candidates who are highly regarded, while they’ll also find out a lot more about your pedigree if you are highly experienced through networking.

Remember that there are other teaching opportunities besides full-time work that can contribute to your networking project, such as tutoring jobs, corporate trainers, university degree teaching, mentorship and more.

Never Stop Searching

The internet is you best friend when it comes to finding a new job, so do all you can to utilise the internet’s capabilities and find a job that meets your requirements.

There are various terms you should be searching for including “professor”, “teaching” and “teacher” as well as full and part-time opportunities, all of which should be searched if you are hoping to make it to the top of a very competitive industry.

You can also use search tools that require specific information so that you can find a job that specifically meets your requirements. You are also more likely to find a teaching job this way as there will be fewer competitors.

Use Career Advice Centres & Assistance

If you thing you’ll struggle alone when it comes to finding your next teaching j0ob, don’t underestimate the effectiveness of career centres and those with plenty of experience in offering career advice. A career centre gives you everything you need to know about networking, job searching, building a positive reputation and making yourself known to potential employers.

Build Strong Relationships

Administrators are always on the lookout for teachers who can take their school to the next level, so when it comes to meeting up with administrators at exhibitions or industry events, it’s certainly a good idea to make as many friends as possible so that you can get across your passion for the subject of teaching.

You are far more likely to be hired by someone who knows who you are and what you’re about, so building relationships is a huge part of the job searching process.

Article submitted by Mike James on behalf of www.redboxteachers.co.uk, a teaching agency based in  London offering day to day, long term and permanent placements for teachers & teacher assistants.