Where to Look for a Position

Once you’ve prepared your resume, CV, teaching statement and list of references, you’re ready to begin hunting for a teaching post. The following avenues may yield useful leads.

Regional school districts and departments of education
Becoming familiar with your municipal school district and its hiring practices is good starting point. School board websites often provide information on vacant positions, application requirements and job fairs. The webpages of either state or city departments of education may also provide such direction. A query on any search engine should quickly bring up these sites.

Non-profit organizations
Non-profit educational organizations may also provide a route to a teaching position. Teach For America is an example of such a body, helping to get teachers into low-income communities in the United States. Similar national programs include Teach For All and Teach & Inspire, with regional counterparts also in operation, such as NYC Teaching Fellows, DC Teaching Fellows, Teach Kentucky and others. Though involvement in such programs ensures at least temporary placement in a teaching position, acceptance is extremely competitive. In 2009 Teach For America had around 35,000 applicants, of which it accepted only 4,100.

Job fairs
A teacher job fair may be an excellent opportunity to find open positions, learn about hiring practices and refine your application documents. Be sure to bring copies of your resume and dress professionally. Job fairs do not occur every day, so arrive early and stay late to make the most of the event. Hand out your resume and collect business cards; even if the fair does not result in an immediate work proposition, the contacts you gather may be helpful in the future. Although a quick query on any search engine will list upcoming job fairs in your area, websites like WantToTeach.com conveniently compile such events from all over the nation onto one page.

Niche databases
If going directly to the source (i.e. schools and education departments) does not land you a job teaching, the Internet can be a good secondary option. Instead of searching the broad databases of general job listing websites like Monster or Craigslist, it may be more efficient to peruse niche databases that specialize in education. The listings on sites like EducationCrossing, Teachers-Teachers.com and Teaching Jobs Portal are all restricted to educational positions, which reduces the amount of time you spend sifting through irrelevant posts. Know that, although some of these teacher jobs sites may require users to sign up or even pay for their services, many are instantly accessible and free of charge. A review of the ten best teacher job sites can be found here on CertificationMap.com.

Teaching abroad
If you’ve exhausted all the options available to you locally and even nationally, but are committed to teaching and possess a sense of adventure, you may want to consider teaching English abroad. The prominence of the American curriculum and the English language have created an international demand for teachers from the United States, and these positions come with unique perks. Though many of these posts are classified as English language teachers, individuals instructing in other subjects, such as math or science, are also wanted. To learn more about teaching abroad, explore the “English as a Second Language” section of CertificationMap.com.

Alternative careers
If your hunt for a teaching job is leaving you hungry, you may want to consider applying your talents to another field. Consider becoming a library assistant, school administrator or after-school coordinator. Realize that you need not be confined to a school setting. As a teacher you may also be well suited to work in daycare, tutoring, museums — basically any position that requires being able to interact successfully with students is open to you. Also, posts that require the ability to instruct adults, such as a corporate orientation or training programs, may also be prime.