Every year we host career fairs that see hundreds of preservice and current teachers connecting with people in-the-know. At these events recruiters, school leaders and beginning teachers share their expert advice about teacher employment.
Whether you've recently attended one of our career fairs, or you're now making a note to ensure you don't miss the next one, here are the top five recruitment tips from our events.
1. Start early
If you're a preservice teacher, our principals and state school recruiters suggest that you get the ball rolling on your application for teacher employment at the beginning of your final year of study.
For existing teachers looking for a change, there's no time like the present to start contacting the schools and regions you'd like to be working in.
What does 'starting early' involve? The first thing you need to do is
submit your application for teacher employment. Once you've done this, we encourage you to be proactive in your job search. This could be meeting principals and dropping off your resume at schools where you'd like to be considered for work, keeping an eye on
Smart Jobs for current and future opportunities or (of course) attending one of our career fairs.
2. Prepare a succinct curriculum vitae
Whether you're submitting an application, approaching schools directly or applying for a specific position advertised on
Smart Jobs, your curriculum vitae is one of the best ways to showcase who you are as a teacher.
Try to keep it to a maximum of 2 or 3 A4 pages in length and ensure that you highlight the key information recruiters and principals need to know about you:
- full name and contact details
- learning phase and/or subject areas
- where you have previously worked or where you attended professional experience.
Highlight any transferrable skills you have gained from professional and personal experience. Perhaps you have worked as a babysitter or volunteered with a community group.
Include relevant written references such as professional experience reports or a written statement from a previous employer. While it's ideal to have recent referees, teachers returning after time away from the profession should also include a past principal or school leader.
3. Focus on building relationships
Teaching is all about relationships. When seeking teacher employment, the relationships you build with students, colleagues, parents and school leaders will help to enhance your application and prepare you for working as a teacher. These relationships may provide specific opportunities for employment and often become an important part of your professional support network once you have secured your teaching position.
4. Think outside the box
There is an amazing
diversity of opportunities for state school teachers in Queensland. Our teachers and principals often emphasise the personal and professional reward that comes from taking a leap out of your comfort zone and into a new location or community.
When seeking teacher employment, consider opportunities outside your local area. These could include
rural and remote schools, indigenous communities, working in distance education or hospital schools.
Consider working as a relief teacher or taking short contracts. Experiencing different schools, locations and educational contexts is one of the best ways to develop as a teacher.
5. Access professional support, financial benefits and incentives
Take a look at the professional support, financial benefits and other incentives available to teachers seeking employment in Queensland state schools.
The department offers a range of additional scholarships and grants for school leavers, preservice and current teachers.
Teaching in a rural or remote community can help you secure permanency or provide career progression opportunities, as well as help you with relocation costs. Learn more about the benefits of teaching in these communities.
Current state school teachers looking to progress their career can access professional development opportunities to build on their skills and knowledge throughout their teaching career.
So, what now?
There are a number of avenues for you to consider now that you're ready to get the ball rolling on finding your next teaching position.
Here's what you can do:
Whatever your dream classroom looks like, and wherever it may be, our recruiters and school leaders are here to help you find your perfect fit!
