I had to apply for more jobs than I can count to end up at my dream job. I learned some lessons along the way, and I want to pass those lessons along to anyone who may be job hunting in the near future.
#1 Decide where you’re going to live
Seth was interviewing for an East Coast job last fall, so I started applying to schools in that area. By the time we decided to move to the West Coast instead, I had already written almost 10 cover letters for different schools. I already had application fatigue before I applied for my first job in Washington. For future job hunters, I would recommend that you wait to start filling out applications until you know for sure where you’re going to live.
#2 Write a recyclable cover letter
As I mentioned above, when I was applying to East Coast jobs, I wrote a unique cover letter for each school. While I do recommend making a cover letter personal to each school and job, I would say that about 75% of a cover letter should be “recyclable” and able to be used for every cover letter. Use the school’s name and the specific job title in every cover letter, and be sure to write a few sentences specifically about that job and school, but leave the rest the same. You’re the same person with the same skills, so you can use the same cover letter.
#3 Practice Interview Questions
One school application I filled out had me answer some questions about my teaching style, such as “describe your educational philosophy” and “how do you manage behaviors in your class.” It was hard to distill my ideas into a few sentences, but I wrote up something I was happy with. The next week, I had an interview where they asked the same questions. I was able to answer on the fly because I had already practiced my answers. Also, be prepared to answer some basic questions about yourself, like “Tell us about yourself” or “Why should we hire you over other candidates?”
#4 Network
I know, it’s cliche. I was so frustrated when people told me to “network” when I was moving to a new town where I didn’t know anyone. Still, keep in mind that you are building your network as you apply for jobs. Even if you don’t end up taking a job at a particular place, be gracious and kind and professional. That company might have another job open up later, and you don’t want to close any doors. Also, that company might pass your name along to someone else if they’re impressed with you!
I can’t claim that all my helpful tips were what landed me my current job; things worked out together too well for it to be my doing. Still, I did the best I could with the circumstances, so I wanted to pass along what I learned to you!
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