The educator job market in some geographic areas was excellent before the recent economic downturn, and some newly-licensed educators had their pick of jobs. This picture has changed dramatically, and in today’s tough economy, the educator job market has become highly competitive. Now, hundreds of highly-qualified candidates arrive at district job fairs that feature few available jobs. There will always be jobs in the education sector, but the search to find them will take longer and require more effort on the part of the candidates.

Where are the jobs?
The American Association for Employment in Education (http://www.aaee.org/) has tracked the job market for years. Their research indicates that there is a shortage of educators in special education, mathematics, the sciences, English as a second language, and bilingual education. Common sense dictates that areas of the country that are experiencing population growth, like the Sunbelt states, continue to need new teachers.

When jobs are available, your teacher certification, also known as teacher licensure, is critically important. You have to be fully certified/licensed for the state where you plan to work when the job opens, and each state has its own requirements. For a complete list of the state departments of education, and their requirements, go online to http://www.aaee.org/ or http://www.teachers-teachers.com/.

Where do you start your job search?
Your college career center can help you tremendously. Go to their office and/or their website for information on how they may best be able to assist you (??). Career centers offer information on how to find teaching jobs, as well as sponsor on-campus job fairs. The center can help you write and edit your essential job search documents—the resume, cover letter, and portfolio—and may be able to offer you other services, such as mailing out letters of reference in a formal credentials file. Read the website first and then make an appointment to find out what your college offers. If you have moved away from your college, try the career center at the college or university closest to you as a starting point.

Locating job openings
In today’s world, “let your fingers do the typing” to find job openings. There are national online clearinghouses, such as http://www.teachers-teachers.com/, that match districts’ teaching needs with your qualifications—and this online service is free. Teachers-Teachers.com provides many other job search features, allowing you to create your own page with your documentation and alerting you when openings occur that match your background.

Specialized professional associations have national websites with job openings specifically for educators. Use the one for your area, foreign language specialization, or to focus on special education opportunities. Start with national sites and then check for your individual state. And, education agency and organization sites are not the only resources available to you. A social media site, such as LinkedIn may serve you in your job search, as well.
Individual state job sites can be found by using any search engine (like Google) and typing “teaching job in [name of state].” Some sites are more comprehensive than others, but you should definitely check on the ones for states where you want to work.  For a good example, visit http://www.teachgeorgia.org/.

Districts maintain their individual websites and list job openings there. Read every site every week in the fall semester and every day in the spring semester for jobs that start in August of the new school year.

What else exists besides online job searching?
Networking can help you find out about jobs that haven’t yet been posted, or that are available in districts that don’t use the Internet to post all available positions. You should keep in touch with your college professors, the colleagues with whom you student taught, and any employed educators that you know. Being a member of a local chapter of the NEA, and of a professional association, like Phi Delta Kappa or Kappa Delta Pi gives you an automatic network of teachers in your area and state. Of course, some districts still use newspapers to advertise jobs, but this is not the only option available to you when it comes to finding a job.

Register to be a substitute teacher
This gives you another way to “get your foot in the door” of a school district. Schools often need substitutes late in the school year—when hiring is also taking place, so don’t hesitate to work as a substitute immediately after graduation. A few principals may not mind the idea of what is called “cold-calling” at a school to simply deliver a resume and cover letter. Other administrators will not accept resumes delivered in person and will tell applicants to to the website. It varies widely with the size and location of the school.

Job fairs
There are basically two types of job fairs, those where recruiters come to campuses, and those where candidates go to districts. Your college career center and the state websites will direct you to these. Campus job fairs are held well before most districts know their actual hiring needs, but you should still attend and leave resumes with all recruiters willing to collect them. Sometimes candidates get five-to-15 minute screening interviews at campus job fairs. Recruiters are generally personnel directors and central office administrators, but may include building administrators.

At district job fairs, there are personnel directors, central office administrators, school-level administrators and teachers. You may get to talk with building-level principals and teachers in a gymnasium setting. You may alsobe interviewed later in the day. Because of the economy, all employers are working to save time and money, and may interview you with a group of others who all want the same job:Picture four candidates being interviewed by a team of three people. Or, you may get an individual interview with a team of teachers asking you questions. Do not be surprised by any type of interview in a job fair setting. Remember that you work for a district, not just an individual school, so if you are at a large job fair and interview for a position, it could be for a job at any of the district’s schools.

Once you find a job opening...
Do your homework and learn everything you can about the districtbefore you apply for a job, attend their job fair, or sit down for an interview. Once you find a job opening, apply exactly as the advertisement instructs. Follow their directions explicitly to ensure a chance at getting the job you want.