Teachers are in short supply, and for several reasons. It takes years of studying for certifications and learning about student psychology before someone can ever step foot into a classroom. And even then, it will take years of practice before they can be officially hired as a teacher.
As a result, there are several jobs in the education field waiting to be filled. Yet, there aren’t enough people coming forward to take them. Teachers aren’t paid as much as they should be, and it can be grueling work to balance the expectations of the state and the dynamic, developing minds of children.
At the same time, teaching is a noble profession that’s fundamental to any well-functioning society. Without a robust education system, the world won’t have any way to integrate children into adulthood. Teachers don’t just teach children — they raise generations which inevitably go on to change the world.
So, if you’re looking for work in the education field, then the world owes you a favor! Yet, as with any job, finding work can be hard. To learn how to find a job in the education field and start your career as a teacher, keep reading below!
Research Available Jobs in The Education Field
The first step to finding a job in education is to research which jobs are available. Since education is fundamentally about children, there are several restrictions on who can perform different roles in education. If you want to work with special needs children, you’ll need more certifications than ESL children, for example.
Before you start applying for jobs, make sure to have a clear vision of what you want to become. Don’t just take whatever comes your way, or else you won’t be satisfied with what you end up being. You’ll be trapped in your role, since it may seem too late to spend time getting recertified for another role.
And the best way to get a clear idea of what you want to become is by doing research! Look into the statistics behind certain education roles, including their pay rates and workload. You can also speak to other teachers online, to hear what they have to say about their jobs!
There Are More Options Than Becoming a Teacher
Teachers aren’t the only kinds of jobs available in the education field. Children need more than just people to teach them lessons when they go to school. They need administrators, counselors, and several other kinds of people to keep their school running!
If you want to get into the education field but don’t want to become a teacher, there are still several options. You could become a counselor and help children navigate academic, family, and interpersonal life. Or, you could become a school secretary and act as the line of communication between parents and children in school.
Take Advantage of Online Hiring Firms
The internet is the perfect place to find help with finding a job. New hiring firms emerged to help people post their résumés to as many places as possible. Through these services, you can get more exposure than you would ever be able to get on your own.
Post your résumé to places like ZipRecruiter, WorkMonger, Indeed, and others. The more services you curate a profile on, the higher your chance you’ll have for finding a job you’re comfortable with. Educational institutions use these services to find candidates just like many other private companies, so you’re bound to get noticed.
Build Up a Portfolio of Pupils — Get Experience
The best way to hear back from potential employers is to demonstrate that you have the skills they’re looking for. If you can clearly illustrate that you’re good fit for the role, they will call you back. Then, you’ll just need to prove that you’re a good fit for the company.
And to show that you have the skills they’re looking for, you should build a portfolio. To do that, you should take any opportunity that resembles the educational duties that you can. Even though nobody should ever work for free, don’t expect to make much money during this stage of your career.
You can seek out cheap work by making yourself available for tutoring services. Print out advertisements and business cards that say you can tutor people in a subject, and then post them around college campuses and schools. Or, you can volunteer for an educational institution.
It doesn’t matter how you get experience, as long as you get it. Then, once you are experienced enough and have a large enough portfolio, employers will begin vying for your attention.
Online Tutoring Takes Education Into the Modern Age
The digital age has done more than democratize information and connect people across the world. It’s also allowed people to practice their profession with others across the world, and education isn’t any different! If you want to tutor people in Malaysia while you stay in the United States, you can.
This allows you to capitalize on regional demands, and with online tutoring, you can get experience from the comfort of home. You’ll also benefit from tutoring people from a different culture, which can distinguish your résumé from others. Most of all, you’ll get a chance to glimpse how children in different countries think.
Submitting an Application is Never Enough
Finally, it’s never enough to just submit an application and wait for a call back from employers. You need to put in the work to connect with them on a personal level and put a voice to your résumé. It’s your job to humanize your application, and doing that takes work.
Keep calling the organization and make sure to speak with hiring managers one-on-one. You should also go to conventions and try to appropriately speak with them outside the workplace. When an institution sees you as a person instead of an applicant, they’re more likely to hire you!
Teaching is Noble — Take Pride in It
Finding jobs in the education field is just as hard as any other kind of field. In fact, it can be harder. Teachers don’t enjoy the extravagant pay or prestige from other industries.
Instead, they’re underpaid and can work long hours to make sure the next generation is taught well. They’re responsible for nurturing children as much as teaching them, and it takes a special kind of person to do both.
And if you think you’re that kind of person, the world needs you. It needs good teachers. So keep reading here to learn more about how to find a job in your field, and start helping change the world!
