A Guide to Getting Your Ideal Job (Part 1 - selection and application)

Working in a school is all consuming. On average, teachers spend 10 hours a day in the building, which is 50 hours a week and almost 2,000 hours a year. Life is short and so you want to spend it somewhere where you will fit in and flourish, where you will be stretched and supported and where you and your work will be recognised and appreciated. It is worth taking the time to find a school which is the right fit and then applying yourself fully to showing them that you are their ideal candidate.

1, Finding your ideal school

Take the time to consider not only the location of your ideal school but the size, ethos and type of school which suits you. Faith or non-faith? Private or state? For profit or not for profit? Large or small? Outstanding or looking to improve? There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these options. 

Generally speaking, the larger the school, the less time you will have with students and leadership roles may be more managerial and less hands on. Do your research well using your network, the school website and social media to find out as much as you can about those you will be working alongside to see if their vision and approach aligns with yours. 

If you are unsure of your personal vision, it may be worth working with a coach to explore this further. As a rule of thumb, however, it can be useful to consider what you least like in a school and then look for the opposite of this - as obvious as this sounds!

If possible, speak to those who work at the school or who have visited professionally - but remember that their experience will be subjective and only a small part of the big picture. 

2, Application form

Those long listing applicants to be interviewed will be checking each candidate off against the job description so use these bullet points when creating your application. Identify which you can show evidence of in your CV or the application form. For example, when giving details of your previous roles you can highlight experience which is relevant. 

3, Supporting Statement

Your supporting statement should be no more than 2 sides of A4 paper. Use a professional font and make sure the paragraphs are well spaced, with headings if you prefer. Start with a brief introduction about yourself, including a summary of your experience and what you are looking for and what you can offer. End by reiterating why you are the ideal candidate and your hopes for consideration. 

Use the Job Description as your guide, making sure you are providing examples of where you have already met the criteria. Make sure that statements are backed with examples and evidence: either data or quotes. Where possible use the STAR model of Situation, Task, Action and Result. 

Look through all information about the school online, on social media and in documentation provided to identify key vocabulary being used and values which are highlighted. Make sure that you use these throughout your application to highlight your alignment with the school.

4, Covering Letter

This can be fairly brief, simply outlining why you have chosen this school and why you believe you are the perfect candidate. 

5, Final touches

Read your statement aloud in order to make sure that it flows and makes sense. Always get at least one other person to check everything through and edit. Applications with spelling errors, mistakes or poor grammar will not be considered favourably. Equally, make sure that you spell the name of the school and the staff correctly otherwise this can be a poor first impression.

6, In Person Visit

This is the perfect opportunity to sell yourself before the interview even begins. Make sure that you use people’s names (check the staff section of the website beforehand) and smile and thank everyone. A follow up email to thank the staff who spent their time talking with you will always be appreciated. 

If possible, have your application form completed, ready to hand in when you are there. Some schools will consider interviewing before the closing date if they see a strong candidate. You can always turn the job down later, if you decide, on reflection, that it is not the right fit for you.