Spend some time on your resume’ (but not too much). Some of this may depend on what point you are at in your career, but generally speaking, prospective employers don’t care that…
- You led your kindergarten class in number of pennies raised for haircuts for vets
- You were the section leader in your junior high band
- That you worked for McDonalds January-February, Wendys March-April, BK May-June and then quit to become a lifeguard July-August
They might care that…
- You worked for McDonalds for 5 years, eventually becoming shift manager
- You were section leader grades 6-10. Your junior high director was so impressed she brought in in for the next three school years to teach after school lessons.
What they care about the most…
- What do you bring to the table for their needs
- Are you going to be committed or is this just a stepping stone
Have an expert look at your resume’. When I say expert, I mean someone who has to look at hundreds of them a week because they work in HR, or a friend who is a principal and has an idea of what to look for. Many openings – unfortunately – don’t even give you an opportunity to provide a resume’. You fill out a nameless, faceless online application.
The good news (or bad depending on your reputation) is that most jobs are obtained because you know someone who knows someone and they put in a good word for you. I have taught at four schools. Here’s how that looked for me.
1st school – principal was my neighbor; his daughter was a teen and watched our young kids; he knew I was a musician and asked me to apply when they had an opening.
2nd school – the dad of one of the kids I taught at school #1 was a math teacher at this school; he knew I was considering leaving, encouraged me to apply, and put in a good word.
3rd school – a principal friend of mine knew I was looking; she was friends with the music coordinator of the district and put in a good word for me.
4th (current school) – I found this job on Indeed. Everything lined up (and God opened the doors) for me to fill this role that is perfect for me at this point in my career (retired from full time teaching; hired to start a band program from scratch; teach half time here).
Actually God was looking out for me in all the positions, but the story of that might fill an entire small book.
Job-Hunting Math: 30 to 6 to 3 to 1
I am surprised by the number of people who tell me, “I applied at my dream job a few weeks ago and haven’t heard back from them yet.” Sometimes they even talk about quitting the profession. No! Don’t. There are several things wrong in that short statement.
#1 There is no dream job. There are jobs that are better than others. Often – through hard work, perseverance, and bravery – you can make a job into more of what you want.
#2 One application, or 5, or 9, is not enough!
In 2005 and in 2018, I found myself looking for a new position. Both times the math was almost identical.
- I applied to 30+ positions
- I was invited to interview for 6 of those
- Out of those, I was offered the job at 3 places
- I picked one and served for many years
In every position I’ve held, I have been stretched out of my comfort zone.
Keep your normal routine. Eat well. Sleep well. Exercise. Try not to be discouraged. Check out each and every available job board, including the actual district sites as well. Some places post everywhere, some only on one or two. Checking the job boards twice a day is probably enough.
And don’t be afraid to possibly take that last minute position that opens up right when school starts.
At my 2nd school, I was the 8th director in 7 years. When I told my colleagues I was accepting the job, many of them said, “Are you sure you want to go there? It seems to be a career ender.” I was able to grow the program exponentially and (mostly) enjoyed my 13 years there. I was planning on finishing my career there. Unfortunately the last few years became toxic.
James Divine is a retired band teacher. He still teaches half time at a charter school, spending the other half leading Professional Development and creating curriculum like Jazz From The Start to teach jazz and improv to young students. Get an early edition of his book Almost Everything I’ve Learned About Teaching Band.