Applications and Interviews and Jobs (Oh My!)

It's all starting to get a little hectic again. Even more so now that job adverts are starting to appear and all us PGCEers are feeling the bite of assignment deadlines, preparing for Placement B and thinking about getting a good start in the very career that we're learning so much about.

To put it in a 'light' way, I'm feeling something like this right now:

Ok, so maybe that's a little dramatic, but all this talk of jobs is making me a little nervy. Many questions, lots of preparation and no guarantee of employment is a very scary position to be in...

Anyway, below is some information that's currently being discussed online about job applications in the teaching world. I thought I'd summarise it here to get my thoughts in order and to help any readers if they're in a similar situation:

• When looking at ads, ask if you are right for the job and if the job is right for you. If either of the answers is no, don't go for it. It's better to concentrate on one 'dead cert' than it is to waste employers' time and money
• Have a sceptical eye in interviews; scope out the school and make sure it's right for you
• Read and use the Person Specification carefully for each application; they look similar but can differ substantially, so a 'blanket application' won't work
• Try and visit the school if applying to it; it gives a good impression and allows you to do the aforementioned scoping!
• Remember that the children come first. We are here to teach kids and help them to develop all manner of skills, not just 'develop our own pedagogy'
• A mismatch between degree title and the subject you want to teach is not always a disadvantage; use specific examples and enthusiasm to make the application shine through
• Be confident in the use of data interpretation and analysis; apparently heads of department love it!
• Don't share out your personal statement too much. While it's good to have it double- and triple-checked, it also means that too many amendments lead it to being not as personal as it should be...
• Check your SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar); a large majority of applications will be binned on the basis of small errors
• Have these questions in mind during the process: Why your subject? Why this school? Why this post? Why teach?