Even before you start your university and teacher preparation training, you can benefit from tips on finding a job for recent graduates. Experts will tell you that the best way to find out what area you should pursue in your degree is research on what the needs are in the district or region in which you want to teach. If it doesn’t matter to you about moving to another state or if you have a particular interest in a subject area, you can search for areas of critical teacher shortages and then use that as your guide. You also need to know what requirements you will need to meet in order to obtain a teaching certificate in the state.
Another of the tips for finding a job for recent graduates is to take a look at the availability of teachers in your area of interest. Some areas have an oversupply of teachers who have to become substitute teachers to gain experience. This does not mean you should avoid this subject area, but in order to be competitive in the job market, you must have high marks in your university courses. When you apply to a school district for one of its job postings, you also have to submit a copy of your university transcripts. The administrator of a school is the person who will ultimately make the decision about hiring you and this person will look through your transcripts to see what courses you took in university and how well you performed.
You will need to meet the requirements of the teaching certificate regulations of each state. This also entails passing various certification exams, such as the Praxis series or in the case of some states, exams specific to the state. There is usually one main exam for the initial certificate and then you can take others when you want to add endorsements to your teaching credentials. An endorsement is an addition to the certificate stating that you can teach in a certain capacity, such as Special Education, Middle School Language Arts and others. Tips for finding a job for recent graduates include trying to have as many of these endorsements on your teaching certificate as possible. Just keep in mind that you do have to pay a fee to take each exam and a fee to have the endorsement added.
One important tip for finding a job for recent graduates is to contact the school district and volunteer in some capacity in the school. This could take the forms of helping out with extra-curricular activities. This way you also become known to the teaching staff and administration who will be able to recommend you for a position. You can also apply for certification as a substitute teacher to get your foot in the door. There are many veteran teachers who can also give you tips for finding a job for recent graduates as they describe the route they took to obtain a teaching position. When you are looking for tips and advice take every idea you come across seriously and act upon it in the way you see fit.
