1. START EARLY – Start right now by working on your résumé and portfolio.  Compose your teaching philosophy.  Practice answering possible interview questions.  Write a generic cover letter that can be modified for specific applications.  Research the districts and schools in the area where you’d like to teach.  Begin networking and gathering references.  As soon as you’ve finished the first student teaching assignment, send out letters of inquiry and request applications.
2. REFLECT – Take some time to seriously reflect on your personal characteristics and past experiences that will make you a better candidate.  Think about your reasons for becoming a teacher, your unique experiences that will impact your teaching, special talents and abilities that will add to your qualifications, your greatest strengths and weaknesses, and how you hope to effect your students.  When you think about yourself, what adjectives come to mind?  This reflection will help you write a better cover letter and better respond to interview questions.
3. IDENTIFY OPENINGS – Check the Career Center and Department listings, search Internet sites, read local newspaper want ads, and ask professional and personal contacts that you have made.  Check back often, since many additional positions come open as teachers decide to take new positions or jobs in other districts.
4. MAKE “COLD CALLS” – Contact schools of interest.  Even if you don’t know someone at these schools, you can call to gain information and/or an appointment to meet someone in administration.  When you call, mention something positive that you’ve already learned about the school.  Let them know of your interest in specific positions for which you are qualified and of your intent to apply should such positions become available. Explain that you’d like to know more about the school/district, so you’d like to meet with the principal.  Set up a date and time when you can meet with him/her.  Cold calls can be intimidating, but they are often worth the effort.  When you meet with the principal, take your résumé and portfolio, just in case you have an opportunity to share your background and expertise.
5. STAY ORGANIZED – Since you will probably be applying to many school districts, it’s very important to sort your information by job as soon as you start your quest for a teaching position.  Start a file folder for each teaching position for which you apply, recording every contact you make, whether it’s a letter of inquiry or job application.  Include notes on personal contacts and telephone messages, as well as all written correspondence.  On the front of each folder record a dated note on each item you put into that folder.  This will allow you to quickly identify the stage of progress, as well as the contents of the folder.
6. NETWORK – Always remember that the people with whom you are currently working may be a “lead” to a future position.  That means that all those people you encounter while student teaching are valuable to you in your quest for a job.  When you go to a district meeting or in-service program, make an effort to meet administrators.  Use this opportunity to start creating a “network” of people who can help you get a job.  After graduation enlarge this “network” by joining professional organizations.  Make it a habit to introduce yourself to new people both in and outside of the teaching profession.  You never know who will be able to help you.  Be prepared to reciprocate in the future when someone needs your assistance. 
7. KEEP A CALENDAR – Note all deadlines and appointments on your calendar or date book.  Send all materials well before the deadline and check to make certain they arrived.
8. BE FLEXIBLE – Be open to new opportunities.  You may have the “perfect” job in mind, but consider positions that don’t quite fit your ideal.  Maybe you could move, drive a little further, teach at another grade level, or work within a different structure.
9. FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT – When you talk to someone on the telephone or personally meet with him/her, remember that you are a professional.  Conduct yourself accordingly.  Wear appropriate clothing and speak with proper pronunciation and grammar.
10. ATTEND JOB FAIRS – This is a unique opportunity to make contact with a large number of districts at one time.  It is also a great chance to practice your interview skills.  The more people you talk to, the better your chances of securing a position and the better you get at answering and asking questions.
11. BE PATIENT – Many districts do their hiring at the last minute due to staffing changes and late resignations.  Many beginning teachers get hired the week before the school year starts (sometimes even in September if enrollment changes).
12. FOLLOW UP – Don’t be afraid to follow up on your applications, even if you haven’t had a response.  You can use this not only to make sure they have all the materials that they need, but also to enlarge your “network.”  Take time to talk to talk to the secretary and other office personnel.  If you’re visiting the building to make your follow-up inquiry, spend some time talking to the building staff.  They may know of “unofficial” openings in the near future.  (Make sure that you dress professionally any time you make a personal appearance.)
13. SELL YOURSELF AT THE INTERVIEW – The first impression that you give at your interview is extremely important.  It is the time when you can showcase your abilities.  If you have done your research, you should be able to project a professional image and speak with authority.
14. GET EXPERIENCE – If you are unable to land a position immediately, substitute teach, work as a paraprofessional, or volunteer in a school for a while.  Consider working in a private or charter school for a year or two.  This gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your teaching skills and expand your network of contacts.  Make yourself marketable.

Use the links on the left to go to other pages on this site that will help you with
*Completing Application Forms
*Preparing for Your Interview
*Writing a Cover Letter and Thank You Letter
*Developing Your Résumé and Teaching Philosophy
*Building Your Portfolio
*Getting Good Letters of Recommendation