It’s been in the news that the government are recommending graduates to consider working abroad, so that they can avoid being affected by the recession. Do you think it’s appropriate for the government to urge UK graduates to seek employment overseas?

In the teaching sector however, working in both the UK and overseas has never been so popular…in the UK approximately 38,000 trainee teachers enrol on teacher training courses every year. This year allocations are up by another 4%, no surprise as teaching is seen as a stable profession during the current economic downturn – in fact according to the TDA the number of enquiries has risen by 34%!

If new graduates in the education sector are looking to teach outside of the UK then this should be seen as a positive factor for their careers, rather than an alternative route to secure a job at all. Graduates can teach overseas by following a variety of routes, the most popular are…

* Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
* Teaching in an International school after completing a BA QTS/PGCE equivalent
* Working as a classroom assistant or educational project volunteer

The numbers of teachers opting to teach the National Curriculum, reflecting that of which is delivered in England and Wales, has risen by 26% in 3 years new figures reveal. As a result of this, there are now approximately 74,000 qualified teachers from the UK in International schools.

Thinking about teaching overseas? Interested in gaining TEFL qualifications? Have you taught overseas? Would you recommend the experience? Share your thoughts with the Eteach community…

SIX MONTHS no way….. I could never have taught PE in a London Comprehensive after 6 months training.

This will put undue pressure on prospective teachers and schools who will have to handhold these (I presume) graduates through the process and beyond extending the induction period to two or three years maybe…. !!!!!

Is this the end of formal vocational teacher training ??

JPH

Hi I’m Graham and I work for Eteach Agency. We work with schools and manage the permanent, long-term contract and daily supply staffing needs. This is my first blog for the Eteach site and I was wondering what suitable topic to discuss…. so whilst we are on the subject of first times, I thought it would be best to kick off with about first time jobs for prospective teachers and what we’re up to.

One area where we are currently seeing are large amounts of activity is with final year students and PGCE students starting to send us their CVs. Schools and local authorities are looking to build their talent pools in preparation for the next academic year. We are organising an open day focused on NQT’s during the Easter holidays…dedicated to all course leavers from this year and last year.

We also work with 1000’s of schools throughout the UK and Internationally and manage the supply pools on behalf of a number of local authorities. All of whom are looking to attract the best talent of 2008 and 2009 including those looking for their first role in teaching.

There maybe hundreds of student teachers throughout the UK looking to embark into their first teaching role. Previously there has been fierce competition amongst those looking and this year promises to be no exception. Hundreds of students are completing dissertations, undertaking their last few lectures and preparing for their last round of placements in schools. So….

Don’t be the last to get organised. Act now and spend time looking at getting your CV and references in order.

To put yourself in with a good chance, for this forthcoming September, get in touch now and get involved with our Easter Open day. We will give you free advice on how to apply for roles, how to write your CV and overall provide a helping hand for you to find that crucial first teaching role. We can link you up with roles throughout the UK and Internationally.

It would be interesting to hear how you will be using Eteach in finding your first role, either in person at the open day or by sending me your comments.

Take care, work hard and get in touch!

Graham

NQT’s- looking for your first teaching post? Find your first job with Eteach.com. It can be daunting as well as being an exciting time when searching for your first teaching post. When you become an NQT and you’ve completed your studies, the world is your oyster…. Many of you will go into teaching straightaway, some of you may further your experience by travelling overseas. At some stage you’ll be job hunting. Here is some advice from a fellow teacher job hunter. If you have any more tips you’d like to share with your fellow colleagues let us know! The research….

• Do your homework! Explore teaching opportunities online. Register online with eteach and use our education job search tool to find your ideal job and location and to find out more about the prospective employer online e.g. about the school, inspection report, area information and location

• You’ve worked this hard to become a teacher however it’s a competitive market out there… Be flexible when job hunting- don’t narrow your options by sticking to a specific geographical location…. be prepared to commute and potentially move house, choosing the right job could benefit your career in the long term. Be realistic and don’t put all your eggs in one basket- apply for several roles and widen your options.

• Your CV – Your Brand – what are your unique selling points? Your education, experience, skills and any relevant extracurricular activities which will contribute to the school community… ability to play a musical instrument, swimming coaching certificate, foreign language skills etc . Your NQT application…

• Select suitable referees e.g. your college tutor and your head teacher from one of your school placements

• Relate your supporting statement directly to person specification for each individual job, don’t send generic supporting statements. Highlight your skills, experience and abilities…but most important sell yourself!

• Check if the school or Local Authority you plan to work with operates an NQT primary/secondary pool application system. Did you know Eteach manages a number of NQT application pools… using online systems, Eteach streamlines the application process for recruiters and candidates. Preparing for your Interview

• Planning and preparation is the key to being offered the teaching job of your dreams. Prepare model answers to likely questions connected to planning and assessment, target setting and communicating with parents. Prepare a few questions of your own to ask at the end of the interview. For example, find out more about school policies including equal opportunities, behaviour policies, gifted and talented, inclusive education and find out how the school delivers the Every Child Matters agenda..

• Find out what continual professional development is on offer… as an NQT you will be entitled to full induction support to enable you to gain QTS. Find out how a prospective school or Local Authority will deliver an NQT Induction programme. Achieving your teaching qualification is just the beginning of your professional development. Like any member of the school workforce, it’s important to keep learning to develop your career…..

Most importantly, sign up to http://www.eteach.com/ job alerts. Let the jobs come and find you. You can manage the number your recieve. Simply register with eteach and let eteach job alerts do the work for you. It will save you time, increase your efficency in your search and target your search more specifically.

Good luck

Collin