Know Yourself

• Interests: What stimulates you? (Think about what engages your mind and makes you look forward to going to work)
• Values: What is important to you? (Causes, issues or qualities that engage your spirit and heart)
• Skills: What are you able to do? (Talents and abilities)
• Preferences: What can’t you live without in a position? (Location, driving distance, culture, travel, advancement, etc.)
• Ask yourself:
  • Why did I become a teacher?
  • What passions do I bring to teaching?
  • What are my dreams/aspirations for the children I will teach?
  • How can I best articulate my beliefs/philosophy of education?
  • What gives my life meaning and purpose?
  • What impact do I want to make on the world and the field of education?

Develop a Task List & Timeline

• View your search as a job itself. For maximum results, set reasonable expectations for yourself when setting your goals.
• Begin planning early. Create a list of tasks and set target dates for each. You are the best expert on your energy and work ethic, so be sure to keep your plan realistic.
• Commit your plan to paper, as you may be more likely to tackle your search if a plan is clearly organized and written down. This will also give you the satisfaction of checking off tasks as they are accomplished.
• If job-searching out of state, become aware of any differences in licensing requirements. Visit sites like Teach.com to see the differences for each state.

Polish Your Application Materials

• Create a résumé and cover letter and have both critiqued. See the Teacher Education Résumé, Reference and Cover Letter Guide (PDF) for helpful advice and examples.
• Practice your interviewing skills. See the Teacher Education Interviewing Guide (PDF) for helpful advice and frequently asked questions.
• Schedule a mock interview with Career & Professional Development. Call 920-403-3040 to schedule an appointment.
• Participate in the Mock Interview Relay for Teachers (MIRT) held every spring for senior education majors to practice their interviewing skills with local education administrators.

Conduct a Comprehensive Job Search

• Complete a profile on WECAN.
• Visit the Job Center of Wisconsin website.
• Sign up on the Education listserv through the SNC education discipline.
• Complete your profile on Handshake, SNC Career & Professional Development’s online job and internship database, to search for openings.

• Search for professional associations related to the field of education as they advertise openings.
• Use SchoolSpring to search for openings by state, category or grade.
• Visit the Department of Education for the state in which you plan to work to start searching for openings.
• Contact Career & Professional Development for an individualized approach.

• Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website to search for schools by CESA districts.
• Get links for K-12 public and private school listings and search by county on the State of Wisconsin education website.
• Use the National Center for Education Statistics to search for public schools anywhere in the U.S.
• Send a letter of inquiry introducing yourself and selling your skills.

• Oftentimes, other teachers are a great resource in learning about upcoming openings; therefore it pays to develop good working relationships with your cooperating teacher and other teachers at your student-teaching placements. 
• Increase your network through people you know both formally and informally, such as parents/siblings, extended family, friends, professors, cooperating teachers, advisers, mentors, colleagues, supervisors, former employers, neighbors and contacts from professional organizations.
• Get connected with organizations of young professionals to increase your network and hear about potential openings before they are posted.
• Every time you network with someone, be sure to ask “Do you know two more people I could talk to regarding this topic?”, as this is how your network will grow.

• Career fairs provide candidates with an opportunity to meet many districts in one location and receive first-hand information about the districts and available positions. See our Career & Internship Fair Prep Guide (PDF).
• Consider attending the Wisconsin Educational Recruitment Fair (WERF), held every spring in Madison, Wis.

Follow Up

• It is not enough to simply send or email your application materials. It is essential that you conduct a follow-up after submitting your application. That can be as simple as calling the employer you applied to, asking if they have received all of your application materials and inquiring about their timeline for the hiring process.
• The reason for conducting a follow-up is to set yourself apart from the other applicants and show initiative.

Be Flexible

• Evaluate your job search plan periodically to make sure it is still working for you.
• You may need to make modifications along the way based on what is or is not working.
• Reward yourself along the way for all of your hard work!

Teacher Student Loan Information & Deferment

• If you have student loans taken out, be sure to talk to someone in Financial Aid. You will want to know exactly how much you have taken out, when repayment begins, and what your repayment plan options are.
• Research Loan Forgiveness/Cancellation Programs for Wisconsin Educators