Tips on getting a job

If you follow my twitter feed, you will know that last Friday I was offered a full-time job. That means that in September I will be a fully qualified teacher and have my very own year 5 class. Even though I now have the job of my dreams, this definitely wasn't an easy experience and I had plenty of interviews and lesson observations before I was accepted somewhere. Over the past few weeks I have learnt a lot about applying for jobs and the interview process so I thought i'd share some of these tips with you.

Keep your CV short and concise 
One mistake people tend to make is to include every bit of information about themselves in their CV. Having a list of interests as long as your arm is great but doesn't always look good on a CV. Limit your list of interests to the ones that are relevant to the job. For example, does your potential employer really need to know that you went horse riding when you were 10 or you had a couple of flute lessons in primary school? Probably not. My list of interests tends to be reading, learning, ICT and blogging, art, running and tennis. These interests all support my application for a teaching job and may be something the employer is specifically looking for

Be prepared
Being prepared is one of the most important tips when getting a job. When applying for any job, it is important to do your research. Find out as much as you can about the role or company. Learn the names of your potential employers and look on the companies website for their 'ethos' or 'vision'. Don't just read their website back to them but use some of the key words to show you have a shared vision. 

Make yourself stand out
It is likely the interviewers will see a lot of candidates so you need to get yourself remembered. How? Offer them something they don't have. Every interviewee will say they are 'hardworking, work well in a team and they are organised' so you need to skip the obvious and offer something different. What employers want most is for you to be committed to the role and the company. People who see a job as more than just a job are much more appealing. 

The interview
This tip I got from my mum as she interviews people at her work quite regularly. She said that an interviewer will often be listening out for key words in your answers and you will often see them being written down. It means that if you have a question like "what behaviour management strategies do you find effective", the interviewer will be listening for key words like 'behaviour policy, high expectations, promoting intrinsic behaviour'.

Seem interested but don't overdo the questions
When I was visiting a school a few months ago, there was another teacher there who did exactly this. Obviously we were asking questions about the school and were all interested in the answers but there was one lady who was relentlessly drilling the head teacher on the tiniest details about the school. You do want to appear interested but only ask questions you actually want to know the answers to. Asking about things you can easily find on the companies website will not make you sound interested, just unprepared.

Be grateful
Even if you don't get the job, be very grateful for the chance you were given. Employers really appreciate a thank you and in the past I have even complimented a school on the way they ran the interviews and they were delighted. You never know what is going to happen (the person who was offered the job may decline) and you want to be remembered in a positive way.

Keep going
The hardest part of applying for jobs is bouncing back after rejection. If you have been unsuccessful, ring up and ask for feedback. Most companies will be happy to let you know how you did and any tips to improve. Use what you have learnt and apply it next time. I know better than anyone how relentless applying for jobs and interviews can be but you just have to realise that if you didn't get a job then it wasn't meant to be. You will get what you want in the end.

How to beat stress

Stress. That one little word that can have such a huge impact on your life. I never used to worry about anything until my anxiety kicked in and so i've had to adopt some stress relieving techniques. Being a teacher, I often find myself will 100 different tasks to complete and once and it can really bring a person down. As well as the usual strategies like being organised, I've learnt some things that really help me to get everything done.

Confront the problem.

One thing I have been guilty of doing of the past is to pretend certain jobs don't exist and will just disappear on their own. But lets face it, we all know that never ends well. It's important to actually face up to the jobs you need to accomplish, which leads us nicely on to tip number two. 

Lists.

If you're anything like me you often don't complete a goal because you simply forget! Often I will have a returns package ready for the post office sat under my desk and forget about it until it's too late (please say i'm not the only one)! I'm an obsessive list maker and it's the only way I will be able to make sense of the millions of things happening in my life. If I have important things to do for the next day, I will make a list and stick it on my mirror so I can't forget about them the next day. Plus how satisfying is it to tick things off a list! I also use the site Scribbless as an online list maker for when i'm glued to my laptop and don't have my phone or a pen to hand. 

Do the small jobs first.

Being faced with a list of 20 jobs can be quite daunting. Instead of starting off by doing your taxes or redecorating your house, begin with the small jobs. Lots of education theorists explain the need for 'quick wins' and I couldn't agree more. Look at your list and do the easiest and quickest jobs first. Booking a dentist appointment, cleaning your makeup brushes and doing the washing up are all jobs you can complete within a matter of minutes and gain instant satisfaction. It will also give you motivation to tackle the bigger jobs later on.

Reward yourself for the big jobs.

When it comes to tackling the biggest stresses in your life it's important to reward yourself afterwards. For example, I've had a few interviews recently and it takes a long time and a lot of energy to prepare everything for a lesson observation and an interview portfolio. Afterwards, I have allowed myself a couple of hours to sit and read blogs, watch films and eat some yummy homemade food. Knowing that I was going to reward myself made the tough jobs so much easier. If you don't reward yourself and move straight on to the next job you will loose motivation and feel deflated. 

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

I have never been one to ask for help...ever. I never let anyone proof read my university assignments and struggled through the long days of my teaching placement on my own. It wasn't until I met my other half and he forced his help upon me, when I realised how much easier things are with an extra helping hand. SInce then, I have used my friends and family as support for all sorts of jobs. And of course I have helped them in return. 

What are your stress relieving techniques?