Goodbye New Job

At the start of the year I got a new job as an after school hour assistant. It is my mean time job so I could earn a living before getting a teaching job. Now I’m going to hand in my two weeks notice so that I can pursue teaching more seriously.  When I finished school last year I thought I would land a teaching job quite quickly but it has not happened. I did all the right things, I applied with the government and I said I would go anywhere. I eagerly waited for a call for a teaching appointment and that never happened. Most of my friends have been appointed jobs so it’s just me that’s not teaching. I like my afterschool care job just fine but it’s pretty much babysitting and I prefer if I had some part in educating the students.

I’ve applied to lots of jobs but I hardly get any responses. I’m at that point where I feel great when I get an official rejection because at least I know not to hope for that role anymore. So I’ve decided to go into relief (substitute) teaching. Relief teaching is another way to get into teaching. Most teaching appointments are done in house which means that the schools look through their networks for who they know first before they advertise the jobs. Jobs are usually publically advertised when they can’t find anyone. I feel that it would be better for me to do relief teaching so schools are aware of me and I can be available for any positions that come up.

I also learnt from an interview yesterday that principals prefer graduates who have done some teaching experience besides interning so I know I am doing the right thing.

My Plan B is that I go overseas to teach. There are a lot jobs for Australian teachers to teach in London. I guess they must have a teacher shortage or not enough substitute teachers to work short contracts. I will also consider other countries, teaching in international schools and teaching English as a second language.

Sometimes I really worry my career decisions. There’s no manual about what to do so I think about whether I am making the right choices.