Ten Pointers for Landing Music Teacher Positions
Now that you're nearly through with your studies, you may be considering applying for a position as a music teacher for the next school year. Making the move from being a college student to being a working professional after many years in college is not always straightforward. Here are 10 ideas for discovering and obtaining music teacher jobs that can assist you in your pursuit of a rewarding career in the field of music education.
1. Start looking as soon as possible
Job vacancies in music teacher positions are most likely to be found during the months of late March and early April, when school districts are recruiting for the next school year. During your student teaching months, put together your CV and reference letters, and begin marketing your resume to potential employers. Make sure to tell your instructors, coworkers, and acquaintances that you're searching for music teacher employment since word of mouth is your greatest source of job leads.
2. Determine the types of music teacher positions in which you are interested
Knowing if you like to deal with elementary school or pre-school children rather than high school students, or vice versa, can assist you in narrowing the scope of your employment search to reasonable levels.
3. Keep in mind that you are ultimately responsible for obtaining a job
It is necessary to go after the school districts aggressively because they will not come to you. Decide where you wish to work and send your CV to the appropriate employers. Follow up with phone calls and letters in order to get an interview, and be prepared to walk into the interview and wow the interviewers on the spot.
4. One of the most essential things you can do to locate music teacher employment is to network with other people
Inform your college's career center of your intentions to seek for work, inform your mother of your intentions to look for work, and bring up the subject of your job search whenever the chance comes. You may take an even more proactive approach by compiling a list of individuals you know who might be aware of music teacher positions that are available and contacting them with a nice, courteous letter informing them of your search and asking for any help or information that they can provide.
5. Check the bulletin boards at your local schools for announcements
This is one of those resources that is often ignored. Prior to advertising job vacancies publicly, the majority of school districts promote all available positions internally. In order to do your practicum in a school setting, you'll need to be in the building on a frequent basis so that you may check the teacher's bulletin board for information about music teacher positions and other job opportunities.
6. Speak with job placement services
School districts and private institutions are increasingly relying on job placement services to provide them with qualified applicants for more specialized roles such as music teacher positions. To get an interview, you'll need a strong CV and cover letter, as well as the courage to call and request an appointment.
7. Make good use of the Internet to streamline your search for music teacher positions
While it's a good idea to start your job search with the local teacher's union's website, don't forget about the old standbys such as Monster, Yahoo's HotJobs, and other major job recruiting sites.
Take some time to work on your CV. Don't simply throw your CV together on the fly. Take some time to sit down with it and think about how your work history, education, professional experience, and volunteer experience all tie together. Remember to keep it short, but make certain that all of the essential information is included. The fact that you worked at McDonald's over the summer may not have meant much in this instance, but that you spent six years at band camp, rising through the ranks from student to head counselor, definitely did.
9. Do not send your resume out without a cover letter
Never make the mistake of assuming that your CV will'speak for itself.' In addition to your resume, a cover letter is an essential component of any job search package. Once you've selected a handful of music teacher positions to which you'd want to submit an application, personalize your cover letter for each school district. If you're applying for a position, your cover letter should be no more than two to three paragraphs long and contain information such as how you learned about the opportunity, why you believe you'd be a good fit for the role, and your contact information. You should also make it a point to request an interview with a sentence like, "I'd like to schedule an interview with you." "Inquiring about the vacant music teacher position has piqued my interest, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to discuss how my experience and qualifications would be beneficial in the classroom. I'll check in with you early next week to make sure your resume arrived in good condition. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your consideration."
10. Come prepared with a few questions of your own to ask throughout the interview
Make a point of putting together a list of questions, and remember to carry the list with you so you don't miss anything important. Inquiries such as "How many courses will I be teaching each week?" and "How many hours will I be working?" are examples of such questions. "Are there any traditional music groups or performances for which I'll be required to prepare students?" and "Are there any traditional music ensembles or performances for which I'll be expected to prepare students?"
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