Becoming a private college teacher is an attractive career choice for people who’ve already achieved success in other fields, like healthcare or business. Teaching is a rewarding profession since you get the opportunity to make an impact on students’ lives. You’ll get to pass on your vast knowledge to students and help them succeed in your field. Of course, the extra money is nice, too.
But, how can you get your first teaching job? Here are some tips for getting hired as a college teacher.
1. Use Your Network to Find Job Openings
After a long career in healthcare, business, community service, or information technology, you probably have a large professional network. Your network might be able to help you get your first teaching job. Not all jobs are advertised, and at least 60 percent of jobs are found through networking.
Let your network know you’re looking to start teaching part time at a private career college. You might be surprised by the people your connections know. They might be able to refer you to someone on the hiring committee at a private college.
2. Emphasize Experience in Your Cover Letter
Cover letters are very important for career changers. Your cover letters introduce your candidacy to private career colleges. These letters are your chance to explain why you’re looking for work as a college teacher. If hiring managers receive your resume without a cover letter, they might question why you’re applying or how you’re a good fit.
When you write your cover letters, make sure to emphasize your years of experience in your current field. Private college teachers have extensive experience in the fields they teach. Your experience helps you stand out from other potential teachers.
3. Write a New Resume for Teaching Jobs
Your resumes need to be customized for the positions you’re applying for. A good healthcare resume isn’t necessarily a good teaching resume, and vice versa. If you already have a resume for your current career field, write a new one that’s tailored for teaching jobs.
On your teaching resume, call attention to any teaching experience you have. If you have a lot of experience training groups of employees, be sure to mention it. If you’ve led workshops in your field, mention that as well.
4. Create a Teaching Portfolio
You might not have taught formally before, but employers need to know you have the required skills. A teaching portfolio can help you show off your skills. This portfolio can include teaching materials like lesson plans, assignments, or test sheets.
Set aside some time to create sample materials to show off in job interviews. For example, you could create a lesson plan for an example lesson you’d teach students. This plan should include what you’d be teaching, the method used to deliver the plan, and how students would practise the skills.
5. Spend Time Preparing for Interviews
Your network, cover letter, and resume can help you land interviews. But you need to perform well in interviews to get hired as a teacher. Spend time preparing for interviews to boost your chances of performing well.
During job interviews, you can expect to be asked questions about your experience in your current career field. Private career colleges need to know their teachers are highly qualified, so be ready to talk about your knowledge and accomplishments.
You’ll also have to answer questions about teaching. For example, you could be asked why you want to be a teacher or how you’d help a student who was falling behind. Think about your answers to interview questions like these beforehand so you don’t stumble during the interview.