College degree...and no jobs!

[wegotchickens]

I totally agree with PurpleChicken's suggestion on substitute teaching. Do it at any of the school's you'd want to work at and start meeting people in those schools and making connections. Getting your name in people's minds when an availability comes up could move you to the top of a long list and land you a job faster than you'd think. But you HAVE to get your foot in the door!

 

[asher]

Quote:
Not everyone will want it, but I seriously love my job working for the P.O and the money is great. No benefits for a while, though and a lot depends on if your area is hiring.

 

[TheMartianChick]

Another possibility would be to create a job. If you can identify a need within the community, then you could write a grant to create a program to address it. I work for a non-profit organization that specializes in helping minorities and women start businesses. We are constantly on the lookout for "new" needs within the community and then we create programming to address those needs.

With your education, you could start a program to provide tutoring to the community, or one to encourage kids to read. Another possibility would be to educate kids on something that they are not exposed to (like chickens ad other farm animals!)

My daughters belonged to a music program that was very similar. The Executive Director was a music teacher/school administrator who saw the need for affordable private lessons for kids in the city. He was able to argue that involvement in music provides kids with an additional academic grade (to boost overall averages) and provides them with a way to earn money for themselves forever (through giving lessons, etc...) and that they would have the ability to get accepted into good colleges and garner scholarships to pay for it.

None of this was a popular idea in our city, but he was able to get a grant from a foundation to start things off. The grant paid his salary and provided the supplies. Now the program gets lots of grants. They get college interns to write most of the grants for them and to create marketing materials, like brochures. The program is now a pilot and other states are starting to take notice.

There are plenty of possibilities out there, you just have to be open to them.

 

[ole-crone]

Check to see if your state requires a certified teacher to homeschool. If not - some parents still want to use them to tutor.

Don't worry, my husband has his masters and boxes cheese. Something will turn up when it is time.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Sometimes the effect of the degree isn't readily apparent, but the effect of a lack of one becomes clear pretty soon as you discover doors shut to you for lack of one....

I have a good friend who works for Juvenile Services and on-line teaches kids who were kicked out for behavioral or criminal issues and are home bound - and for kids who are temporarily disabled.

Its a great job for her since she gets to stay home!

 

[MayberrySaint]

Quote:
I am a little confused...I did a quick google search and found job listings for teachers all over the State of Florida...

What resources are you using in your job search?

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

I agree with the tutoring oppurtunity.

I have two degrees and it is very difficult to find related work, so I've worked in private schools (or charters) and I've tutored at various levels. At college level, you can usually make a pretty good amount and you can set your own schedule ...to free you up for interviews and such, at other times.


Good Luck!!



Btw, just throwing this out there ...when a person searches statewide, you may find LOTS of jobs ...but you have to consider that states are not just a few miles this direction or that. Gas prices are nuts and commuting is not fun ..not for hours at a time, and miles and miles. Besides the factor of already being established in one area ...sometimes that eliminates options. Folks don't want to just uproot what they've worked long and hard to establish ..or their family (if they inherited land, etc.) did before them.

 

[smith2]

I broke into teaching through substituting. I had to do it about a year, and then something came open in middle school. We don't have any elementary openings around here either unless everyone knows you, but middle school is pretty open and so is high school. You may want to look into getting a Master's in a field like special ed or get a additional endorsement in something that is in demand. You could also get additional coursework in a high school area like math or a foreign language.

Another note: This is going to sound biased. Watch what you wear and how you act around the students and at interviews. Piercings, tatoos, wild funky hair, crazy clothes, and poor oral language skills are all turnoffs to the older people doing the interviews. While that may not be "fair," that is the reality of the professional world. Most places still want good, clean, conservative role models for the students. We have had several teachers hired/fired that acted more wild and crazy than the students. They ultimately end up not getting rehired. The students may be interested in seeing your "whatever," but the school administrators are appalled when you show "it" to the students. Just be careful and get to know the attitudes and personalities of the people in your system as you try to get hired.

The last person not rehired at my school was a mess. Her English was awful, she dressed sloppy and just like the students; we frequently got to see her bare abdomen, and she stayed all wrapped up in the students emotional problems not to mention she couldn't write and follow through on her lesson plans. She was let go at the end of the year. While none of this may apply to you, take it with a grain of salt. Good luck. Teaching is one tough profession, but I don't ever want to do anything else. I love it!

 

[My Little Sister's Farm]

I guess the real question is if you are willing to relocate, if so there are jobs available.

If staying in your area, I would look into tutoring, research, or working for a prof while getting your next degree. I know here they basically pay you to get another degree, especially if you specialize.

 

[seedcorn]

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My son will soon be graduating w/education major with math minor, eligible for grades K-5. One thing that his school advisors have said repeatedly in IN, he needs B+ average otherwise resume will not be looked at.

How do you come across on interviews? What does you resume look like? That is extremely important as you only have 1 shot. (don't take this wrong) but your above paragraphs, does anything jump out at you?