How To Apply For a Teaching Position in a Private School in the Philippines

Whether you are a fresh graduate of Education, a professional who is thinking of shifting to teaching, or someone who wants to ace the application the second time around, you’ve come to the right page.

For my first blog entry, I will be sharing with you a step by step guide on how to apply as a private school teacher based on my experiences. Before establishing my learning center, I’ve taught in four schools and I must say that in the journey of developing my teaching career, job hunting is my favorite part.

My first job in 2013 right after graduation 

Teaching the first batch of preschoolers in the 
learning center I've established in 2018

Please note that schools slightly differ in their hiring process. Some might have one-day processing. Others have impromptu demo-teaching (but that’s very rare) and others have psychological tests. But ALL applications basically have INTERVIEW and DEMO-TEACHING which I will discuss comprehensively on a separate post.

So, to apply for a teaching position in a private school, you have to… 

1. Know your prospects. 

•  I would suggest having at least three top choices. It could be your dream school, a school near your place or a school that you know is looking for a teacher like you. 

• List them down, then visit their websites or Facebook pages. Most schools post job hirings on their website or Facebook. Note the important details: where to send the resume, whom to look for, whom to address the cover letter, the exact address, and their qualifications.

• The good news is most private schools welcome fresh graduates and non-LET passers. However, of course, as you teach, they will require you to work on your license. You can work on that in the next few months. For now, focus on job hunting with what you already have. 

• You can also search for job hiring at  https://ph.jora.com/ and https://www.jobstreet.com.ph/

2.  Write a cover letter.

• The cover letter and resume must be word-processed, not handwritten. 
• Make sure you do not copy-paste everything. There’s nothing wrong with applying to three different schools but make sure the cover letters are different.You do not want to submit the cover letter to Mr. Cruz that is supposedly for Dr. Reyes. Details such as school, address, name of the principal or school head should be stated correctly.
• Whether it’s a catholic school, a progressive or an international school, make sure to highlight what you have that fits best to the school. This should answer WHY they should hire you. 
• Your cover letter should fit one-page short bond paper. 

3. Craft your resume.

• Be truthful about your credentials. Do not put false information. The seminars you’ve indicated should be supported by printed certificates. The school head or HR officer will tell you when you need to bring them for verification purposes.

• At the top-left corner of the front page of your resume, position your passport size ID picture. Make sure that you are in a white background. 

• IMPORTANT: Your resume is very important as this showcases WHO YOU ARE and WHY THEY SHOULD HIRE YOU. Think of it as an advertisement. That being said, you have to carefully write the best resume you could make to promote or advertise yourself as a professional. 

• ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: Clean your social media profiles or accounts once done with your resume. Employers check your social media account before the interview or right after they've received your resume. First, evaluate your profile pic. Do I look decent here? If you look like Betty Boop with your cleavage or Snoopy with your Snapchat filter, please change your profile picture. Any inappropriate posts and photos, please consider deleting them. Update your ABOUT section. Indicate the university you've attended, your course and relevant work experience, if any. No to "Works at Sa Puso Mo" or "Works at Krusty Krab". I will write a separate blog post about this in the future but for now, please evaluate your social media presence. Look like a boss. Think like a boss. 

• Once done, submit your documents online or visit the school directly. 

                                                                

4.  Submit the documents. 

• You can submit online or visit the school to apply directly. If you’ll walk-in, expect to be asked by the guard or personnel. Tell that you are an applicant so he can direct you to the Human Resource department/office. You might get lucky if it’s the principal or school head who receives it immediately as this leads to an interview.

• But most of the time, your resume and cover letter will land on the Human Resource officer. Usually, they’ll ask you to wait for a call for the date of the interview or they'll ask you questions before they recommend you to the school head. So, be prepared and always give your best. 

                                            

5. Interview

• Dress appropriately. Smart casual is highly encouraged. Use closed shoes. Wear the right pair of shoes and conquer the world. Avoid over-accessorizing. For men, you don’t have to wear a bow, necktie, or suit. Smart casual--3/4 sleeved polo shirt, neat pants, and black shoes will do.

• Make-up should enhance your beauty. Avoid heavy-make up, especially colorful eyeshadow and thick eyeliner. Avoid strong perfume.

• Have a copy of your resume and cover letter. You might have submitted your resume and cover letter to the HR officer, but print and bring another copy of the documents in case the school head asks for it.
• And when you’re in the interview room or principal’s office, give it your best shot.

• I will be posting 10 COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS to help you ace this stage. 

                                     

                                           

 6. Demonstration Teaching  

• In your demo-teaching, you will be showing your employers how you teach and how you handle the class. Your personality, the way you carry yourself, the way you manage classroom behavior, appropriateness of your lesson, the materials you've used, communication skills (especially the use of English language), the flow of class activities, and your time management will be evaluated.

• Usually, the demo runs for 40-60 minutes. Think of the demo-teaching as an actual class meeting so you can craft a lesson plan that is not too short or too long. All the activities should be doable within the given time frame. The panel expects you to cover all the activities you've indicated in your lesson plan so practice executing your plan at home so you'll know if you need to revise it. 

• Come ahead of time. If your demo is at 9 am, you may come at 8:45 to allow yourself to breathe and prepare for the great show. Don't forget to bring your lesson plan and materials (visual aids, laptop, projector, etc.) 

• Make sure you know your lesson plan well. It’s normal to be nervous for the first five minutes. I tend to be nervous before I enter the room, but the feeling goes away once I’ve seen the students. If you know your lesson well and you know you’re prepared, you’ll naturally be less nervous and anxious.

• In most cases, you will be teaching your future students. If you’re applying for a preschool teaching position, you’ll be assigned to a nursery classroom. If you’re a gradeschool teacher, you’ll be teaching in the gradeschool department. Sometimes, your demo-teaching date falls on summer vacation or on days with no classes. If this is the case, you’ll be teaching your fellow applicants or employees. Regardless of the situation, give it your best shot.

• I will be posting a demo-teaching guide as well as a sample lesson plan SOON. 

IMPORTANT: I’ve mentioned earlier that you may apply to three different schools. This is because I strongly believe in any aspect of life, in whatever situation, it’s important to have not only Plan A. In case Plan A won’t work, at least we still have Plan B and C. We learn from the mistakes and experiences we’ve encountered in the past, and we use the new learnings and realization to do better next time. 

Some schools tell you right away if you’re hired. Some still need to finish screening all the applicants to determine the best candidate. So instead of waiting for the result, feel free to explore other possibilities. Apply to your Plan B and C. If in case two schools have the same appointment date, negotiate. Truth be told, as long as you don’t sign the contract yet, you’re free to move. Employers know that applicants also have other prospects and are actively processing their applications, just as how they are open to other applicants aside from you. So instead of anxiously waiting for your dream school to contact you and congratulate you, you can show up for an interview of your Plan B.

It’s also important to know the academic calendar of your school. Due to COVID-19, most schools are now moving the opening of classes to August. So the best time to apply is this May. By July, teaching positions are already filled and teachers are attending their in-house training. So consider applying before vacancies get scarce.

So that’s it. Enjoy your job hunt!