Employment in British Columbia's public schools is managed by 60 individual school district employers. Because each school district hires its own staff, understanding how to apply for a job and where to look can be a confusing and challenging experience. Make a Future was invited to present to students enrolled in the University of Northern British Columbia's teacher education program to help elucidate the job application and hiring process of BC school districts. Over the course of this Skyped presentation, students learned about the current state of employment in BC schools, how to search and apply for jobs, and how to answer interview questions.

1. Teaching in
British Columbia’s
Public Schools
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2014

2. BC public schools
are as diverse as
the communities
they serve

3. BC Public Education Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
60 school district employers
73,000 employees
33,000 unionized educators
Rural & urban opportunities
Teachers certified by TRB
Teachers belong to the BCTF

4. Labour Market Demand
Projected increase in labour demand
Source: http://www.workbc.ca/Job-Seekers/Industry-Profiles/5#section-employment

5. Employment
Outlook for
Teachers
Primary Teachers
(by job postings)
Sources:
http://www.workbc.ca/Navigator/occupations/4142
http://www.workbc.ca/Navigator/occupations/4141
Some new positions created in
districts with expanding
enrollment, but most jobs will
be from replacement
Secondary Teachers

6. Growth Rate of Employment by
British Columbia Region
Sources:
http://www.workbc.ca/Navigator/occupations/4142 | http://www.workbc.ca/Navigator/occupations/4141

7. # Job Postings
Hiring Trends
Expect the most job
opportunities in
May/June and
August/September

8. Source: Makeafuture.ca, 2013.

9. Growth Opportunities
Superintendent
Deputy
Superintendent
Assistant
Superintendent
Director of
Instruction
District
Principal
Principal/Vice
Principal
Psychologist
Counsellor
Librarian

10. Salary and Benefits
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•
•
•
•
•
•
$42,802 - $83,489 (depends on TQS category, and varies from one district to another)
Extended health and dental
Life insurance, pension, long-term disability
Professional development
Professional mentoring
Generous vacation & sick leave
Rural & remote allowances

11. Applying for Jobs

12. What can I teach?
• Generally, it depends on your qualifications,
and...
– experience teaching that particular subject?
– experience/training working with that age group?
– 300/400 level undergraduate courses completed
or a BA in the subject area?
– Fluency in languages?

13. Application Checklist
 Gather your documents:





Resume and cover letter
Practicum evaluation reports
Two letters of references & list of referees
University transcripts
TQS card and BC teaching certificate

14. Application Checklist
 Apply for a BC teaching certificate (TRB)
 Apply for a TQS card
 Set-up an application on Makeafuture.ca
 Set-up Job alerts
 Follow @MakeaFuture & Like Make a Future
 Search and apply for jobs on Makeafuture.ca

16. Write Targeted Cover Letters
•
•
•
•
Tailor cover letters to your audience
Personalize it with concrete examples
Explain “why you are the best candidate?”
Use action verbs to describe your work experience
and achievements (e.g. Collaborated; Assessed)
• Do not write “To Whom It May Concern”
• Spell Check and Proof Read!

17. Ask For A Good
Reference
• Get references from those
who’ve observed you teach
• Ask for a reference letter
• Give your references a
heads-up

18. Searching & Applying for
Jobs on Makeafuture.ca

19. Discover the
latest career
opportunities

21. Learn more about
your future employer

22. Compare salaries

23. Interviewing for the Job

24. Interviews gather
information about a
candidate’s skills and
qualifications, and compares
it to pre-determined
selection criteria.

25. What is HR looking for?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Subject Matter Knowledge
Planning Skills
Instructional Skills
Assessment Strategies
Classroom Management Skills
Development as a Professional Educator

26. Interview Questions
Open-ended questions
• Tell me about yourself
• What is your teaching
philosophy?
• Why do you want to work
for our district?
• What books are you reading
right now?

27. Behavioral Questions
• Describe a unit you recently completed with
your students and explain the process you
used in its planning.
• Describe strategies you have used to evaluate
your students’ academic progress.
• Describe specific management strategies you
have used in your classroom.
• Tell stories & describe real-life scenarios

28. COMMON
BEHAVIOURAL-BASED
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What questions to expect and
how to answer them

29. Describe how you plan
your units
 Ask yourself:



What resources did you consult?
Did you ask for help?
Did you look at the composition of your class?
Demonstrate that:

You were thoughtful in preparing your units while considering a
variety of resources and your student composition

30. Tell us about your
teaching style
 Tell a story and consider:



What strategies have you used for instruction
How you presented the material
How you engaged learners
What’s important is that:

You demonstrated the use of diverse strategies to styles
and types of learners

31. How do you assess &
evaluate students?
 Tell a story and describe:


Examples of methods you used to evaluate and assess student
outcomes
What did you do with the assessment results
What’s important is that:


Describe a variety of assessments used
Describe how you used the assessment results for student
learning

32. Describe a scenario when
you encountered conflict in
the classroom
 Describe:

A challenging scenario where there was conflict or a behavioural
issue, and how you dealt with it
It is important is that:


You demonstrated and employed a variety tactics
The effect on the classroom was a net positive

33. How are you growing as a
professional educator?
 Describe how:


You have demonstrated professional responsibility inside and
outside of the classroom
You are a reflective practitioner
It is important is that:

You are active in the educational community in building
relationships, sharing knowledge, and growing in the profession

34. Interviewing Tips
• Reflect on your best lessons,
and accomplishments
• Use a portfolio to show off
your accomplishments
• Frame answers with the
STAR technique
• Practice, practice, practice

35. Job Search Resources
• Resumes & Digital
Portfolios
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LinkedIn.com
CVmkr.com
VisualCV.com
Pathbrite.com
• Interviews & Cover Letters
 Quintcareers.com
• Job Search
 Huntsy.com
• Pro D
 Teacher Mentorship BC
 Pita.ca

36. Now What?
• Figure out where you want to work
• Find out who is responsible for hiring
at the district
• Sign-up for job alerts on
Makeafuture.ca
• Like/Follow MAF on Facebook and
Twitter
• Clean-up your social media footprint
• Create an online portfolio

37. Stay in touch
 www.makeafuture.ca
 contactus@makeafuture.ca
 www.twitter.com/makeafuture
 www.facebook.com/makeafuture
 www.makeafuture.ca/subscribe