carnation

Hi everyone,

Have been on here before but it was about 3 years ago when I was just starting the process. Since then I've completed my qualifications and have registered with the Teaching Council and had my qualifications assessed.

I've been trying to apply for jobs from here in the UK but am finding it so difficult - keep getting rejection letters/emails. Feeling a little down because haven't even made interview stage.

Has anyone else experienced this. Should I stop applying from UK or is it worth continuing? Ideally would like to work in the South Island.

Any advice please.

Thanks

x

thedtb

Hello Carnation!

If you follow the chronological order of my posts on this forum you'll see that my wife also had difficulty when applying for teaching jobs from the UK.

She was repeatedly passed over, on occassion blatantly, for people who were already in New Zealand. After being told for the second time, that she would have got the job that she was interviewed (via Skype) for, had she already been in the country, we decided to simply take the plunge, pack up our house in to storage and fly out here on the maximum 6mth Visitors Permit that you get as a UK Citizen and allow her to look for a job in person.

It wasn't easy and it's not for the faint-hearted (as my posts show, we've been through the mill in terms of stress and home-sickness) but, for us at least, it's working out well in the end.

If you can make it happen at all, I'd recommend you doing the same. Get out here for an extended holiday and get your ass in front of the interview panels in person. There's no guarantees of course, but for us, that physical presence made a whole lot of difference.

If it isn't possible for you to do this, do something different with your CV and make it stand out from the crowd. Would you offer a job, involving them being in charge of a class full of kids, to someone you'd never seen before and for whom all you could see was words on paper? I'd suggest you'd be somewhat reluctant too and that candidate who made the effort to let you see the whites of their eyes looks all the more appealing as a result.

In which case if you can't be here in person, your CV has to stand out, grab their attention and make them want to know more about you.

In my wife's case, with a very small amount of help from me, she created an online semi-interactive version of her CV, almost like an online Powerpoint presentation - that we then tailored according to each job application... there was definately an increased interest in her applications once she started including the web address for that in her applications.

Perhaps other forum members can shed some light as to whether they did anything out-of-the-box in terms of their CV which worked for them?

LukeandJo

I started applying for jobs and actually got a reply back! The majority of the replies were "thanks, but you could do with being in the country"

Saying that I am in London at the moment attending a NZ ICT Recruitment seminar.

Fooferfish

Send them a DVD of your self almost as if you were being interviewed ???? Might be a new way of doing it from UK ?

Also time are tough over here, i know Teachers who have found it tough to even get an interview, the times have changed that instead of just a couple of people going for a job, there are 10s more, years back just like in Uk you could pick and choose where you wanted to work, not now, also im sure the Kiwis like to employ Kiwis at first drop of the hat !!

Good luck with your efforts, its well worth it what ever route you take .

NIge, Otago May 05

mwhite1962

Hi
I have managed to secure a job from England, start in Jan. I was the same and got looked over and then was told it was the lay out of my cv. Changed my cv and got 2 positive responses immediately, if there is somehow a way of getting your e-mail to me, or don't mind putting it on here I will send you a copy and hope it helps to amend yours and don't give up, but quite scary to up sticks on a visitors visa (passport) as you will have to still get a work visa before you are employed. Also write directly to all the schools in the areas you are interested in, they don't always advertise in the Ed gazette and you might be lucky. Unless you are Primary changed as this is not shortage and they have to prove u are the better person or something. Best of luck. Caroline

carnation

Thanks for that guys - thought that might be the case. Think we'll have to make the move over there. Interesting idea about the DVD...

It is the usual scenario though - money! There is only the two of us so at least no kids to worry about.... but still money will be tight (especially as we have no savings!). Thinking of re mortgaging and taking a chance..realise it's risky but otherwise we'll always be thinking what if...

What do you think is a realistic amount to take with us...

carnation

Hi Caroline,

That would be great ...I'll PM you with my details.

I know it's a tricky area ..already changed once because went on too much about personalised learning and assessment and then looked on school website and head was against new curriculum's idea of how these would be done.

If you don't mind that would be great as I am unsure what I have done is what they want in NZ.