When to look for subbing work?

GalwayGirl26

I'm a NQT and have not had any success in finding a job for this year. I was just wondering when I should start handing in C.Vs for subbing work to local schools?
And should I do out a different cover letter for each school, or just stick to a generic one?

Thanks a million!

RealJohn

Start straight away I'd say.
I don't know about the letter but I'd say you're better off handing it in in person if you can, preferably to the principal or vice-principal or whoever is in charge of s&s. If you can't hand it in in person you're just going to be in with all of the others.

karennolan87

Have a look at educationposts.ie message board. Loads of discussion about this there.

Kalimera

It is worth dropping CV, teaching council reg & Garda vetting into local schools & indicating your availability for subbing. I know that we welcome that approach!

Aineoil

Call personally to the local schools starting immediately. Hand in your CV with a business card attached. Most principals will put the business card on their notice board.

It's best to go to schools in the morning. A school might just need a sub the day you call and if you are in the school the principal will give you the day subbing. They won't want to spend the morning ringing around or texting trying to get a sub.

I wouldn't bother with a letter, your CV will suffice.

If you do get sub work, leave a nice letter for the class teacher, saying how you really enjoyed teaching the class and an outline of what you covered curriculum wise. It will be appreciated and may ensure that you get more sub work in that school.

Best of luck!

TheDriver

I repeat all the above, now is the time

Tessa6

I'm an NQT too. On reading this thread I decided to go into all my local secondary schools and I was really happy that I did.

I spoke with three principals who were really lovely and said if something came up... etc....

In the rest of the schools, the principals were in a meeting and left in my CV.

Is it a good idea to ring the principal to arrange a meeting with them or is this a bad idea / too forward etc.

Aineoil

Tessa6 wrote: »

I'm an NQT too. On reading this thread I decided to go into all my local secondary schools and I was really happy that I did.

I spoke with three principals who were really lovely and said if something came up... etc....

In the rest of the schools, the principals were in a meeting and left in my CV.

Is it a good idea to ring the principal to arrange a meeting with them or is this a bad idea / too forward etc.

Tessa6,
It's probably not the best idea to look to arrange a meeting with the principal. The beginning of the school year is insanely busy for all principals. They wouldn't really have the time to meet every teacher looking for sub work.

On another note, you'll probably hand your CV into the school secretary. Be as nice as pie to the secretary. They are often the person who rings for a sub. If you make a good impression on the school secretary you might be the first person the secretary calls for sub work.;)

gaeilgebeo

I would think the Deputy Principal would be the best person to approach/deal with.
It is usually the DP who organises subbing/sick leave/cover.

spurious

Make a point of the fact that you can be there with x minutes notice.
If called, drop everything and go in. I know in our place, if we had been let down by someone, they went to the bottom of the list for future calls. It's terrible, I know, but it's how things operate.