to want DP to let me go on this course?

[Desperateretrainedmumof3]

I retrained nearly 2 years ago but haven't got a job. We're really struggling with money, we could even lose the house.

Anyway there's a course which teaches you how to get interviews for the field I retrained in, it costs £50 and is based in London (we don't live in London so travel costs but a return train is £20 then tube costs so maybe £80 total?

DP says its snake oil, taking advantage of people's misery, but it's totally legitimate. I feel so unsupported by DP. AIBU?

[tethersend]

I would actually email Theo and ask if there is a concessionary rate for the course, given the financial hardship you are experiencing.

He can only say no.

[Strictly1]

Oakmaiden
To try to tailor your letter take the person spec and make sure that you are meeting it. Make it easy for those short listing to look at the person spec and tick each one off. I have used bullet points in the past to ensure that they know I meet each area. Obviously with an opening and closing paragraph at least. It has always worked for me in various roles. The purpose of the letter is to say you have what they need. It is tough at the moment. I am always willing to help. ??

[Juno77]

If you were at your wits end, you'd have done something about it by now.

How involved are you at your 7yo's school? Could you get more involved? PTA was a great suggestion. Go on all the trips. Show yourself to be a good teacher. Then ask for work - voluntary if needs be.

[CharlesRyder]

Can you drive? I think you are in difficulties without a car.

Does your nearest big city have more jobs available?

I think this might take some serious forward planning and more than £80 on a course in London.

I may be way off the mark, but I think I would aim for September. Could you identify a nursery in the nearest big town or city for your youngest to start at in September, use credit or favours to learn to drive in the interim if necessary and do casual work to save up to buy a car?

Then, you could be applying for jobs in the town/ city for September knowing you could get there by then and had childcare. If unsuccessful you could go on supply in the town/city (where there will be more schools needing it).

[CharlesRyder]

tethers Theogriff is a she!

[alistron1]

After the next half term is when the big recruitment push starts. Even 2 days of supply would be something.

Childcare is a pain, I know - but it's speculating to accumulate and shelling out for a couple of days childcare will probably be more profitable than spending £80 minimum on a course.

Plus, supply is weekly paid, on a day a week of supply you could be £20 up after paying for childcare.

[Oakmaiden]

I can see it is very hard when you have a young child, live rurally and have effectively no transport when you husband is working (if I have read your thread correctly). I assume you must have had your baby shortly after finishing your PGCE?

The problem is, that if you have not been into school since finishing your PGCE then however perfect your application might be, you are unlikely to be interviewed. Which means that the course, great though it might be, is unlikely to meet your primary need - which is recent classroom experience.

So you have several choices. One of the least palatable I suspect is to try to find another job in another sphere entirely - either for the short term or permanently. A degree and post graduate qualification is sufficient qualification to allow you entry to many areas of occupation - you are not limited to education.

You could attempt to find some way to gain experience in schools. This could be by putting your child in playgroup for the morning and going into school to hear readers. Or by finding someone to watch your youngest after school for an hour, and going in to run an after school club. Or by waiting for the magic third birthday, when presumably your youngest will be eligible for some free nursery hours, and using those to work on supply. Obviously with your financial situation as it is you are going to have to couple this with some paid work (which again will involve childcare - I know...).

Finally get a job in school but not as a teacher. Have you applied for TA/lunchtime supervisor jobs? Not ideal, I know, but they are a foot in the door...

[janey68]

My SIL is a teacher and I also have a number of friends in the profession. From what I see, it's an incredibly competitive profession to get into, particularly if you're planning to teach one of the more popular subjects or age ranges. Friends of mine who've had time out at home have found it incredibly hard to re enter, even though these are women who taught for a decade or more before taking time out. They only got back in through volunteering, taking temporary contracts, supply etc. not a single one I can think of walked into a permanent job straight off. Not saying that to be off putting but to be realistic. As you are living rurally, have no transport or childcare, it may well be a step too far at the moment because I assume you would need a permanent job to make buying a car and booking childcare places possible. Also, many of my friends have had to take jobs up to an hour away which means very early starts to be in work by 8. Even if this course is brilliant, are you in a position to really go for it?

My suggestion may seem a bit off piste... But as you are seriously at risk of losing your house, I would seriously suggest thinking of relocating anyway, to somewhere less rural, where there will be a far greater pool of schools and also public transport, more childminders and nurseries etc

Without meaning to be disheartening, I think someone who qualified 2 years ago and hasn't managed to secure a post yet, living very rurally with no transport, it seems very unlikely you're going to strike lucky and suddenly get a job even if you do this course. You're likely to be up against people with more experience, or more recently qualified (there will be whole other cohorts of graduates since you qualified) and they may have just as good interview technique.

You clearly had the impetus to retrain and seek a new career so I would say the next realistic step is to plan with your DH how you can move to somewhere that's going to be a better bet for employability

[tethersend]

Oops Charles, you're right!

Sorry Theo

[Snargaluff]

What's your subject?

[Lilacroses]

Hi OP, Just wanted to say that it IS hard to get a teaching job at the moment. We've had some fantastic people on supply who would LOVE a job but haven't been able to secure one yet so it doesn't mean you are lazy or not a good teacher etc.

However, I am a teacher and agree with many others that if you can "get into a school" no matter how, voluntary work/supply/whatever really, it gets you in the door and you can get some work. For example I am going to have a TA from next week that is a parent who trained as a teacher years ago but then became pregnant and decided to be a SAHM. She volunteered at school with reading etc and then hours gradually emerged in one class and then in another and now she is preparing to be my full time TA. I know you don't want to be a TA but it's an example of how, if you get to know a school you can get in there. Tricky with you for childcare I know but one option.

Also, when I did supply I never did that sort of get called up in the morning type. I always did prebooked and as others have said once you are in a school you can take your diary and get booked for other days. Key tips I would give you are be VERY positive about the children and school in general, show yourself to be very flexible and adaptable (even if you feel really nervous!), talk to everyone in the staffroom, mark work and don't rush out the door at 3.30. I honestly used to think that if you were half decent, were nice about the kids and school and did the marking you could get supply work and if it's prebooked you will be able to pre sort out childcare.

Good luck OP, I know it is so horrible looking for work for a long time.

[Desperateretrainedmumof3]

Ok, I do appreciate the help, I don't want to be accused of being ungrateful.

However I didn't ask how to get a job, I've had my 'aibu' answered, I was very upset when I posted, I still am, and need to go I think. Doing the PGCE was a dream, and not being able to get a job has been awful, I'm sorry if I've offended anyone but most of the stuff you've all advised I have either done or if I haven't its because I can't, either we can't afford it or circumstances won't allow it.

[LynetteScavo]

I think you should pay for childcare for 2 or 3 days a week and accept supply work on those days... then if you didn't have work, you aren't risking too much. I would also suggest if you don't drive get to the job by what ever means...bike/taxi, etc. You need to get some experience under your belt.

No matter how well you interview, you probably won't even get an interview if you don't have any recent experience.

[Oakmaiden]

Also - there are a few supply agencies who offer guaranteed work contracts. I don't know what the criteria is for these, but I know the agency I work for was looking at introducing them.

[Pippilangstrompe]

As another teacher and someone who has been responsible for interviewing, I'd have to say that the best thing to do is volunteer, work as supply, tutor privately. Send your cv to every school you could possibly work at in your area.

Experience is what will get you a job. No matter what this course can tell you, it is experience that counts. Someone having a course like this wouldn't even register with me when shortlisting applicants. If you have poor interview technique, practise it with a friend, read up online.

Good luck with the job search. I applied for well over a hundred teaching jobs before I got my first one. I know how dispiriting it can be.

[tethersend]

Oh Desperate

Don't give up. It just needs one chance.

The situation is bleak out there at the moment- I know you've tried everything you can. If I can be of any help at all, even if you want a rant, feel free to PM me

[notapizzaeater]

Have you spoken to any childminders about it ? One of our supply teachers paid on an as and when basis when she needed the childcare, she's paid a slightly inflated rate for the hassle but now has almost guaranteed 5 days a week work from the schools she started doing ad hoc days at.

[MsAspreyDiamonds]

I have pm'd you but I am unsure how relevant the advice is. Anyway good luck and I hoyour situation improves in 2014.

[cricketballs]

OP - where is it you are not gaining a position - is it the letter or the interview? by answering this questions, we and a lot of others can give you lots of advice.

The main one though is experience.....

[ADishBestEatenCold]

"Ok, I do appreciate the help" etc

I can understand that the thread is not helping you, Desperateretrainedmumof3, and that you need to go, but I wonder if you would consider PMessaging some of the people on here who have invited you to PM them, or who have offered to look over your CV/covering letter, etc.

It's just that, it seems to me (I who nothing of working as a teacher ) that quite a few of them seemed to know what they were talking about and, as they are willing, they may be able to help you more on a one to one basis.

I hope you'll give them a try. At this stage you've got nothing to loose by it and everything to gain.

Also, one little suggestion of my own. I've heard a lot of sensible sounding people suggest you do some teaching voluntary work in schools, but of course it's completely understandable that you can't afford childcare at the moment.

As a SAHM could you possibly get together with another mum of a toddler (or more than one mum/toddler) and try to arrange a free day for each of you? That is, other mum has your two year old one day a week, you have other mum's child/ren one day a week.

[Lilacroses]

Sorry, just to add, have you been able to ask why you have not made interview stage? It could be something really simple that you could rectify.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hello OP, I think your dh is right tbh.
Firstly you are in dire straights financially and any job would help.
Secondly, just because it is a legitimate company doesn't mean to say they aren't preying on the gullible or needy. If you need a course to gain a job in a particular field, I'll show my bare ass in john Lewis.
Yes, you may need to research about particular jobs but you'd find the answers for free.

[RedHelenB]

I think it would be better to pay out for childcare & get on a supply agency or two lists. it will help you get a good feel for what each age range is like/ where your strengths & weaknesses are, what is "fashionable" at the moment in teaching etc. Could you maybe just get a job that fits in with your family until youngest hits 3 & gets their 15 hours funded? Would anyone be able to have 2 year old for the odd days/half days of supply work? Also, a lot of supply that comes up is for termly positions/maternity leave etc. I didn't get a job after qualifying initially, but doing day to day work tailors your skills & expertise to job applications 7 interviews/

[Potcallingkettle]

Have you been to supply agencies and asked for long term contracts including HLTA work? You could go on the books and wait for a longer term booking. For example, I have spent the last term looking for a regular HLTA booking for two afternoons a week. If you make contact with a local child minder, you may find they have potential vacancies for a slot like this. If you secured a term's worth of bookings like this then it would be worth a childminder taking your DC on. Once you have committed to a regular slot, you may then find you are able to negotiate extra days booked in advance providing there is a vacancy on that day.
I have done quite a bit of recruitment recently and the only way we would take you past the application sifting is with some experience. You are asking a school to commit to supporting your NQT year so need to stand out from the other NQTs. Your experience in your previous line of work might help but realistically no teaching work since qualifying is your biggest hurdle to overcome at the moment.
If it is primary you are after, why not see if a friend or relative could look after your two year old for a week and ask to shadow a teacher or teachers at your children's school- not their classes obviously. This might be a way in to supply TA or teaching work if you prove yourself indispensable.
I really feel for people going into teaching now. Everything is in such a state of flux and the skills / knowledge required are changing all the time. Even people in post are finding it hard to keep up.
Good luck with the search OP.
PS it would help people on the thread if you indicated which stage of the application you think is holding you back based on feedback from schools. They should be able to give you that feedback even if they don't shortlist you.

[RuinedAndNotorious]

OP, you obviously think the course would help you, and you're the one who knows what you've tried already, not any of us.
If it's just for financial reasons that your DP has issues with you going on the course, is there anyone at all (family or close friend) who could lend you the money, so it's not coming out of the household budget? And would be willing to wait a bit for you to pay them back?