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Working as a primary school teacher is still a popular career choice for many graduates as it is a job that has good prospects and after the first few years the salary is good.

As a primary schoolteacher you will probably be required to teacher all subjects of the curriculum so the choice of subject to take at university is down to your preference. It is possible now to do a general degree which does not require you to have a specialist subject which is better if you do not want to specialise.

Once qualified, it is time to search for a job. If there are no restrictions to the area you can work in the process of getting a job is far easier as you are free to move to a new area if necessary.

The majority of local authorities who employ teaching staff in schools have an application form that will need to be completed rather than submitting a CV. On the form there will be opportunity to expand on your experience and any interests and hobbies that you enjoy. It is a good idea to tailor the information to the post you are applying for as this will increase your chances of getting to the interview stage of the application process where you can expand further on your abilities and suitability for the position for which you are applying.

New jobs can be daunting at the best of times, but what do you do if you find you are struggling with the job in hand? The last thing you may want to do is to say to your new employer that you cannot do the tasks you have been set but keeping quiet can actually often be much worse and could make the problem larger than it needs to be. Firstly, you need to consider what you are struggling with. Is it something physical that you cannot do such as being on your feet for long periods of time or is it that you do not have the tools, software or resources to do your job properly or maybe you are struggling mentally with the workload or the pace you are expected to work? Whatever the reason, don’t suffer in silence. You may wish to speak to a colleague first but be aware that they may mention your concerns to a manager before you have had the opportunity to. Whatever the reason for your struggles, it is always best to approach the subject head on with your employer but ideally go to them with a solution not just a problem. You may say to them that you are struggling to do your work as you have not got access to a piece of software that you think you need. Give them the details of the software and any costs involved and ask if it would be possible to have it. If they are not aware of the issue they cannot help.

Whether you are in a fairly new position or have been doing your role for a number of years, at some point you may want to do some additional training. This may be training to develop your skills in your current job role or training to further your career by taking the next step on the career ladder.

It can feel daunting to pluck up the courage to ask your boss to put you forward for additional training as it is an additional cost to the business but the key is how you ask. You really need to be able to state not only your personal case for wanting to train more but also a viable business case.

Think about the benefits to your team, or company as a whole, that would benefit from you undertaking this training and set these points out to your manager. Adding in any costing element would also be useful, for example, the course would cost the company X amount however I will then be able to do XY and Z saving the company money in the future.

As long as you keep a level head and set out your case fairly you should find that most companies are more than happy to provide additional support and training throughout your career. 

Over the past two years the number of people working from home has sky-rocketed. Employers have embraced this new way of working even if initially they did not have the confidence that their business would not suffer, and they may have worried that their employees would use it as an opportunity to work less. In fact, research has shown that the opposite has been true and that employees have been more productive as they have spent less time commuting and feel that they have a better work life balance now.

For employees, working from home may seem like a great idea but it is important to be disciplined as there may be lots of distractions to contend with such as family interruptions, household tasks to be done and coffee readily available for numerous breaks throughout the day. Being a successful home worker means being highly self-motivated, especially if you’re working freelance.

The benefits of home working will depend upon the agreement you have with the employer as some will expect you to be available for video and phone calls during a particular period of the day and others will be happy for workers to just fulfil the contracted hours. It is worth establishing the requirements at the outset so that both employer and employee know where they stand.

Getting a post either in a mainstream school offering support to children with additional needs or a school that is specifically geared to these children can be a very rewarding role as the difference this support can make to a child’s achievement and development can be tremendous. The job is varied and may involve adapting learning materials so that it is accessible to the children, encouraging children to complete work set and teaching small groups of children a modified curriculum, as necessary.

Building a good relationship with parents and carers of children with additional needs is vital as a team approach is always more beneficial to everyone concerned so good communication skills and a compassionate outlook is essential.

When working in a school with pupils of any age or ability it is required that you have an enhanced DBS check, which stands for disclosure and barring service check. If you are employed by the school this will be carried out as part of the application process. Specific qualifications can be obtained that help the teacher to understand the particular difficulties that children with additional needs have and how best to adapt their teaching methods to cater for these children. Ongoing training is an essential part of the job so that you are kept up to date with new teaching methods and resources.

Although in some fields there are plenty of opportunities for employment if you want a career with prospects and one in which you can earn good money and receive additional employment benefits you may have to search harder for your ideal role.

The first thing to do is to register your interest in employment with businesses by sending out a well written and relevant CV. This should be tailored to the role you are interested in and include relevant experience that you have had. It is important to review your qualifications to see whether there are any additional courses that you could enrol in whilst you are applying for jobs as this shows a willingness for ongoing professional development.

If you are successful in your application and are offered an interview carry out your own research into the company and the role you are applying for so that you can talk knowledgably about the business and the company ethos and ask questions that are relevant to the role. On the day of the interview arrive promptly, smartly dressed and armed with some questions that you can ask the interviewers.

Should you be unsuccessful then the majority of employers will be willing to give you feedback on your application which will be useful for future job seeking.

If you are applying for jobs, many companies will ask to see your CV as a first step and so it is crucial that your CV is at least up to date and relevant to the post you are applying for. This will be the first impression that any potential employer will have of you so it must have a positive impact on them.

Revamping your CV need not be a massive task if it is tackled regularly and certainly after any new training is undertaken or any new experience is gained.

Tailoring the CV to the role you are applying for may seem irrelevant, but it is vital if you are going to be successful in your job search. It is even worth having slightly different copies depending on the jobs you are applying for. It is however essential that you are truthful in a CV as employers could check your qualifications and training record with previous employers.

Once you are happy with your CV you will need to send it out to potential employers including recruitment firms as this is another avenue when you are seeking to promote yourself and increase the likelihood of getting employment. A covering letter which states your availability for work and your desire to work for that particular company is a good way to introduce yourself and hopefully secure an interview.

Social media has created a problem for job seekers in recent years as some would be employers search for applicants online to find out a bit more about them and their views. This may seem unfair to some, but it does happen so be aware that what you post on social media can be detrimental to your job prospects. An example of this may be if you post pictures of a night out with friends and then comment the next day about having a hangover and being unable to attend work. If this happened regularly then any potential employer may understandably be worried about your reliability and may think twice about employing you.

Another pitfall is If your posts contain comments that may be considered by some to be racist or sexist. An employer may turn down your application because they are worried about your views and their company’s reputation should they employ you and clients see your posts.

It is vital therefore that you are extremely careful that your social media profiles are secure and privacy levels are set to prevent unwanted intrusion into your personal life and the possibility that you may be unfairly penalised for innocent social media posts meant for family and friends.

Since the turbulence in the employment market in recent months some workers have begun to think about changing their career. This has been particularly true in the health care sector for obvious reasons but what are the pros and cons of changing career after working in a particular sector for years?

It used to be the case that people would stay in a job from leaving school until retirement, but this is no longer the case, and the employment market is much more fluid now. It is however easier to diversify rather than embarking on a totally new career.

One of the career changes that some opt for is to change from working in an engineering environment to a teaching post. Applicants will need to have a relevant degree or be working towards one. Primary school teachers usually study for a B Ed degree as the course focuses on developing teaching skills alongside subject knowledge whereas a BA, BSc or even a one-year PGCE degree after obtaining a degree in your chosen subject is better if you are considering a career as a secondary teacher.

Should your previous career have been in the care sector it could be that you want a role which does not involve direct contact with patients in which case possibly an office based job may be worth considering.

As a supply teacher, it is even more important that you establish classroom control early on.

You will often have to go in to different schools and classes and you may have concerns about how you will handle a new class that you have not taught before.  If you have previously worked in a permanent position in a school, you will have had the opportunity to bond with the class and work out what works best in terms of keeping them interested and keeping a correct level of control. As a supply teacher, you will most likely not have had this opportunity unless you are on permanent supply at the same school.

You need to be able to assert your authority instantly to gain control of the classroom and although you may not want to go in heavy handed, it is better to go in firm and lighten up as the day goes on rather than the other way round. Without control you may find a number of pupils mis-behave which can make it very difficult for the remaining pupils to concentrate and learn what they need to.

Sometimes it can be worth while trying to speak to the TA’s before the class comes in and ask them if there is anyone in particular you need to keep you eye on.