We can all sympathise with those tasked with the responsibility of writing job descriptions. Positive but not saccharine. Detailed but concise. Honest and representative, but suitable for the public to read.
After a long job hunt, you might find yourself wondering about what certain phrases really mean – and whether or not you should let them put you off applying.
Here is our guide to what job descriptions might say, and what we think they might mean.
1. They say: ‘We’re looking for a versatile team player’
They mean: It’s time to brush up on your Shakespeare, dig out some history books and dust down your old mathematics study guides: we need someone to fill gaps and, preferably, not moan about it.
You should: Search for the school name and check what other subjects they’re recruiting for at the moment. If teaching outside your subject isn’t for you, then either give it a miss or ask some probing questions if you get an interview.
On your application: If you like the school and don’t mind mucking in, make sure you include any relevant additional subject knowledge in your application. If you aced A-level physics and relish a challenge, then let the hiring manager know you’ve got more than one string to your bow.
2. They say: ‘Bigtown High School is seeking to appoint an experienced science teacher to join a young and developing department’
They mean: We have a department of NQTs and we need someone with more experience.
You should: Check the number of posts being advertised in your subject and ask yourself: are they replacing a number of teachers following a mass exodus of staff? Then do a bit of investigating.
Sometimes a school will naturally lose two or three staff members within one department, especially if the department is a large one. Find out if these resignations are signifying a problem in the department or just an unusual situation. Remember, sometimes a good Ofsted report can cause staff to move on as their CVs suddenly look much better for it, so staff departures aren’t always a red flag.
On your application: If you like the idea of putting your stamp on a department, then emphasise your experience of managing people and implementing policies. Talk up any positions of responsibility you have held, no matter how small.
3. They say: ‘Applications are welcomed from dynamic, energetic and enthusiastic teachers, who have an excellent record in behaviour management’
They mean: Don your hard hats, behaviour is a challenge at this school.
You should: Not be put off. Go and visit the school and judge for yourself if this is a place where you could manage the behaviour. The behaviour in a school is only as good as the systems of management that senior leadership have introduced.
It is worth talking to teachers about how supported they feel by the leadership team, and asking existing staff if they feel behaviour is well managed around the school.
On your application: On the form, make reference to any experience you have of working in challenging contexts and making a difference. When working in schools where behaviour is an issue, resilience is necessary. It could be that you include something from a pre-teaching job; for example, a stint in a youth club or a teacher training placement in a pupil referral unit.
4. They say: ‘If you are excited by change and innovation then we look forward to hearing from you’
They mean: We’re about to overhaul the whole school; be ready to start from scratch with a brand new curriculum.
You should: Try to visit the school and figure out where these changes are coming from, and what is driving the change. If you are successfully appointed, you will have to implement these changes, so you have to be happy with the direction the school is going in.
Equally, it would be sensible to check that the person driving the changes is invested in the school and likely to see them through. Find out the answers to these key questions: How long has the headteacher been in post? Have they had experience of overhauling a school before? Is their vision one you share?
On your application: Emphasise any links you have to strategies that the school is about to implement or has newly implemented. For example, if they are moving to a ‘ready to learn’ behaviour system, and you have been in a school that has introduced a similar system, include this in your covering letter.
Grainne Hallahan has been teaching English in Essex for 10 years. She tweets from @heymrshallahan and is part of the #TeamEnglish Twitter group
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