Many young aspiring teachers currently experience difficulty when applying for work within the teaching sector. Experienced teachers looking for a change of environment also can become frustrated when applying for positions at other schools. In most cases this is because teachers do not have the knowledge of how to best present themselves when looking to win certain teaching positions. MEIST are able to assist in this area.

One of the main barriers in teachers either getting their “foot in the door” or in transferring from their current school of employ to another workplace is in the way they present themselves when applying for positions in schools. The first impression gained by schools comes from the application submitted to them for a particular teaching position by any applicant. MEIST is able to assist teachers with their quest for employment in the teaching sector by working closely with them to best prepare for work opportunities.

MEIST offer a service whereby they will work one on one with applicants to construct and scaffold their applications so that the applicant has a good chance of having their applications acknowledged when submitted to schools. MEIST have experienced mentors who can work closely with applicants to assist them to write applications, which come across as professional and written with the school’s needs clearly stated.

This service is not just for Science and Mathematics teachers. This is available to all teachers ranging from Junior Primary through to Senior Secondary and across all disciplines of Teaching.

At this point it is important to mention that what MEIST will not do is write the application for the applicant. The application must be a personal statement from the applicant and must refer to their teaching credentials and skills. MEIST mentors will work with existing applications written by the applicants and guide them to improve their application, if it is needed, that will reflect the suitability of the applicant to the position they wish to apply for.

The cost of this service is $650.00 [$585.00 for members]. Once an applicant applies they are guaranteed personal assistance for 12 months. This means that if an applicant is unsuccessful the first time, then they will still be able to work with their mentor at no extra cost for the 12 months. We do this because we may end up assisting two or three applicants for the same position and hence only one applicant can be successful. We believe it is important to make this a 12 month commitment.

If applicants are successful then MEIST can also offer assistance with preparation for any job interview that may follow as a result. The cost of this service is $550.00 [$495.00 for members], and as with the application writing, the applicant has access to their mentor for the following 12 months.

Please note, these personal sessions require a lot of time commitment by both mentor and mentee and hence these costs are based on a projected hourly rate. Although it may seem expensive at first, we believe that gaining employment and new skills which applicants can take with them is well worth it.

MEIST advises that it is best to check with your accountant for your specific circumstances as to whether these services are tax deductible.

I am an overseas trained teacher with experience in teaching Mathematics and Physics but I have had difficulty finding suitable employment since moving to Adelaide. To assist me with this I recently employed a mentor from MEIST to assist me with how to write successful applications for work. A mentor from MEIST was assigned to me and he has recently begun assisting me in my quest to find work more suited to my skills. I am currently getting assistance in writing applications and preparing for job interviews with this mentor. My mentor looks through my applications and pointed out areas that needed attention. This person genuinely wants to assist me and this caring manner is obvious in the way they help me. What I really like is that they will not write it for me, only assist to improve the existing application from me so that it is an honest reflection of who I am as a teacher.

Although he is very busy, my mentor would talk with me and see if I need any help. He was very happy to fit his time with me around my life commitments and he is always friendly, cooperative and supportive. In our first meeting we spent one hour going through my CV and application letter for a position in a school. In this one hour, I learnt a lot in terms of how to focus on some key points to write job application letter. It was explained to me that this is a process which takes time to get right.

I am lucky to have such a nice person who has strong professional knowledge and rich experiences in winning a job to build up my career. I will continue to get assistance until I am able to find the teaching position which will give me professional satisfaction.

Ruifang Huang