No closer to FE As a recently qualified PGCE teacher in English, I’ve been looking for lecturing posts in further education, but none has come up in the part of the country where I’m living. I’m running out of money and may have to find another full-time job. This seems a waste of my training. I thought that there was a shortage of FE lecturers. Am I looking in the right places?
If you do not see job opportunities during the next few weeks, you might have to consider other options outside teaching and lecturing. By mid-June, the main recruitment season will be over for this year. You are already competing with the new output from the training courses that have more recent college experience than you. You should review why you haven’t been successful in interviews you have attended, and look critically at the types of posts you applied for where you aren’t being interviewed. Widen your search, geographically and in the type of post you are applying for.
Try the direct approach of sending your CV to particular colleges where you’d like to work. If you live in a popular area, don’t be surprised if jobs suitable for people with degrees in English are hard to get.
If you have a question for John Howson, please email susan.young@tes.co.uk
