Do postgraduate qualifications help in securing employment?

Einhard

Hi all,

I qualified as a secondary teacher three years and have been working abroad since. I plan on doing another three years abroad and then moving back to Ireland. The hope is that, with an improving economy, more teachers will be hired and it'll be easier to secure a long-term position. I've been thinking about ways that I could improve my prospects, and have been considering doing some form of postgrad. Of course my teaching qualification is postgrad, and I also have a Masters in History, but I was wondering if getting a postgrad in a Education specific field would stand to me on my return.

Thanks in advance for comments and advice.

Einhard

Anybody got anything on this?

2011abc

Couldn't do any harm.The last 2/3 jobs in our place have ONLY gone to people with Masters' .Ironic that the allowance has been scrapped .Having said that I'd guess History isn't a great subject at all ( especially on its own) and likely to become less desirable if/when new Junior Cert is introduced .Job situation is grim for any teacher never mind those with less desirable subjects .Three years unlikely to make much difference , could even get worse before it gets better .
If you want to teach ,get other subjects would be my advice .Open University top up modules etc .Of course you could always become an 'educationalist' with the Post Grad in Education ...

gaiscioch

Einhard wrote: »

Hi all,

I qualified as a secondary teacher three years and have been working abroad since. I plan on doing another three years abroad and then moving back to Ireland. The hope is that, with an improving economy, more teachers will be hired and it'll be easier to secure a long-term position. I've been thinking about ways that I could improve my prospects, and have been considering doing some form of postgrad. Of course my teaching qualification is postgrad, and I also have a Masters in History, but I was wondering if getting a postgrad in a Education specific field would stand to me on my return.

Thanks in advance for comments and advice.

It might give you the edge if you're up against other people with a single subject. I've a Level 10 qualification and I'd say it has in that fairly rare circumstance, but I'm certain that you would be smarter to get the necessary degree credits in additional subjects first. It was said clearly to me by principals several times. I would have got a job quicker if I had, at the start, other teaching subjects rather than my 1 teaching subject and my postgrad. History, like English, is alas one of the least employable subjects. If you're planning on spending another three years abroad perhaps you could add a language? (You'll still need to get the required degree credits to teach it but having lived in France/Spain etc for a few years might give you an edge in a job interview in Ireland).

Pinkycharm

Maybe something in SEN? I got my job on the back of having a counselling diploma so I have 1 to 1s each week with some students. I teach Irish and Geography otherwise

evolving_doors

Ya id go with learning another language if I were to advise anyone..(maths and science used to be tricky but qualified nqts seem to be easy to get now). We couldn't get qualified lang. sub teacher for love nor money a couple of months ago. Had to do crazy timetable shuffling to accommodate exam years and get a native lang speaker to do other classes (he had no knowledge of the curriculum but managed okish).

evolving_doors

Pinkycharm wrote: »

Maybe something in SEN? I got my job on the back of having a counselling diploma so I have 1 to 1s each week with some students. I teach Irish and Geography otherwise

Ya there was some talk of aligning a learning support role with AP post (because of the interactions between management/parents/timetables and staff), but presume it got put to bed with the moritorium.
Still an interesting one to do and might open up areas outside traditional schooling, but id go for another subject to get you into a school first.

Einhard

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm not a single subject teacher; also have English. The idea of a second language is a good one. I've pretty good French so could work on that. Thanks for the advice.