Becoming a secondary school teacher

Laprincesse wrote: »

Hi all, looking for some advice. Considering PME in post primary. Have read lots (here) about people struggling for jobs - is this true? I am not in a position to pay for the course and risk being unemployed afterwards...my subjects would be ML and SPHE... TIA

What is ML? Is it a language? If so, which one? SPHE is ofen used as a "filler subject" on people's timetables so wouldn't be great for securing a job.

Without knowing your other subject in general, you can be lucky and get a full time contract straight out of college but that is rare, very much so. Generally you're looking at a few years of casual subbing/short term contracts and not being paid during Easter/Christmas/Summer etc.

Laprincesse wrote: »

@History Queen - Thanks for the reply. Yes, Modern Languages. Specifically French and German but willing to teach (and qualify in) more if needs be. To do the PME I have to have the 2nd so the college recommended SPHE.

Reading on these threads, it appears to be difficult but speaking to family in the sector, they think my subjects are great and I shouldn't have a problem getting work at all... mixed messages

Your family are correct in that French and German are in demand subjects. I would expect someone like you to do well with getting work HOWEVER that could still include covering maternity leaves/sick leaves etc until you get two consecutive years of your own hours in a school leading to a CID (closest thing to permanency) or you could walk in to a contract of your own straight out of college and end up staying there. Impossible to predict.

Edit: location also plays a role, what part of the country roughly would you be looking for work? How flexible on location would you be?

Laprincesse wrote: »

The impossibility of the prediction is what gets me :-( Alot of money, time & effort without a guaranteed reward!

I'm in the East and no, not really too flexible with location.

If you're commutable to Dublin that's a lot of schools. If you look (particularly towards the end of July/all of August this year) at educationposts.ie you'll see where the jobsare currently being advertised and get some sense of demand.

Best of luck with your decision.

Laprincesse wrote: »

Thank you. Looking at the moment, the ads appear to favour Dublin South/Centre. North would suit me more.

One more question for you. Is there any truth in the idea that a younger graduate would get more offers than a mature student? This has been said to me - that being a mature student may make it harder for me to get a job..

I honestly couldn't tell you. In my own school mature graduates and younger graduates have been hired in recent years. Roughly 2/3 younger to 1/3mature. But, to be fair, there are probably more new graduates than mature going for every job so I wouldn't say that's a reflection on the attitude towards the age profile of the candidates if that makes sense?