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How can I make my Standard Application Form stand out and other FAQs

How can I make my Standard Application Form stand out? - and other FAQs

If you've been interested in my business for a while now and you’re curious about what I do, you may have some questions.

These are the questions I'm frequently asked:

How can I make my application stand out?

The first and most successful way to make your job application stand out (in a good way!) is to provide top quality content. That is imperative. It won’t matter what else you do if you have typos, poor content and if you’ve done poor research into the school.

Secondly, ensure that you outline a


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Jan 19, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
3 min read
How to write a letter of application cover letter for teaching jobs

How to write a letter of application/cover letter for teaching jobs

Firstly, let’s get the basics right. It’s important to keep it short, follow a professional format and try not to rehash what’s already in your SAF or CV. You do'’t want to bore them with blatant repetition. The letter of application is designed to be a brief introduction to yourself and to welcome them to read more about you in your Standard Application form or CV.

The length of your letter of application

3/4 of a page to 1 page is the maximum for a letter of application. I see it happen all the 


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Jan 18, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
2 min read
How can teachers do better interviews

How can teachers do better interviews?

One way teachers and aspiring school managers can improve their teacher interview skills is to think about what way the interviewer is thinking. If a school is interviewing, that means that they have a vacancy and a need for a precise set of skills, experience or qualities in a person.

That’s where today’s acronym comes in. It is

WIIFM: It stands for 'What's In It For Me?'

As a job seeker or interviewee, you know your experience to date. What many of my clients don’t outline, however, is What’s in 


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Jan 14, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
2 min read
Tips to help with living with anxiety

Tips to help with living with anxiety

Sarah is back again today to share some tips and advice for teachers who are experiencing anxiety right now. It’s fantastic to get an insight into what it’s like and to learn some of the strategies that work for her. Perhaps some of them may work for you too.

Noticing the stresses and pressure that all teachers are under – and particularly NQTs, Sarah firstly outlines some tips for them when it comes to remote teaching and teaching in general.

Advice for NQTs

Sarah recommends that NQTs should remai


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Jan 13, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
3 min read
Living with anxiety

Living with anxiety

I am thrilled to announce that Sarah of @happystudentshappyteacher has written this fantastic blog post about her experience of anxiety. I’ve been following Sarah since I started my Instagram page and I’m loving her frequent reminders to others that ‘It’s ok not to feel ok’.  Here’s her story.

Sarah shares what she’s noticing online at present

Right now the online environment is very overwhelming. The news headlines are terrifying both in relation to Covid and indeed other national and worldwide h


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Jan 12, 2021 06:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
6 min read
NQT+preparing+SAF

The three biggest mistakes you may be making in your Standard Application Form right now

Reviewing CV and Standard Application forms daily I see common mistakes coming up again and again. This blog will help you understand where you may be going wrong if you're not being called for interviews.

There's lots of ambiguity around what makes an effective CV but I'm here to outline 3 key things that will make a massive difference to your approach.

Mistake #1: You're not using adjectives

Using adjectives is a great way to add detail to your experience briefly and concretely.
Here are a few ex


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Jan 11, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
2 min read
teaching+jobs+in+Ireland

Top CV Tips for Teachers - Writing a Personal Statement

Whether you’re applying for a job on https://www.educationposts.ie/ or creating a CV for substitute work an important element to your CV is a personal statement. A well-written, self-aware and authentic personal statement (or professional summary) can be a fantastic way to sell yourself when looking for jobs or handing your CV around looking for substitute work.

Firstly, I should say that a personal statement or professional summary and I suggest that if you haven’t put thought and effort into 


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Jan 3, 2021 06:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #cv, #teacher, #primaryschoolteacher, #careercoaching, #education, #sellingyourself, #leadership, #careerchange, #primarymockinterviewpreparation & #primarymockinterview
4 min read
A career break experience – taking the time to figure out what you want

A career break experience – taking the time to figure out what you want

Many thanks to the wonderful Aistear Muinteoir for sharing her career break story with us. Availing of a career break is a fantastic opportunity to press pause on full time teaching in the classroom to take a chance to travel, look after your family and try out something different. Here is her experience.

Taking stock of where you are right now

Christmas and the New Year is always a time for reflection and planning. This time last year as I was relaxing during my Christmas break - I began asking m


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Jan 1, 2021 05:31pm
By Orla Dempsey
Under #careerbreak, #careerchange, #careercoaching, #primaryschoolteacher & #teacher
7 min read
What+to+do+to+change+school

“I want to change jobs because I feel really unhappy working in that school. I can’t take it any longer!”

Many of my clients come to me with problems – that are not really what the problem is about.

Here’s a little sample coaching snippet and a key tool that will help you uncover what’s really going on.

The tool is called the ‘5 whys’.

Teacher: “I want to leave my job because I feel really unhappy working in that school. I can’t take it any longer!”

WHY?

“My principal throws me into any class whenever he feels like it! It makes me feel that what I do isn’t important. I’m more senior than others in the sc


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Dec 17, 2020 01:02pm
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
4 min read
3 Simple Tips to Create Balance between Job Applications, Work and Living Life

3 Simple Tips to Create Balance between Job Applications, Work and Living Life

One of the big frustrations my clients have when they come to me for coaching is striking that balance between work, home life and job applications.

The reason they are so frustrated is that applying for jobs
. is a job in itself.

Many of my clients have


  • a full time job and are balancing that with family,

  • household chores and

  • trying to do some ‘normal’ things like exercising and

  • catching up with friends and

  • filling out application forms

It really is a challenging time!

So what can you do to make this a 


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Dec 14, 2020 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #Career, #SAF, #CV, #Teacher, #careerchange, #saf, #primaryschoolteacher, #postprimaryteacher, #cv, #resume, #jobapplications, #education, #careercoaching, #permanentjob & #principal
3 min read

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