I landed a new role! Here are my tips and reflections
Howdy folks! I'm a middle school science teacher who has been in the classroom for 8 years. Starting after my 5th year, I realized that the emotional load and behavior management aspects were not sustainable for me in the long term, so I started planning my transition out of the classroom. I have a B.S. in Biology, a single-subject teaching credential, and a Masters in education. I decided to pursue a second Masters degree in MLIS, hoping to work in some kind of library or museum role that leveraged my skills and passion for education, built organically off of my experiences, and would allow me to stay proximate to the aspects of education that brought me joy. Unfortunately, Trump got re-elected right after starting my MLIS program, slashing already limited opportunities in that field. I'm still in classes finishing my degree, but in the meantime have successfully acquired a new position!
My stats:
- Time spent on job search: 5 months
- Applications submitted: 30
- Number of initial call-backs: 4
- Final interviews offered: 2
- Rejections: 11
- Ghostings: 13 and counting
- Offers: 1
What I learned:
Applying for jobs in 2026, as an early-to-mid career candidate, is HORRIBLE and DEMEANING. When I first graduated with my M.A. in teaching and a fresh credential, it seemed the world was my oyster. I got called back for everything. This time around, despite having years of experience under my belt and pursuit of an additional degree, it was much, much harder to get a call back other than rejection emails. A few things I think contribute to this is market oversaturation in my area, economic recession, and AI. If you are planning a transition, understand that it will take time and be prepared to face a lot of rejection.
My tips:
- Decide in advance what your goals and hard limits are related to salary, working hours, location, etc. Only apply to roles that you are willing to take. Be creative- I mainly looked at city roles, university roles, edtech, and museum roles in my area.
- USE AI. I hate generative AI, but unfortunately the reality of the job market right now is that everyone is using it on both the applicant and employer side. I mainly used AI for cover letter and resume revisions- I would paste in the job posting and my own documents, and have it make feedback suggestions to help me tailor my materials to the position. MAKE SURE TO RE-WRITE IN YOUR OWN WORDS, and take the suggestions with a grain of salt! But- you will go crazy after spending hours doing it yourself just to get rejected and ghosted.
- Do NOT apply to jobs through LinkedIn. LinkedIn is great for finding openings, but do not use their "Easy Apply". I do recommend getting LinkedIn Pro during your search and cleaning up your LinkedIn, as recruiters may reach out and employers will definitely check you out. Make sure to turn on private mode so when you look up interviewers, they don't see it!
- I actually got responses (and my new role) through applying on Indeed. I was also contacted by several recruiters after posting my generic resume on Indeed.
- Go directly to company websites for job openings and applications. Look up a list of all companies in your desired area and industry, and check their openings pages religiously.
- Do not apply to any openings that were posted more than 2 weeks prior to your application date.
- When you get an interview: research and prepare thoroughly. Set yourself apart and set yourself up for success. I did this by Googling lists of common interview questions and preparing answers for them. I also copied all of the job responsibilities and qualifications and described my relevant education/experience for each. Come up with good, interesting questions to ask about the company and the role. And, smile, send thank you emails, and always use professional communication.
- Create a spreadsheet to track your applications and their status. I made one that included the job title (with the posting linked), company, industry, salary range, and "status" dropdown (applied, interview process, rejected, ghosted, etc.)
Good luck out there! After all this, I got an awesome role that I am actually super excited about- you got this! The process will likely suck, but you will get there!