When searching statewide databases, professional websites, and sifting through recommendations from friends/colleagues, a number of different job postings will come your way. Are you comfortable teaching choir, band and/or guitar in addition to orchestra? Do you want to be at one school all day, or would you work as an itinerant teacher? Do you only want to teach a certain grade/age level, or are you open to
a variety of levels? Where are you willing to work— would you move across the country if it meant finding a job that you love? Depending on where you are in the search process, it may be tempting to interview for any job that comes along, but before even applying, you should know what you are comfortable teaching. If this is your first job out of school, you want to set yourself up for success as much as possible before even stepping foot in the classroom. Your first job, or even second or third, might not be your dream job, but you need to be sure that even if you are “certified” for a posted position that it is a job that you will be excited to wake up for each morning. Do not make so many compromises to your value system that your job, this career that you spent so much time preparing for, becomes a burden and a paycheck instead of a passion.