Advertising to Attract Teacher Applicants: Part 2 - Classifieds

The tried and true method of listing job openings in the classifieds still has a place, even in the 21st century world of digital media. In fact, perhaps listening job openings in the classifieds makes more sense than ever in the 21st century world of digital media. Posting your open faculty positions in the classifieds may be just what you need to do in order to find the right applicants. As you'll see below, though, using the classifieds to post your openings has a price.

Newspaper classifieds - Perhaps no other method of advertising job openings has been used in the past more than advertising in the classified section of the local newspaper. The bad news is that few people under the age of 40 actually pick up a real, old-fashioned paper newspaper. The good news is that most newspapers now post their classifieds online for all the world to see, no subscription required. (Actually, if your newspaper doesn't post their ads online, you probably don't want to advertise there anyway.) The younger generation of job seekers, not to mention some older job seekers, certainly will browse and search online classifieds sponsored by the local newspaper.

The upside to using traditional classifieds is that you probably will reach a huge pool of applicants, especially in large urban areas. You're putting your information exactly where people look who are seeking information like yours. Chances are you will have a mountain of responses when you advertise in the classifieds. Additionally, a candidate seeking to move to your city from another part of the state or country almost certainly will browse the online classifieds of your local newspaper.

The downside to using traditional classifieds is that you may end up culling dozens or even hundreds of completely useless resumes and applications to find a handful worth interviewing. Especially in today's economic situation, those people just looking for a paycheck (as opposed to those seeking a career in education) respond to practically every ad hoping eventually they'll score an interview. Another potential drawback is the cost-prohibitive limit on words and/or lines in your classified ad, as well as the time limit on how long the ad will run. Be strategic and efficient with your text to get the most bang for your buck.

If you use this method to advertise your job openings and fill your position before your ad expires, be sure to cancel it. If you don't, you can bet you'll be sending plenty of additional form letters informing applicants you've offered the position to another candidate.