FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Who should use VIP?
How do I subscribe to and use VIP?
When do I submit and edit a resume?
When do I apply for teaching jobs?
How do I determine what jobs to apply for and how do I keep track?
How do principals view my job applications and how do I improve my chances of being interviewed?
Who is eligible to apply for jobs using VIP?
At this time, VIP can only be used by candidates external to the Peel District School Board to apply for teaching positions for the upcoming academic year. Such external candidates include student teachers who will be eligible to teach by September, certified teachers not currently teaching in Peel, and occasional teachers who would like full-time positions.
Individuals interested in applying for secretarial/clerical and teaching assistant positions also apply online, by going to
"Jobs" and click on
“Application Process” then the appropriate link. For all other non-teaching jobs, please go to the Job Board.
What do applicants require in order to teach at the Peel District School Board?
All teachers working in Peel require an Ontario Teachers College (OCT) certificate, a
criminal record check that meets the requirements of the board, and a medical certificate. Student teachers and teachers from outside Ontario should note that Ontario College of Teachers has indicated that currently it takes a minimum of six to eight weeks to receive membership in good standing with the College enabling you to teach in Ontario. Therefore applications should be made as soon as possible to start work in September. Teachers must also have OCT qualifications for the subject areas/grades advertised.
Do I have to apply online for a teaching job at the Peel District School Board?
Yes. The Peel District School Board only accepts applications for teaching jobs online. You must apply using our online VIP system, which is available free from the Peel District School Board.
Full-time teachers currently employed by the Peel board should follow the process and timelines outlined in the staff transfer and surplus process procedures outlined in G32 and G33 memos to apply for other teaching positions at Peel.
Can I apply for all jobs at the Peel District School Board using VIP?
At this time, only specific jobs will be posted on VIP.
How much does it cost to post my resume and apply for available teaching jobs at the Peel District School Board using VIP?
There is no cost. VIP is free for all external job applicants for available teaching jobs. External applicants include student teachers eligible to teach by September of the upcoming school year, occasional teachers, and other certified teachers not currently teaching in Peel.
I don’t have email. Why do I need email to register with VIP?
Email is the fastest and most efficient way for the Peel board to communicate changes and updates, technical problems and their solutions to VIP subscribers. While applicants will probably be contacted by phone for job interviews, e-mail can provide an alternative means of communication in some cases. In addition, an e-mail address is required to ensure the security and confidentiality of the information provided at the time of registration on VIP.
If you don't have an email account, VIP links you to
web sites that provide free email.
What is the cut-off date for registration and posting a resume on VIP?
There are no official cut-off dates for registration or posting a resume on VIP. However, due to the high number of job applicants and postings for September, jobs will generally be posted for only short periods of time. Therefore, it's to your advantage to be registered with an up-to-date resume posted as soon as possible, so you're ready to apply as soon as jobs become available.
It is important that you carefully review the timelines indicated within each job posted.
You can continue to update your resume as new information, such as OCT numbers, are available. However, your resume must be “online” before applying for jobs, because principals can only view online (posted) resumes. It's important to note that you will need to apply to specific job postings.
When should I register?
Register
now! That way you can start to receive news and updates about job postings as well as handy tips for applying for jobs. By registering now and submitting your resume, you'll be ready to apply for jobs as soon as they are available.
If I register now but am not yet qualified to teach or am currently employed with a short-term contract, can I apply for jobs?
Yes, you can apply for jobs provided you will be qualified and available to teach on the date the job commences. It's very important that you state when you are available to teach, be it a date after you graduate or after a contract is finished. For the greatest efficiency, principals have to conduct interviews with these dates in mind.
When will job postings be available?
If we need to hire externally those positions will be posted on VIP when they become available. You are encouraged to monitor the VIP site on a daily basis to ensure you do not miss any postings.
How long will my subscription remain active and my resume be available on VIP?
Periodically, we will contact subscribers who have not visited VIP for a long time. It's up to you to decide how long you want to keep your VIP subscription active. As a courtesy, we ask you to unsubscribe or notify us if you are hired elsewhere or no longer wish to pursue jobs at the Peel board. Once your subscription is deactivated, your resume, personal information, and job applications list will be deleted from the system.
How will I know when hiring begins and other news concerning teaching at the Peel District School Board?
Updates about the hiring timelines will be posted on the VIP site. Go to
VIP Teacher Hiring, scroll down to the heading
“What’s new in teacher hiring at Peel” where you will see information about hiring timelines and when jobs will be posted. It’s a good idea to visit VIP often, because postings may only be online for a short time.
Do I have to log-off? Will I immediately logoff when I leave my session on VIP?
Whenever you “finish” entering or updating your resume or a job application, if you are sent to a page outside My VIP, you will be logged out. If you are logged in to My VIP and for any reason wish to leave your session, it is important to log off. Simply going to another web site will not guarantee that you are logged off and your information is secure. This is especially important if you are using a computer that is publicly accessible, such as in a library or cybercafe or even an office. By the way, this advice is applicable to any online subscription you may have, including online banking.
When should I change my password?
As a security measure, you should change your password if you think that you may not have logged off VIP properly after a session. This is especially true if you are using computers in public areas such as libraries, cybercafes and even offices. You can also change your password if you find it difficult to use for any reason. Upon entering My VIP, just go to “Change My Password” at the top of the screen.
How do I get help using VIP?
The Help Desk can provide answers to technical problems. If you don’t find the information you need in the Frequently Asked Questions, then go to the Help Desk. From Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm ET, you may call 905-890-1010 (or 1-800-668-1146 anywhere in Canada), ext. 4357, to speak with a person who will help you immediately or find the answer for you. Twenty-four hours per day and seven days per week, you can send your questions by email and they will be answered as quickly as possible. Solutions to problems that are system-wide, that is a system malfunction, will be sent to all subscribers by email.
Is there a deadline for posting my resume?
There is no fixed deadline for posting your resume “online.” However, you can't apply for jobs until you have your resume online so that principals can view it. While you can take your resume “offline” after it is posted online to make corrections or updates, it is wise to have your resume as up-to-date as possible before you start applying for jobs. That way, little time will be lost making changes to your resume when your focus is on applying for jobs as they become available.
What does online and offline mean?
When you enter all or part of your resume the first time, you will be asked at the bottom of the Review page, where you can see what information you have entered, if your resume is ready to be viewed. You can answer “yes” or “no.”
If your answer is yes, then your resume will be posted online. This means that it can be viewed by others, in this case, Peel principals and certain other administrators.
If your answer is no, then your resume will remain offline, where only you can see it. That allows you to complete your resume or update it over more than one session.
Remember, you cannot apply for jobs until your resume is online. Principals cannot view resumes that are offline. Be sure everything is up-to-date before you make new job applications. Once you apply for a job, leave your resume online.
How do I know if my resume is online or offline?
There are two ways to see if your resume is online or offline. You may go to the Review page, either by going through the application or by clicking on the Review tab. At the very bottom you are asked if your resume is ready to be viewed. If you answered yes, then your resume is online. If you answered no, then it is offline.
You can also look at the top of every page of your resume where you will see a field that reads either online or offline. You may click on that field and switch your resume back and forth. You can make changes while you are offline, and then after saving the changes and reviewing to ensure that they were made correctly, you can switch back to online.
You can always make the switch from the top of the pages or from the bottom of the Review page. Remember, you cannot apply for jobs until your resume is online. Principals cannot view resumes that are offline. Be sure everything is up-to-date before you make new job applications.
When should I put my resume online?
You should put your resume online as soon as you are satisfied that you have provided all necessary information and it is ready to be viewed by principals. You can make any necessary updates to your resume while it is online. Remember, you cannot apply for jobs until your resume is online. Principals cannot view resumes that are offline.
Do I have to create my resume in Word or WordPerfect and then cut and paste it into the VIP resume?
No. VIP allows you to draft and polish your resume within the website forms, while working offline. As soon as you are satisfied with your resume and cover letter, you can post them online so that they are available to school principals. You can however, use the cut and paste features where appropriate to eliminate the need to retype parts of a traditional paper resume.
How do I make sure that the information on my resume is entered correctly?
The easiest way to make sure that you have correctly entered all information is to review your entries on the Review page. You can do this by clicking through the whole application until you reach this page, or simply clicking on the Review page tab.
Why does information that I entered not appear when I review my resume?
You must always save your information before moving to another page. When you first enter your resume, you always click save or save and next as you move through the pages. However, you must remember to do the same when you make changes to information that you have already entered.
Do I have to take my resume offline before updating it?
No. You can make quick updates while your resume is online. Remember, when a resume is online, it is available for principals to view, so you want to make sure it is correct before putting it online. However, minor updates, such as a change of address, can be made quickly and easily while your resume is online. Once you have applied for a job, you can't take your resume offline until the job has been filled.
How do I update my resume?
Make sure you click "save and next" even if not going to every page.
Go to the Review page of the resume. Find the information that you wish to update. Clicking the update button next to the information will take you to the page where that information appears. By clicking "save" or "save and next" after you make your change, the information will be updated. You can verify the correction by going back to the Review page.
Can I update my resume at any time?
Technically, you can update your resume at any time by first changing its status to offline. Practically, however, you should update your resume before applying for jobs, before closing dates for job applications, and at other times when it is less likely that principals will be trying to view resumes. Remember, resumes can only be viewed online.
How do I add information to my resume that I feel is important but is not currently requested?
You can use the Additional Information page or mention the information in your cover letter.
Can I attach documents, such as performance reports, to my resume?
You cannot attach documents to your online resume. However, you can make reference to the documents in your cover letter and offer to provide them if you are invited for an interview. When contacted for an interview by a principal, a list of the items and information you will be required to provide during the interview process will be reviewed with you.
What is a cover letter?
A
coverletter or covering
letter is a
letter of introduction attached to, or accompanying another document, such as a résumé or curriculum vitae.
A cover letter should be limited to one page and written to someone specific. A cover letter can also be addressed -
To Whom It May Concern.
How do I modify my cover letter for different jobs?
When you apply for a specific job, you have an opportunity to create a personalized cover letter for that position.
How much time do I have to apply?
The closing date for a job application is stated on each posting. Because of the high number of job applicants, there may be only a short time to apply for jobs. That is why it is practical to have your resume ready and online before job postings appear.
How do I know when new jobs are posted?
You must monitor the VIP site to view new jobs. You will be able to sort job listings by date to learn what is new since you last checked. You will also be able to view your job applications list to see the jobs to which you’ve already applied.
When do the principals look at resumes?
Principals begin to look at resumes right after the closing date for each job. When you apply for a job posting, VIP will let you know when your resume has been viewed.
Do I have to apply for teaching jobs at Peel or do the principals look at all resumes and then choose eligible candidates for their jobs?
You have to apply for each job that interests you. For each job they have posted, the principals receive a list of all job applicants, with links to their resumes and cover letters.
Do principals look only at the resumes of candidates who have applied for their jobs?
In general, principals will only look at the resumes of those who have expressed interest in their jobs. However, when unexpected events occur that require an immediate hire, principals will also be able to search all available subscribers for qualified candidates.
Peel is a large school board. How do I know where schools are located?
Each job posting provides you with information about the school. On the board's main web site, in the Schools section, you can locate maps showing the location of each school.
How do I know what jobs I’ve applied for?
VIP will keep track of that information for you, by providing you with your personalized job application list. Click on "My Job History".
How do I know if my resume has been viewed?
On your job applications list in "My Job History", you will see when your resume has been viewed. Of course, it's important to note that having your resume viewed also does not guarantee that you will be invited for an interview.
How do I know if I will be interviewed?
As with most jobs, you will be contacted only if the principal wishes to interview you. If you are selected for an interview, the school will likely contact you by phone. In most cases, interviews are set up shortly after the closing date for job applications. All applicants will know when a job has been filled by viewing "My Job History".
Can I apply for a job more than once?
No. The VIP system ensures that you can only apply for a job once and it will show up on your job history list after you have successfully submitted your application.
When do I submit my university transcripts and other university degrees?
You can list information about your other university degrees in the "Additional Information" page of your online resume, in the box labeled "Educational Background."
Generally transcripts and university degrees are used as part of the information required to place you on the appropriate salary grid or scale as outlined in the corresponding collective agreement.
For elementary teachers, placement on the salary grid requires a QECO 4 or 5 Statement of Evaluation. In order to acquire the required documentation you will need to submit a number of documents to QECO directly. QECO has specific guidelines and policies with regard to the submission of transcripts and related documentation. For information about the QECO registration process visit them at www.qeco.on.ca
For secondary teachers, placement on the salary grid requires a rating statement from OSSTF. In order to acquire the required documentation you will need to submit a number of documents to OSSTF directly. OSSTF has specific
guidelines and policies with regard to the submission of transcripts and related documentation. For information about the OSSTF registration process visit them at
www.osstfd19.ca.
How do I know if a job that I applied for is filled?
Once the "Recommended for Hire" information is entered on VIP, the job will show filled and this will be reflected in your Job History on VIP.
If I am hired by Peel or another school board, how do I end my subscription so that I am no longer contacted?
To “unsubscribe” to VIP, please login and then go to “Unsubscribe.” The link is located on the My VIP Home page.
How do principals see my job applications?
Through the administrative system at the Peel board, principals receive a list of job applicants for each job they have posted. The list includes links to your online resume and the cover letter you personalized for that job.
What do principals first look for on a resume?
Most principals look first at your qualifications to make sure you have what is required, and then at your experience.
Is my cover letter and additional information about community work, hobbies and interests important to principals?
While principals can only interview candidates who have certification with official qualifications for each job, the cover letter is your opportunity to highlight certain features that quickly show you are qualified and may distinguish you from other applicants. Hobbies, interests, diplomas/degrees and community work in areas other than those in which you are qualified to teach, may be valuable as additional resources.
The job posting may also list other skills and qualifications that are not required, but would be considered assets for the job. You can address these assets in your cover letter or in the Additional Info section of your resume.
Keep in mind that principals may receive several hundred applications for each job. The faster they can grasp your qualifications, the better. Be brief and to the point.