FAQ for Sub Seekers


Recent Updates to SUB SEEKER
  • Public holidays and mandatory school closures integrated into calendar (excluding contingency dates) - allows availability to be set and offers accepted further into the future
  • Teacher availability set to 'Not Available' until updated - ensures availability is accurate
  • Accurate location required - teacher will be prompted to update location details if invalid
  • Teacher contact details visible to school after teacher has accepted an offer of work
  • Offers tab always visible

  1. What is Sub Seeker?
  2. How does Sub Seeker work?
  3. How do I access Sub Seeker?
  4. How do I register for Sub Seeker?
  5. What if I've forgotten my EducationPosts.ie password?
  6. How do I save changes to Sub Seeker?
  7. How do I update my availability on Sub Seeker?
  8. How do I update my subject choices on Sub Seeker? (post primary only)
  9. How do I update my qualifications on Sub Seeker?
  10. My awarding institute is not listed on your Qualifications tab. How do I update my qualification details?
  11. How do I update my experience on Sub Seeker?
  12. How do I update my other information on Sub Seeker?
  13. How do I hide my profile temporarily on Sub Seeker?
  14. I am a primary level teacher. Can I substitute in a post primary school?
  15. I am a post primary level teacher. Can I substitute in a primary school?
  16. I accepted an offer but the school no longer requires a substitute teacher. Can I change or cancel the accepted offer?
  17. I received an email stating my Sub Seeker profile will no longer be visible. What do I do?
  18. Why am I getting an error about my location?
  19. I no longer require access to Sub Seeker. How do I delete my Sub Seeker profile?
  20. Is Sub Seeker available to Special Needs Assistants (SNAs)?
  21. Why am I not receiving any offers from Job Advertisers to substitute?
  22. Who can view my Sub Seeker profile?
  23. How do I get assistance with Sub Seeker?
  24. What documentation do I need to provide when I substitute in a school?


1. What is Sub Seeker?

Sub Seeker is a service within EducationPosts.ie which facilitates the short-term recruitment of Teaching Council-registered teachers by Department of Education primary and post primary schools, or any teacher with a registered Teaching Council number (Routes 1-5).

Key Features:
• Free service to teachers
• Profile to include qualifications and experience and location
• Calendar view to update availability for the next ten days (may increase during holidays etc)
• Sub selects up to 6 counties they are willing to sub in
• Optimised for all devices - smartphone, laptop, PC, tablet
• Teachers can sub in primary and post-primary schools
• Retains a history of experience gained through Sub Seeker
• Teachers receive sub offers directly on Sub Seeker and via email


 2. How does Sub Seeker work?

The following is an overview of how Sub Seeker works:

When schools have a vacancy for a short-term substitute position, they input the search criteria (number of vacancies, county, dates, subjects) in their Sub Seeker dashboard on EducationPosts.ie. The school can select a maximum of ten days (may increase during holidays etc). 

Teachers with availability and relevant experience will be displayed under ‘Available Subs’. The teachers with the most suitable availability will be displayed at the top of the list, and are prioritised in terms of availability, qualifications at the chosen level, or experience teaching the chosen subjects (post primary). All teachers fully or partially matching the criteria will be listed.

Schools send offers to one or more teachers on a shortlist. This offer may include an expiration date and time if the substitute is required urgently. Teachers receive the shortlist offer via email and Sub Seeker notification. The offer details will be listed under ‘Offers’ on the teacher profile.

As the system works on a ‘first come first served’ basis, the first teacher to accept the position will be successful. 

If the teacher wishes to accept the substitute position, s/he accepts the offer via Sub Seeker, which notifies the school immediately. If the offer isn’t suitable, the teacher should decline the offer via Sub Seeker, which also notifies the school via their Sub Seeker dashboard and via email. To ensure accuracy on the system, if a teacher declines an offer of work, their availability for those dates is updated to 'Not Available'. The status of the offer is updated on both the school’s and the teacher’s Sub Seeker dashboard. All of this happens almost instantaneously and Sub Seeker information is refreshed immediately. SMS messages are not sent from the Sub Seeker system.

If the offer has expired or been accepted by another teacher, this will be visible on the 'Offers' tab. An email will also be sent confirming the position has been filled. 

Sub Seeker retains a history of all experience gained through the service. To protect the accuracy and integrity of Sub Seeker information, it is essential that schools send offer emails, and teachers accept or decline job offers through Sub Seeker. This also ensures that the Job Advertiser’s search history is accurate and the Job seeker’s experience on their Sub Seeker profile is updated with completed substitute work gained through Sub Seeker.


3. How do I access Sub Seeker?

To access Sub Seeker, please log into your Job Seeker’s Account via EducationPosts.ie. Select ‘Login’ button on the right of the menu bar. Once logged into your account, access Sub Seeker by selecting 'My Account' under your name on the right of the menu bar.


4. How do I register for Sub Seeker?

Access your EducationPosts.ie account > select ‘My Account’ > select ‘Sub Seeker’. Complete the Eligibility Check, Qualifications and Experience sections. All sections of the Eligibility Check page are mandatory, including your Teaching Council Number and date of birth. The date of birth requirement is an additional step to verify your Teaching Council Number, and is not visible on your Sub Seeker profile. It is advisable to include as much information as possible in your Sub Seeker profile to inform schools in their selection process. You can edit your Sub Seeker profile at a later date if required.

 

5. What if I've forgotten my EducationPosts.ie password?

Click on the 'Forgot Password' link on EducationPosts.ie. This is located directly below the log-in registration section. Enter your email address and click submit. An email will be sent to you that will enable you to reset your password. Please check your junk/spam folder as this email may sometimes be redirected.


6. How do I save changes to Sub Seeker?

Changes made to your Sub Seeker user profile are automatically saved - you do not need to ‘Save’ your changes unless specified.


7. How do I update my availability on Sub Seeker?

Once Sub Seeker registration is complete, you will be directed to the ‘Availability’ tab on your profile. Select up to six counties to substitute in, modify your teaching level (primary or post primary), and update your availability.  You can select up to ten days of availability at a time (may increase during holidays etc). 

All days are set to 'Not Available' by default. To mark yourself available on a specific date, click the relevant date once to change the date to ‘Available’. The number of days is limited to ensure that data is current and updated regularly. It is your responsibility to update your availability every few days.


NOTE: Public holidays and mandatory school closures are visible in white boxes. Teachers cannot set their availability for these dates, and schools cannot send offers for these dates.




8. How do I update my subject choices on Sub Seeker? (post primary only)

If you have registered for post primary level, you can update your subjects through the ‘Subjects’ tab. Under the ‘Subjects’ tab, you can also select ‘I am willing to sub for ANY subject’. If you select this box, you will be considered for substitute vacancies for any subject. Please also select the subjects for which you are directly qualified, as you will be given higher priority for those. You can select up to eight subjects. 

If you have registered for primary level and wish to substitute at post primary level, please select the ‘Modify’ button on the Availability tab. If you switch to post primary, you will be asked to select your subjects.

 

9. How do I update my qualifications on Sub Seeker?

Select ‘Add Qualification’ > Enter the relevant details > Select ‘Save’. You can also add other qualifications and certificates by completing ‘Other Relevant Qualifications’.

 

10. My awarding institute is not listed on your Qualifications tab. How do I update my qualification details?

If your awarding institute is not available on the dropdown list, add qualifications to your profile by typing into the ‘Institute’ text box on the ‘Qualifications’ tab. It is not mandatory to choose from the dropdown list of institutes.


11. How do I update my experience on Sub Seeker?

Select ‘Add Experience’ > Enter the relevant details > Select ‘Save’. Experience gained overseas can be added in this section by selecting ‘None selected’ on the ‘County’ dropdown list.

 

12. How do I update my other information on Sub Seeker?

On the ‘Other Info’ tab, you can include any other relevant information about yourself. For example, add a Profile Picture, confirm your competence to teach through Irish and whether you are retired.

 

13. How do I hide my profile temporarily on Sub Seeker?

Select ‘Hide My Profile’ to prevent schools from seeing your profile. Your profile will be hidden until you re-activate your profile again by selecting ‘Show My Profile’.

 

14. I am primary level teacher. Can I substitute in a post primary school?

Yes, you can register for Sub Seeker, and then choose to modify your profile to register at one or both levels. Access the 'Availability' tab, then select the ‘Modify’ button next to '‘I wish to substitute at:’. 

If you switch to post primary, you will be asked to select your subjects. Under the ‘Subjects’ tab, you can also select ‘I am willing to sub for ANY subject’. If you select this box, you will be considered for substitute vacancies for any subject. Please also select the subjects for which you are directly qualified, as you will be given higher priority for those. You can select up to eight subjects.

 

15. I am a post primary level teacher. Can I substitute in a Primary school?

Yes, you can register for Sub Seeker, and then choose to modify your profile to register at one or both levels. Access the 'Availability' tab, then select the ‘Modify’ button next to '‘I wish to substitute at:’. Please note, if you choose to modify your teaching level to ‘Primary’, your Post Primary subject choices will be saved on your Sub Seeker profile.


16. I accepted an offer but the school no longer requires a substitute teacher. Can I change or cancel the accepted offer?

The school can modify or delete the accepted offer. You will be notified of this via email.

You can withdraw the accepted offer by selecting My Account > Sub Seeker > Offers > select the dropdown on 'Accepted Offers' and choose 'Withdraw Acceptance' > Enter a message and Save. The system allows withdrawals until midnight before the first day of substitute work. Please note, you will be listed as 'Unavailable' for substitute work until the accepted offer is removed. The school will be notified of this withdrawal. 


17. I received an email stating my Sub Seeker profile will no longer be visible. What do I do?

We have implemented an automated email alert to substitute teachers when their Sub Seeker availability expires. It is the teachers’ responsibility to update their Sub Seeker availability regularly. To update your availability, see here: How do I update my availability on Sub Seeker?


18. Why am I getting an error about my location?

The teachers' general location is taken from their inputted address on Sub Seeker.  Recent updates to Sub Seeker may result in a yellow or red error related to the 'Location' tab if your address is not accurate. 

If you receive an error message, click the 'Location' tab, review 'My Location - Address' and 'County' and update your address. The information in the 'Location' tab is used to estimate your distance from schools. The specific address is not visible to schools.


19. I no longer require access to Sub Seeker. How do I delete my Sub Seeker profile?

Access the Availability tab on your Sub Seeker profile. A red 'Delete my Profile' button is available under your availability. Select this button and complete the following page to delete your profile.


20. Is Sub Seeker available to Special Needs Assistants (SNAs)?

Phase 1 of Sub Seeker is designed for substitute teachers at primary and post primary levels. Once Garda vetting arrangements for SNAs have been resolved such that vetting is valid across all schools, Phase 2 will extend Sub Seeker to SNAs. SNAs and schools will be notified when that functionality is available. 

We have a number of Noticeboards available on EducationPosts.ie, including the SNA Substitute Noticeboard, which can be used to search for SNA’s. Once you create an EducationPosts.ie account, you can post a notice on the relevant noticeboards. Note:  The Board of Management is still required to vet all substitute SNAs. The Department of Education SNA Information Hub contains more information on SNAs. 


21. Why am I not receiving any offers from Job Advertisers to substitute?

There are several reasons why you may not be receiving offers from Job Advertisers. Sub Seeker profiles with additional information (including an image and valid references) receive a higher number of offers.

Hidden Profile - You may have selected to ‘Hide My Profile’ which would hide your Sub Seeker profile from all schools. To make your profile visible again, select ‘Show My Profile’ and update your availability. 

Availability - You will not receive offers if your availability is not up to date. It is advisable to update your profile regularly to ensure that your profile is visible to Job Advertisers. 

Location - Your location may not be correct on your account. Confirm your location under the ‘Location’ tab on Sub Seeker, and also under ‘Personal Details’ on your account. If there are no available substitute positions in your chosen county, you may wish to add more counties to your Sub Seeker profile. 

Insufficient Information - Schools use teachers’ profiles to select suitable substitute teachers. It is advisable to provide as much information as possible in your profile to facilitate their decision making.

Level - You can enable both primary and post primary levels on Sub Seeker. Check out questions 14 and 15 for details.


22. Who can view my Sub Seeker profile?

Your profile will be available to schools located in the counties that you have chosen on your profile. You can add up to six counties to your Sub Seeker profile. Schools in those counties will be able to view your profile. Schools that are outside of the six counties that you have chosen, will not be able to view your profile, as your profile will not show in their search results.


23. How do I get assistance with Sub Seeker?

Sub Seeker is an online service with online support. For help, email subs@educationposts.ie. Emails are answered in order of receipt between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday. Queries submitted outside of these times, or during public holidays, will be reviewed the next working day.


24. What documentation do I need to provide when I substitute in a school?

Substitute teachers may be required to provide the necessary evidence for verification and suitability checking, including: 

1.         A copy of their teaching qualification certificate(s)
2.         Teaching Council registration number
3.         Vetting Disclosure (Circular 31/2016)
4.         Statutory Declaration Form & signed Form of Undertaking (Circular 31/2016)
5.         Photo identification e.g. driving licence or passport
6.         PPS Number
7.         Contact details of relevant recent employers for independent reference checking