Although recent studies have conducted research on the effects of the timeline of teacher hiring practices on obtaining high-quality teacher candidates, little is known about how the timeline of job search activities for private companies affects potential teacher candidates. Therefore, in this paper, I used a nationwide survey of university and college students in Japan to examine how the timeline of job search activities affects new graduates' decisions about whether to become teachers. The results of the analysis are as follows. First, receiving the first early unofficial job offer from companies before July, when the first-stage screening examination for teacher recruitment begins, led fourth-year undergraduate students to decide not to choose teaching as a career. This result suggested that delayed teacher recruitment compared to that of private sector companies could lead to educational boards losing potential teacher candidates. Second, the undergraduate students who emphasized working conditions and the environment in their career choice did not choose teaching as a career. In conclusion, this study argues that it is necessary to try to solve the teacher shortage by not only addressing the timeline of teacher recruitment but also teachers' working environment.