Whether you want to be an early childhood teacher, a high school teacher, or you want to provide special education for elementary school children, the right teacher resume will be key to your success. School hiring managers can receive hundreds of job applications for a single role. As such, they will only scan most resumes before making a decision. A resume with the right format, structure, and content will catch their attention in those all-important first moments and prompt them to read on.
Whether you are applying to work in elementary education or at a high school level, getting your dream job title is about more than having the right skills and teaching certifications. Of course, the content of your teaching resume is important and you should consider some teacher resume samples to give you inspiration. The appearance of your resume is also important, as is your cover letter and how you act in job interviews. To catch a recruiter's attention, you should make use of an attractive teacher resume template, such as those resume templates available via the ResumeNerd resume builder. Follow these resume writing tips to increase your chances of getting a job interview:
Once you get invited to a job interview, it is a great idea to take some time to practice answering the most common interview questions for teaching jobs. If you follow these basic tips you will increase your chances of having a successful job search.
Your resume skills section will be of vital importance when you apply for teaching jobs, and some skills will carry more weight. The top 10 hard and soft skills to include on any writing resume are:
Some of these are obvious additions, but others may seem so. For example, First Aid may not be an obvious teaching skill, but it is very useful for anyone working with young children. Likewise, performance analysis will make it easier for teachers to assess grade levels and changes in their classes. As such, these are valuable skills on a professional resume.
The perfect resume represents your skills, professional experience, and unique qualities in a way that aligns with the job description you are applying for. Whatever information you want to include, every teaching resume should have these sections:
A resume header with your contact information should be the smallest part of the document and contain only your full name, phone number, email address, and your LinkedIn profile.
Below the header, there should be a resume summary or objective statement. A resume summary is a sum up of the skills, qualifications, and experiences that make a job seeker right for the role they have applied for. This makes it best for highly experienced applicants. A resume objective statement, by contrast, is more of a statement of a job seeker's goals. This means that it is ideal for recent graduates and those who have limited teaching experience.
Your teacher resume skills section should include 8 to 12 bullet points detailing the soft and hard skills that allow you to teach in your preferred role. Some skills may be specialized; for example, a history teacher may list historical research and data analysis, especially if teaching at a high school level. Many other general teaching skills will apply to all teacher resumes. The ability to create lesson plans or manage a classroom, for example, should be featured on all teaching resumes.
Your work history section should be presented in reverse-chronological order with your most recent or current role first. Include up to 10 years of experience and list each teaching position, as well as the years you held that role and the school you worked in. For example:
“English Teacher, [ABC] Middle School, 2013 - 2018”
You should also include some bullet points detailing your main achievements in that role and the ways in which you developed professionally.
For teachers, the education section of an education resume will always carry a certain amount of weight due to the need for teachers to have specific academic qualifications. You do not need to include your high school GPA, however, just your most recent and advanced qualifications.
If you have relevant experiences, such as a student teacher, internship, or volunteer position, and certifications, you can create additional resume sections to place this information. Each section of your resume should add to the overall value of the document, so only add extra sections if they will improve your resume.
Yes, you should include a cover letter with every job application unless the job posting specifically asks you not to. A cover letter is a unique opportunity for you to give more detail about your teaching methods and achievements, so providing one could increase your chance of getting invited to an interview.
A chronological resume format is the most common and highly-regarded. You can utilize a functional format or a combination format if you feel these formats will suit your experience and skills better, however. Consider the pros and cons of each resume format before you make a decision.
If you are successful in getting a job interview, there are a few common interview questions that you should be ready for. The most common teaching interview questions are:
- Why do you want to be a high school/elementary school teacher/math teacher?
- What is your preferred teaching style and philosophy?
- How do you cope with difficult students?
- How do you motivate your students throughout the year?
- Why should we hire you?
