Resume Writing Tips For Teachers

4 Resume Writing Guidelines For Teaching Positions

Resume writing is no easy task. Even for a teacher who is exposed to a lot of written projects and endeavors, resume writing takes a bit of time and effort. A teacher needs to ensure that the resume and the accompanying cover letter addresses some key concerns that employers might have prior to giving the teaching position.

So whether you have recently graduated with a degree in Education, a teacher who plans to teach again after being out of the workforce for a long time, or simply someone who wants to switch careers and opt to go for a teaching profession, your resume and cover letter must be tailored to answer these 4 specific resume writing guidelines.

1. Reasons For Wanting To Be A Teacher

This is one important guideline that must be addressed in your resume writing task. As a teacher, your resume objective statement should clearly indicate your passion and drive for teaching and imparting your knowledge to others. At the same token, the resume cover letter should also try to explain your career goals and teaching methods.

Being a teacher, your resume objective might be longer than most objectives for the corporate world. However, it should clearly express your commitment and passion for the teaching profession, your commitment to the proper education of students, and your qualifications that make you the best teacher for the job. Having these in your resume writing arsenal can help you stand out from all the other applicants.

2. Teaching Qualifications

Another aspect that must be clearly addressed in resume writing is your qualifications that are required in succeeding in the teaching profession. Your skills and competencies, educational background and certifications must be listed after your resume objective statement. The section can be aptly titled as Academic Credentials. Effective resume writing involves having the proper credentials for the job. So you need to list the educational degrees that you achieved, certifications and trainings that will validate your qualification as a teacher.

Don't limit yourself to your school credentials when resume writing. Point out specific courses or trainings you undertook that make you competent and qualified to tackle a certain subject. If some of your literary works have been published in journals or if you have written textbooks that have been published and used, include these when resume writing. You may want to have a distinct section that will cater to these. Think of all accomplishments you've made that are relevant for the teaching profession and include these. Effective resume writing is effective selling of yourself - your skills and competencies. Don't be too modest. But don't blatantly lie either. Good resume writing practices call for a sense of truth and honesty.

3. Professional Teaching Experiences

The core of your resume writing task is listing your professional experiences that shaped who you are now and why you are qualified to be a teacher. As a teacher, you not only have to focus on the list of teaching jobs that you experienced but also on some notable professional achievements that you have that can make you the best applicant for the teaching job being offered.

If you already had professional experience as a teacher, then you may list your teaching jobs in chronological order starting with the most recent teaching job first then followed by the one before that. This resume writing method is what a chronological resume layout is about and it can effectively showcase your teaching experiences.

For someone who just recently graduated from college and has no professional teaching experience, don't let this hinder you in resume writing. The same goes for someone who plans to shift careers and pursue a teaching profession. In these cases, resume writing involves digging deeper into your experiences. You may have done some community involvements or volunteering works that showcase your teaching abilities. Involvements with organizations that help in mentoring children could be a good experience to include when resume writing. You may have some skills that you learned from your previous career that are suitable for the teaching profession. If you have been involved in training new employees, this is a very good experience to include. Effective resume writing involves taking into account all your past experiences that are relevant to the role you are applying even though not directly.

Having no professional teaching experience should not stop you from creative resume writing. It will be best to use a functional resume layout, which we discussed in previous posts, so you can focus more on some skills and competencies you learned from other noteworthy experiences that make you qualified to become a teacher. Resume writing for a teaching position will involve some creativity and analysis on your part.

4. Career Goals and Long Term Aspirations

As in the corporate environment, school directors will also be interested not only in your teaching abilities but also your long-term career goals and aspirations. This should also be addressed when resume writing. Mention your long-term aspirations in your career summary or you may mention it in the resume cover letter. Whether you want to earn a Master's degree, want to teach more than one subject, want to become the school principal or dean, show the employer that you have the drive to move your career forward. Be sure, however, that you know and understand how to achieve all these, as it will definitely come out in the interviews. This is one resume writing tip that can set you apart from the rest as it shows that you have the drive and motivation to succeed.

These are some resume writing guidelines that you need to consider when writing a teacher resume. You must also note, however, that your resume writing effort will all be a waste if you don't check it for errors and grammar mistakes. As a teacher involved in teaching the younger generation, people will be expecting more from you and this should be reflected in your resume writing style. Scrutinize your resume for typographical errors, misspellings and incorrect grammar. You may use a word processing software to make your resume writing easier as you can set the software to check for common mistakes. You can also ask the help and opinion of your friends, family and colleagues when resume writing. Let them check if your resume is free from errors and whether it is professionally presented. They may spot other things that you overlook. Resume writing will become easier if you ask the help of others. Effective resume writing should not be a one-man task.

Lastly, try to include some teaching keywords that are specific to the profession when resume writing. Teaching jargon and acronyms can impress upon the employer that you know the teaching field. Besides, the person reading your resume will most likely know what you are talking about so there is no need to worry about being technical when resume writing. Once you are able to demonstrate your passion for teaching and your commitment to education in your resume writing style, you are assured that most schools will take interest.