As you know, the competition for teaching jobs can be fierce. Many school districts are tightening their belts and making open teaching positions few and far between. No matter if you are seeking your first full-time position or if you are ready to move on from your current setting, it is so important that you are able to put your best face forward and make an awesome impression. Your resume is still the very best tool that you have to share your skills, experience, and awesomeness with administrators.
In the spirit of helping you show off your excellence to the world, here are some tips for helping you craft the perfect resume.
Highlight Your Credentials
Perhaps this seems obvious, but if you want to get a job you have to tell people what it is you know! Remember, you are in the education business, it’s important that you demonstrate that you are the most qualified candidate to fill the opening that you’ve got your eyes on. Of course, you will list your certifications, but if you’ve got other credentials or licenses, make sure you say so!
What Have You Done Lately?
You’ve got to find a way to tell the world about your accomplishments. If you have done something great recently, make sure it is on your resume. Principals want teachers who get things done and will pull the resume from the pile that highlights recent successes. Think about two or three really great things you have created or experienced and put them on your resume. It’ll make a difference!
What Do You Do Outside Of The Classroom?
Do you have a life outside of school? If so, demonstrate it! Find a way to incorporate your extracurricular activities into your resume. If you’re a writer, say so. If you’re the crafty type, work it in there somehow. The person that is going to potentially hire you wants to make sure that you will be able to connect with the students and with the other teachers in your department. What hidden skills do you bring to this new school?
Know Your Keywords
While it undoubtedly seems tedious, to make sure your resume does not end up in the recycle bin it is very important that you work as many of those educational buzzwords into your resume as possible. Do you remember all those keywords that you had to memorize during your sophomore year of college? It turns out that they actually do matter. For a great list of keywords, check out this piece from Monster.com.
While of course not an exhaustive list, these tips should give you some help in polishing up that resume. For even more help in landing that next great position, check out this article about putting together your portfolio.
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