Over my last four years as a teacher, I have worked at four different schools. Yep, four.
Even though now more than ever I am ready to stop moving around and stick with one district for a couple of years, I have had a lot of experience going to interviews and perfecting my resume (I guess those budget cuts did come in handy!).
I’ve learned what helps me stick out as a candidate in a pool of hundreds and thousands of my fellow teachers and snag the job. I have it down to a science, really.
And I want to share my experience and knowledge with you!
Yeah, you definitely don’t want to do that!
The first thing human resources gets to see is your resume, so you want to make your resume stand out. Figuring this part out is one of the most difficult, but most important pieces in getting your name put in the “yes” pile.
Besides using neon, bright paper, how do you do that? Visual appeal.
As teachers, we are naturally creative and ready to go the extra mile. So don’t miss this opportunity to attract some positive attention.
DO – bold the titles and use some color, but DON’T – use anything too bright or obnoxious.
DO – explore fonts to make your titles stand out, but DON’T – use a font that’s hard to read. Keep the “meat” of your resume in a reader-friendly font.
DO – have someone check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and DON’T – use foul language or forget to fix typos. You are a teacher and you will be modeling your fabulous language arts skills to your students. Show admin that you know what you’re doing!
DO – sell yourself, just DON’T – lie to make yourself look better. It will only come back to haunt you and hinder your opportunity of being hired. Be honest and be you. After all, the good doctor did say:
Today you are You, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
DO – keep your resume at 2 pages or less, but DON’T – put in filler to make it longer.
DO – keep sentences short and use good verbage (be specific!), but DON’T – over exaggerate what you “can” do. This goes along with being honest in your resume.
DO – get yourself noticed, but DON’T – jumble up your resume and make it look messy. Keep it clean and classy. (Oh yeah, clean up your social media, too!)
Phew! Resume writing is a lot of work. Some of these may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised. Just remember that hard work pays off and soon you’ll be well on your way to landing yourself your dream teaching job.
What tips do you have for teachers interviewing for a new position? Tell us in the comments below!
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