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Teacher Education Resume Guide
Listed below are the components to build an effective teacher resume. If you have questions about creating a resume or would like your resume to be reviewed, please contact
Career Services. To download a copy of the Teacher Education Resume Guide, click
here.
Basic Identification
Objective
Education
Experience
Additional Section Topics
Study/Teach Abroad
Formatting
Basic Identification
Content:
- Your Name
- Street Address(es)
- Phone Number
- E-Mail Address
- Personal Web Site (if applicable)
Formatting Tips:
- Name: Use at least 16 point font and bold so it stands out.
- Campus versus Permanent Address:
-
- Include both if you will be in different locations during your search.
- Include permanent address if you are applying for a teaching position in or near your hometown.
- Phone Number:
-
- Use only one, whichever is your preferred method of being reached.
- Be aware of outgoing voicemail message and/or roommates answering phone.
- Be consistent when using abbreviations. (Example: WI versus Wisconsin)
- Include personal web site only if it relates directly to your objective and will enhance your candidacy.
- Lines can be used to “dress up” your work; use them sparingly to enhance written work but not to replace it.
Examples:
Click
here to view Basic Identification examples.
Objective
Content:
- 1-3 lines in length
- Conveys key information to the employer as to why the candidate has applied
- Tell the audience why you are writing and what you hope to contribute
Styles:
-
Field-Oriented: To obtain a position in the field of ….. (early childhood education, elementary education, etc.)
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Position-Oriented: Desire a position as a(n) ….. (4th grade teacher, high school English teacher, etc.)
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Skills-Oriented: Seeking a position that uses/utilizes/capitalizes upon skills in ….(leadership, communication, organization, computer science, foreign language, etc.)
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Knowledge-Oriented: To obtain a position that will utilize knowledge/strong background in …..(agricultural economics, US history, chemistry, forensics, etc.)
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Combination (various pairings can occur such as the following):
-
- Field and Position: To obtain a 2nd grade teaching position at Westwood Elementary School.
- Field and Skills: Desire a position in elementary education that uses skills in creative lesson planning, flexibility and fluency in the Hmong language.
Formatting Tips:
- Tailor your objective for each position or employer.
- Do not use obvious comments such as: "To work in a challenging environment.” Most employers would like to think that the candidate possesses enough initiative to challenge the environment.
- Mention more than one field or position in the same objective only if they are directly tied to each other; dissimilar fields or positions may indicate lack of focus.
Examples:
Click
here to view Objective examples.
Education
Required Content:
- Name of college
- Location of college (city, state)
- Degree level (B.A., B.S., B.M., etc.) - Click
here to learn how to write your degree
- Graduation date (month, year)
- Major(s), Minor(s) and Emphasis/Concentration(s)
- Certification/licensure
Optional Content:
- GPA if > 3.0 and if proud of (Example: 3.0/4.0)
- Relevant Coursework
- Honors and Awards (could be in its own section)
- Study Abroad Experience
Formatting Tips:
- High school information tends not to be included. Only consider including your high school education if you are applying for a teaching position at the high school you attended.
- You may have a double major, but you will not earn two degrees from St. Norbert College. Check with the Registrar’s Office to determine which degree you are formally earning.
- Some students take enough classes that directly relate to each other but not enough of the required classes to warrant classification as a major or minor. These classes may be called a concentration or emphasis.
- Begin with your most recent educational experience.
- When
including scholarships under Honors/Awards, be sure to indicate what the scholarship was for. Example: Academics
Examples:
Click
here to view Education examples.
Experience
Content:
- Position title
- Organization name
- Location (city, state)
- Dates of service (month, year-month, year)
NOTE: For summer jobs: Summers 2006-2007
- Description of responsibilities, achievements, skills
- Provide information to persuade prospective employers that your experience makes you a qualified candidate
Possible Experience Categories:
- Teaching Experience
- International Teaching Experience
- Career-Related Experience
- Additional Work Experience
- Coaching Experience
- Leadership Experience
Possible Content for Education-Related Experience:
| • What you taught |
• Age level of students
|
• Type of school
|
• Administrative responsibilities
|
• A unit you developed
|
• A technique you implemented to teach an existing unit
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• Curriculum development
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• Classroom management
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• Teaching strategies
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• Accomodations
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• Grading
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• Lesson plans
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• Collaboration with others
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• Field trips organized
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• Activities outside the classroom
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• Coaching
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• Activities supervised
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• Parent-teacher conferences
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• IEP Planning
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• Stress contributions above and beyond expectations
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Formatting Tips:
- Use reverse chronological order (start with most recent experience).
- Begin each statement with an
Action Verb.
- Do not use any personal pronouns.
- Write in short phrases and use a bulleted format.
- State present positions in present tense and past positions in past tense.
- Avoid words that don’t reveal skills: worked, handled, duties included, responsible for, etc.
- Your teaching experience should be the largest section on your resume because it is the most relevant to the employer.
- Aim for 5-9 bullet points for each student teaching experience.
Examples:
Click
here to view Experience examples.
Additional Section Topics
Content:
- Provides additional examples of your qualifications.
- Gives employers a sense of who you are outside of work or academics.
- Ask yourself “Will this information help the potential employer learn more about how well I can do the job?”. If the answer is yes, include the information.
Possible Topic Headings:
- Leadership and Activities
- Honors and Awards
- Community or Volunteer Service
- Presentations
- Publications
- Skills
- Related Projects
- Technology Skills
- Professional Development
- Additional Certifications
Formatting Tips:
- Use bullets or columns
- Be sure to include any offices held
- Only include examples from college
Examples:
Click
here to view Additional Section Topic examples.
Study/Teach Abroad
Skills/Attributes Gained from International Experience:
Communication Skills
- Foreign language skills (Ex: Spanish, German, etc.)
- Lead others in formal/informal groups
- Effectively participate in group discussions with people from diverse backgrounds
- Identify and manage different needs of people and groups
Organizational Skills
- General travel and navigational skills
- Successfully juggle multiple demands
- Able to prioritize
- Time management skills
Interpersonal Skills
- Global point of view
- Appreciation of diversity
- Cultural awareness
- Establish rapport quickly
- Understand an organization’s culture
- Understand global dependence
- Sensitive to other cultural values, norms, customs and communication patterns
- Tolerant of differences
- Open to new ideas and practices
- Empathetic toward other perspectives
Intrapersonal Skills
- Patience
- Function with a high level of ambiguity
- Achieve goals despite obstacles
- Take initiative and risks
- Accept responsibility
- Handle stress and difficult situations
- Learn/adapt quickly
- Cope with rejection
- Flexibility
- Assertive/self-confident
- Inquisitive
- Independence
Examples:
Click
here to view Study/Teach Abroad examples.
Formatting
Length:
Font Size:
Section Headings:
- Use
bold and/or CAPS to make headings stand out
Prioritize:
- Place your most important information toward the top.
Always Check for Spelling and Grammatical Errors:
- Check and recheck. Errors often occur when individuals attempt to complete a resume at the last minute.
- Prepare well enough in advance to avoid presenting a poorly written and error-laden final product.
Edit Until You are Certain the Information is Clear and Concise:
- Does this resume best reflect you?
- Is the information presented in an easy to read format?
Review:
- Have several individuals review your resume to gather comments and suggestions. These individuals might include
Career Services staff, your advisor, faculty members or supervising teachers with whom you have contact. In doing so, you will ensure your resume is comprehensive.
- Realize that opinions about resumes may vary among individuals. Ultimately, you will have to decide what is best for your situation.
Format:
- There are a number of styles and formats that you may consider when creating your resume.
- Avoid using templates because they may not allow you to easily move information or change bullets, fonts or text sizes.
- Always create your resume by starting with a blank Word document.
- Determine which format best fits the type and amount of information you need to convey on your resume.
Page Numbers:
- Always include Your Name, Page 2 on the second page of your resume. It is always good to have that statement on the second page in case it gets separated from the first.
Unique:
- Evaluate what separates you from other candidates. Does your resume reflect this?
Printing:
- Print your resume on quality paper using white or light-colored paper.
- Avoid paper with speckles that could look like dirt smudges or specks when sent as a fax or duplicated on a copier.
- Be sure to print your resume on a high quality laser printer. Ink jets tend to smear or “feather” on resume paper.
Save:
- Save your resume in more than one location. If you have it saved onto a hard drive, keep it saved in an alternate location for future reference.
Avoid Repetition:
- If you have used the word “planned” to describe one task or responsibility in your experience section, use another word to convey the same message later, such as “coordinated” or “facilitated”.
- Use the
Action Verbs handout to avoid repetition.
No Personal Information:
- Do not include a photograph or other personal data information such as age, weight, height, marital status.
References:
- Do not include references on your resume. They should always be a separate document.
- Please see the
References Guide for information on creating a reference page.
Scannable Resumes:
- Many organizations now use computers to scan resumes, which allows employers to search for applicants using keywords.
- Tips for creating a scannable resume include: use keywords (included in responsibilities and/or requirements sections of the job posting); use industry jargon; use a traditional resume format; avoid italics, bold, underline; virtually no punctuation; provide white space between words.
REMEMBER… your resume reflects you. Put your best foot forward!
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