Writing a resume as a newly graduated teacher can be tough. You are at a stage in your life where your experience in teaching is limited. As a result, you must try to get the most out of your resume- your resume is the first impression for any potential employers. To maximize its impact, there are four key elements to resume writing that you must follow. They are;
- Highlight your education and credentials.
- Show relevant student teaching experience.
- Showcase your hard and soft skills.
- List your accomplishments.
The task of resume writing will be much more difficult if you go in cold. It is helpful to look through other resumes from graduate teachers. This helps highlight any modern trends that will add value to your own student teaching resume.
Here, we will dive deeper into each part of writing the ultimate graduate teacher resume. If you follow these tips, you will stand out from the crowd.
Highlight Your Education and Credentials
Teaching jobs at the middle school and high school levels, and even in early childhood education, need degrees and certifications. Yours must match the specific requirements of the education board. In one of the first sections of the resume, show how you meet these criteria in an ‘education section’. List the following bullet points;
- Schools you attended.
- The degrees you have.
- Your GPA.
- Any special honors or awards you earned while studying.
It is important to adapt this section to match your current situation. If you are still a student, say so, along with the type of academic achievement you were awarded. Include the honors you received. These can include honors such as the dean’s list, or any clubs or charity groups you were a member of. Also, list any career development course certifications and licenses you gained. This section can make or break your application and will help the most in getting you an interview.
Show Relevant Teaching Experience.
Always add the teaching experience gained while in university or while studying. Highlight any in-class time you had in schools as part of your course- and the things you learned or accomplished there. Maybe you developed and implemented new individualized lessons, or assessed students for a gifted program. If you focused on a particular subject area, such as math or social studies, mention that work history here if it is relevant to the job you want.
As you are still a student or recently graduated, you will not have much, if any, teaching experience. Volunteering is valued by employers. It shows that you are passionate about teaching outside of your education. Volunteering improves the probability of a job offer by giving you a chance to network with people in the industry. Not to mention a chance to show off your skills.
Showcase Your ‘Hard’ and ‘Soft’ Skills
In this section, it is important to showcase your skills. Skills are generally divided into two categories: hard and soft. Hard skills are skills you can learn. These can include;
- Computer literacy
- Health and safety
- First aid
- Innovative lesson planning
- Special needs teaching
If you feel you do not have enough of these hard skills, then it is never too late to get new ones and add them to your resume. Alternatively, soft skills are central to your personality. They are how you developed growing up. There are four main soft skills that an employer will look for in every student teacher. These are enthusiasm, leadership, commitment, and compassion. Highlighting these skills will show that you are someone that works to promote students’ interests and better their lives.
List of Accomplishments
This section is your place to really parade your greatest achievements proudly. You could put your class assessments from tutors or mentors or awards from your school. Don’t be shy in this section. It could be the tie-breaker between yourself and another qualified candidate.
If you are struggling to add enough value here, consider adding achievements from outside the academic world. If you are an achiever in a sport or group, feel free to list those. Maybe you are a published photographer or musician. These accomplishments will show that you are a well-rounded individual. Someone that can achieve great things in many walks of life. Something an employer will cherish.
Extra Credit Opportunities
Consider Alternative Formats and Layouts
Depending on the position, different layouts and styles of resume may be best. Don’t be scared to try something different, within reason. The most important thing is that all the right details are present. If you have all of the right student teacher responsibilities on the resume, it might be that an individual style can help you stand out.
Always Proofread
Make sure that you re-read and edit your resume. If necessary get a friend or colleague to read and highlight any mistakes. Look for grammar and spelling mistakes. Edit it to look consistent. Follow the formatting rules for headings and always use a sensible font.
Use Resume Examples
Take advantage of resume templates. Use examples to help with what information to include in yours. You will also be able to see trends for student teachers’ resume and you can alter yours accordingly.
Adapt each resume to the specific position you are applying for.
Make sure that you do not write one resume and send it to all employers. It is an important practice to tailor information according to the job requirements. Use the job advertisement page that lists these requirements to know what to zone in on. The aim is to make yourself impossible to not invite in for that interview.
Add a Cover Letter
A cover letter is a great partner piece to the resume itself. A resume should be about work experience and achievements. A good cover letter should show the employer why they need you for the job. What you can offer them that no one else can. You can write about examples of work experience and any results from your studies. Do company research. Write about the knowledge you gained about the company and how you can help them meet their goals.
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