The role of an Education Consultant is becoming increasingly popular in the field of education. You need to ensure your education consultant resume meets the applicant tracking systems’ needs and the reader.
This post should help you with your job search as a consultant in education.
First: What is an Education Consultant?
As new teaching techniques become available and state and federal policies change, Education Consultants’ needs will only continue to grow. Education Consultants work with teachers, administrators, students, and parents to develop, implement, and assess academic programs and learning environments. They help schools integrate the most effective curriculum, locate beneficial resources, and adapt their educational philosophy to ensure only the best for their students.
Education Consultants also lead workshops, meetings, and committees that focus on various topics and bring key issues to light. They provide instruction to teachers and parents and offer top-notch resources for helping improve student success rates. Education Consultants collect data to help drive instruction, make curriculum modifications, and determine the need for specialists and various programs.
Since most Education Consultants were once classroom teachers themselves, it’s not difficult to understand why they leaped from one position to another. This is a great role for individuals looking for a change from being in the classroom but do not want to take on a Principal or Assistant’s administrative duties.
Being an Education Consultant allows teachers to support their colleagues on a greater level and provide more students with a high-quality education. This position also enables educators to interact with other school members and districts regularly to devise methods for helping students reach their full potential, regardless of the academic challenges and social obstacles they may face.
Steps to Write An Education Consultant Resume
Establish Yourself as an Education Expert and Leader
One of the most tried and true ways to land any job is by responding to job postings. However, what if there aren’t any? You must create the need for the position if one is not currently available. One such way is by establishing yourself as an expert in the field of education. This may occur by:
- Putting yourself out there. Teachers, administrators, and parents should be well aware of your exemplary qualities and skills concerning curriculum development and student success.
- Networking. Cultivate relationships with individuals in the local and school community who will create and help you secure the position of Education Consultant.
- Networking online. Social media plays a huge role in moving an idea forward, whether it is instilling a perceived need, developing more positions in the school, or helping you land your new dream job.
- LinkedIn. Post your resume, qualifications, and profile on LinkedIn to help gain interest in you as a potential hire.
- Twitter. Advertise your strengths, knowledge, and services on Twitter. Utilize relevant educational hashtags to drive traffic to your account. Engage in discussions with members of the local school district or anyone who may list you as a positive reference or source of information. Reach out to parents and fellow educators to provide them with tips.
- Facebook. Keep your Facebook page professional, post information, photos, and links relevant to education enhancement. Make sure you direct readers to your website (see below).
- Writing articles and blogs. Be a regular contributor to the more popular education and teacher websites. Write informative and engaging articles on Curriculum Improvement, Parent Workshops, Differentiated Instruction, Growth Mindset, Professional Development, Teacher Training and Support, and even Education Consultants themselves.
- Creating your own website. If you are regularly contributing to popular educational sites, it is a good idea to develop your own website. There you can list all of your articles, blogs, thoughts, resources, etc., in one place – a place that is focused solely on YOU, not other educators.
- Compiling an eBook or hard copybook. If you have garnered enough interest and have amassed several helpful articles and blogs, you should consider transforming them into a book. This book may either be an electronic or hard copy (paper) in nature. eBooks are quite easy to develop if the content is readily available. Add a link for purchase to your website, offering snippets to potential buyers. When you have a published (or self-published) product available, you instantly gain a great deal of credibility. This can also be added to your resume!
- Keeping up-to-date on changing topics, techniques, and issues in the world of education. Even if you’ve published a book, continue researching and writing about the academic world’s changes and advancements. Continue contributing to educational websites, as well as your own.
- Holding workshops or in-services. This is one of the duties that Education Consultants must execute; therefore, it is easy for potential employers if you are already doing it to picture you in that role. This is a productive way to network as well. Hand out a business card to fellow educators and administrators. Suggest that you are available for individual consultations, as well as on a contract basis. Attend teacher job fairs and do the same. If the administrator likes what he or she sees during your contract period, there is a good chance of being offered a full-time position.
- Offering free assessments. If you are speaking to a Principal or District Superintendent who may be hesitant about hiring an Education Consultant, suggest a free assessment of the curriculum or learning environment. After you have performed the evaluation, provide a list of potential issues you see and fixes that should be implemented. Don’t give away your entire service, but offer just a taste of what you can do to help the district.
Applying to education consultant job advertisements
If you are looking to transition into the role of Education Consultant but haven’t had any formal experience under that title, you need to develop your resume in a way that overshadows the issue. For instance, if you are a 15-year classroom teacher, who has experience presenting to other adults, excels in the area of curriculum development and improvement, and have the educational degrees to back it, you should have no problem landing your new dream job.
When creating your Education Consultant resume, use the actual words “Education Consultant” at the top of your resume, i.e., as your title. Your profile should highlight your proven abilities and skills that make you an excellent job candidate. Next, build a table or bullet-point section to convey your areas of expertise.
Your Education Consultant Resume Should Communicate Relevant Strengths
Though your greatest strengths may still be linked to the classroom environment, you must pick out the qualities and hard skills you have that directly correlate to Education Consultants. For instance, you may want to list:
- Curriculum Development and Implementation
- Curriculum Assessment and Improvement
- Staff In-Services
- Parent Workshops
- Compliance with Federal, State, and Local Laws
- Teacher Manual Development and Assessment
- Student Assessment and Motivation
- Differentiated Instruction
- District-Wide Initiatives
- Pilot Programs for Schools
Include your education, professional development, professional affiliations, community involvement, and the like as per normal. However, when you’re developing the section about your career experience, you will want to demonstrate job duties and accomplishments related to an Education Consultant’s role. For example, under the job you held as a classroom teacher, you may want to mention:
- Designed and presented parent workshops on Education in the Home and Transitioning Between Grade Levels.
- Created and hosted a teacher in-service focusing on Integrating Fountas and Pinnell. Developed hand-outs and provided follow-up materials to reinforce the concepts.
- Served on the Curriculum Evaluation Team to assess and revamp the curriculum.
- Liaised with Special Education Teachers to revise teaching techniques used in the regular classroom setting.
Create An Education Consultant Position
Consider applying to an education consulting firm if there are no posted opportunities in your local school districts. On the other hand, why not become an independent consultant? If you’ve already followed the steps above (writing and posting articles, building your website, networking), marketing yourself as an independent contractor should be quite simple. Consider getting your voice out there even if you land a new position by a school district or a consulting firm.
Many Education Consultants are hired on a part-time basis or are on a contract. Acting as an independent contractor is a good way to supplement your income and continue networking. Parents are some of the best people you can approach or reach out to. Every parent wants their child to succeed. Work with the school to advertise your services.
Even though you may not be hired directly by them, if the school endorses your services, you are one step closer to being hired as an Education Consultant. Offer informative hand-outs or free community workshops to spark parents’ interest and concretely demonstrate your talents and skills.
Regardless of how you choose to market yourself, make sure you get your name out there. If no one knows you are looking for a position as an Education Consultant, you won’t be offered a job.
Submitting a top-notch, targeted education consultant resume should get the results you desire. Reach out to me for help if you need assistance writing your resume.
Make your name (positively) known throughout the educational world, regardless of the county or state you reside. Finally, make yourself available to answer relevant questions or offer excellent advice to further your cause and job search.
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