Anyone who has ever applied for any teaching position knows the importance of having a quality, targeted resume.  Your teaching resume is the first impression a school or school district will see, making it imperative to standout. Usually, the employer will decide to interview or not to interview a candidate based solely on the resume and cover letter.

Resumes can be particularly important for individuals applying to teach internationally.  If you are applying for a job outside of your home country, your resume may even be the only thing that your employer sees before you meet to sign a contract.  Be sure to have an accomplishment-based, keyword rich, skills focused resume that sets you apart from the other candidates. If you are applying to be an international teacher, be sure to do the following things in your resume:

At the Beginning of the Resume State Why you Want to Teach Internationally

When you apply to teach internationally, a common question that might puzzle your employer is why you want to take a job so far from home.  Be sure to compose a clear and concise statement that explains your reason for wanting to teach abroad. This needs to be done at the start of the profile.

Also, be sure that that profile explains that you have the desire to help students succeed academically and socially.  Schools do not want to see statements indicating that you want to teach internationally because you desire to travel the world. While this may be the driving factor leading you to seek a teaching job overseas it will not give you a competitive advantage.

Mention Previous Travel Experience

You do not need to mention every vacation you have ever taken, but when you apply to teach internationally any traveling experiences abroad are important to mention.  It’s particularly important to mention if you studied abroad while completing your education.  Schools may be drawn to someone who is a more seasoned traveler because they look at your previous travel experiences as an indication that you will not easily become homesick and you will be committed to the responsibility of the position.

List Language Experience

List any languages that you speak, even just conversationally, in the profile or core competencies section.  Even if the language that you speak is not the native language of the country in which you are applying to work, the fact that you can learn a language could help an employer determine that you would be a good choice.  If you have never learned any other language, your employer may wonder why that is the case and be less inclined to hire you.

Consider Translating

If you are applying to work in a country in which English is not the primary language, you should consider having all or part of your resume translated.  Employers in Germany would be very impressed by a resume they received from an American that was written in German.  While it is not mandatory for success, having your resume translated shows that you are truly committed to the position for which you are applying.  With this being said, a poorly translated resume is worse than a resume that is not translated at all.  If you are going to have it translated, make sure you get quality translation services.

Teaching abroad presents a unique opportunity to see the world.  It is just not feasible for most individuals to quit their day job and jaunt around the globe, but if you teach abroad, you can see the world without putting your career on hold. 

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Candace Davies ACCC, CRW, CIC, CPRW, CEIP, CECC
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