Are you considering changing careers to teaching? These cover letter writing tips will come in handy. An increasing number of individuals are changing jobs from the business or corporate world to enter education for the first time as a second career.
If you write a persuasive cover letter or letter of intent to transition to teaching, you will get better results. Create a message to explain why you are making the job transition and show your passion and personality.
Making a career change could be for various reasons. Many job changers want to teach because it has always been a passion, but they took a different route early in their career. Whatever the reason, getting into teaching can be quite challenging if the career changer is not prepared.
With more teaching applicants than there are positions available in many locations, it’s essential to make your job application stand out – this includes a focused resume and cover letter.
If you’re considering changing careers to become a teacher, here are tips to help you achieve your goal:
One of the most fundamental aspects about deciding to apply to teach is that you can capitalize on any life experiences you have had that are relevant. Stating in your teaching cover letter that you have two children is not a huge selling point.
There’s a world of difference between bringing up two children in your personal life the way you see fit and being responsible for the education of 26+ students while adhering to state guidelines.
Think about the teaching skills necessary to be an effective teacher and how you have demonstrated those skills in a practical context.
Examples of Transferable Skills:
• Organization
• Leadership
• Mentoring and Training
• Developing Programs
• Presentation
• Multi-tasking
• Innovative
• Creativity and Imagination
• Problem Solving
• Team Building
Make a point of describing, in your letter of intent, the practical ways you have demonstrated and continue developing these skills daily.
Show an awareness of current issues and trends in education. Speak to friends who are teachers and ask them about the hot topics in education or think about subscribing to an educational magazine. Spend time on school websites in your area. Gather relevant information to communicate in your cover letter. You have an understanding of what’s currently going on in education.
If you have any relevant work experience, it’s essential to mention it in your cover letter – if not, it’s an excellent idea to arrange some volunteer opportunities. If you have children of school age, speak to the staff and determine whether you can assist as a parent helper. Remember, if you make a good impression on the school representatives, you may include this experience in your teacher job application.
Prospective teachers need to have excellent literacy and numeracy standards, so submitting a cover letter with spelling or grammatical errors is the worst thing you can do. Of course, a cover letter should be typed rather than handwritten, and you must have it proofread for mistakes. Ask someone you can trust to read your message before you submit it to ensure it’s perfect.
These solid cover letter writing tips for changing careers to teaching will help you make a successful switch.
If you know someone who has previously transitioned into teaching, speak to them, and find out if they can offer you any additional tips. Someone who has recently been through the application process may provide valuable information for you on what to include and exclude in your letter of introduction.
For more information on making a career transition to teaching, click here.
