When entering education as either a new teacher or a career changer, you will have limited work experiences to highlight in your resume and cover letter. Because of this fact, you must highlight other areas that can help your candidacy.
If you have student teaching internship experience, showcase that valuable work experience.
Below are some other critical areas you will want to highlight in your resume and cover letter.
Resume Tips for New Teachers or Career Changers
1. Showcase Community Involvement
Take the time to convey your community participation and volunteer experience. You can include almost any involvement you have in the community, for example, Boy Scouts Leader, Habitat for Humanity Volunteer, PTA Member, Special Olympics Volunteer, Sunday School Teacher, Soup Kitchen Volunteer, etc. List how long you have performed that service for your community or local school.
Community involvement is an excellent opportunity to show potential employers that you are a well-rounded, caring, and dedicated person who gives back. Plus, volunteering adds to your skills and knowledge.
2. Include Professional Development
Professional development is vital to teaching success. Make sure you showcase what continuing education you have completed. A professional development section is an excellent opportunity to showcase these new accomplishments and educational endeavors if you have attended professional courses, classes, workshops, or in-services.
Write down the name of the course/workshop you attended and the year. If you remember where it was hosted (city, state, city, province, city, country), list that as well. If you have attended a consecutive series of workshops organized by the same person, school district, or company, you do not need to give them separate lines. Include unrelated certifications or schooling in this section, i.e., items that did not fit appropriately under your above education heading.
3. Additional Sections for Publications and Professional Affiliations
After your professional development, if you have anything to list there, talk about clubs or associations you belong to and note your publications. Under Professional Affiliations, list the organization name, your position, and the membership duration.
If you have publications, follow proper citing guidelines when writing them. Note that you may not be able to include any information under either of these headings, and that is okay; skip putting them on your resume.
4. Highlight Honors and Awards
Be proud of your accomplishments and the accolades you have received. If you have earned a positive mention at work or a promotion, list them under the appropriate job. However, if you have been given a school district-wide award or nomination or a community honor, then showcase them in a separate section of your own. Mention the year you won the award. If you think the honor may need an explanation, include a brief line about it; always be concise.
5. Technology Expertise
Unless you are applying for an Information Technology Instructor position, list your computer/technical proficiencies at the end of the resume. If you are applying for a tech position, put these proficiencies near the top of the document.
Mention software programs, operating systems, and hardware that may be relevant. Most jobs will see if you can handle the basic Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint). If you are applying for an IT position, this information should be included in your Education and Credentials section, as it is the essence of your job.
