Writing a teacher-focused resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and education statement philosophy will help you create and establish your credibility to land a teaching job. Sometimes it takes more than just submitting a resume and cover letter.
Some schools and school districts need more documents to convince them you are the right person for the teaching job. A resume toolkit is a collection of documents to show your credibility and professionalism.
Job Search Documents
Resume
A strategic teacher resume will catch the eye of the reader immediately. Included in it should be a list of your teaching achievements to communicate what you can and will accomplish if they hire you. Use a format that can be adjusted or edited to fit each different teaching position you apply for.
Cover Letter
A teacher cover letter is your way of introducing yourself. You will want it to be simple and to the point. No one wants to read a long, drawn-out story with a lot of fluff. Be detailed on what teaching position you are applying for and why you think you qualify for that position. Make it brief and to the point. Include items that will make the reader interested in looking over the details of your resume.
Education Biography
A biography is a one-page document to describe your personal and career highlights and goals in the form of narration. Make it easy to read and save it in a format you can easily print or email to prospective schools. If you are involved in a panel interview, you can use this as a handout at the job interview.
LinkedIn Profile
A LinkedIn profile shows your professionalism and is a fabulous tool to demonstrate your credibility, initiative, and expertise. It is a way to make yourself known to peers, recruiters, and schools. This is one of the first things your e-contacts will see.
Key Initiatives
This is a listing of your career achievements, formatted in an easy-to-read style that is interesting yet highlights all of your major accomplishments during your teaching career. Include small inserts of some of the challenges you had at other schools and how you overcame them and actually made them work for you. Include small bits of information relating to awards, recognition, and certifications you may have received for things you did that made the school better and increased students’ learning and achievement.
Philosophy of Education Statement
This job search document is sometimes a prerequisite in your job search. Many schools will expect to see it either as part of your application or at the job interview. Your statement should be a well-worded narrative on your thoughts and beliefs on education and learning.
Reviewing a sample statement will help you see how to incorporate your teaching style, what type of teacher you are, and how you help students learn. This document helps schools to figure out if you are a good match with their philosophy and mission.
