NSW Early Childhood Teacher Resume and Selection Criteria application for a client who is striving to re-enter the paid workforce after 12 months maternity leave.
The client had been on maternity leave for the last 12 months and is looking to re-enter the paid workforce. The role the client wished to apply for was in a school nearby and focused on Kindergarten to Year 2 teaching. Comprising a range of duties, including extracurricular and professional development, the role required the applicant to provide extensive evidence as to their capabilities in alignment with the role. To apply for this role, the client was required to provide a resume, in addition to a comprehensive selection criteria document that encompassed;
- Approval to teach Infants and Primary, with a minimum of five years successful and varied teaching experience
- Successful implementation of high quality, evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs with an emphasis on formative assessment
- Demonstrated skills and experience in implementing school-wide wellbeing strategies, in order to contribute to a positive and inclusive school culture
- Capacity to inspire others by embedding technology into innovative, future-focused learning environments
- Proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a dynamic teaching team and build purposeful connections within the school and local community
To put together this application, I engaged the client in a discussion about her motivation in regard to applying. Beginning with the resume, I worked to tease out the key achievements of the client’s career. This allowed me to build a resume that extended beyond a chronological list of their work history, pointing out their value adds and teaching philosophy and how, explicitly, they aligned with the prospective role.
Next, I turned my attention to the Selection Criteria. As per the Department of Education guidelines for New South Wales (NSW), I outlined the necessity for three strong examples to be detailed for each criterion point. The client found this somewhat challenging due to the time passed since they had been in a classroom. Working to ensure the client had the best chance possible to present a strong application, we agreed to reconvene the following day and I provided the client with a detailed list of suggestions.
During our second discussion, the client was better prepared and with a consultative discussion, I was able to extract the information necessary to address each of the criteria in detail, utilising a clear Situation, Task, Action and Result for each example. Presenting the information in a manner that clearly outlined how the client’s skills align with the position description, I am confident that I completed the document in a manner that accurately reflected the client’s experience, skills and drive.