In Part One of this blog, we gave you some exploratory tips to help you appreciate the importance of your teaching resume. Here in Part Two, we will show you some more, plus take a look at the key selection criteria process for teachers.
Your resume should not include every educational buzzword you know. Do not overkill it on your resume! www.teachingresumes.com.au recommends including the terms for only the top few areas in which you know well. Try to avoid generic words and phrases, such as ‘hard worker’ and ‘team player.’ are a couple of the overused phrases hiring managers dislike seeing on resumes. We have said it before, and we will say it again – with so little space and so much, no doubt, incredible information about your career to share, it is vital that you get scrupulous with the words you use on your resume. Sadly, when trying to make a resume that stands out, people often get a little too flowery with their word choices, opting for professional-sounding buzzwords that they think hirers want to hear rather than simply describing their accomplishments.
Here is a list of some of the overused and clichéd resume terms:
- Think outside of the box
- Synergy
- Go-to person
- Results-driven
- Team player
- Hard worker
- Strategic thinker
- Detail-oriented
- Best of breed
- Go-getter
Conversely, here is a list of some of the best resume terms, but again, do not overdo it:
- Achieved
- Improved
- Trained | Mentored
- Managed
- Created
- Influenced
- Increased | Decreased
- Negotiated
- Launched
- Under budget
Remember when spelling and grammatical errors cost you a few points off of your grades in school? You are in a similar situation now. Instead of losing points, however, you may lose the opportunity to interview for a job. How can your future principal trust you to teach a classroom if you misspell pedagogy? Therefore, it is absolutely essential that you proofread everything on your resume. We suggest asking a few friends to review your document as well. This helps you avoid careless mistakes.
One of the most important things you must do in your application is addressing the selection criteria. This will demonstrate how your specific skills, knowledge and abilities make you a candidate who the selection panel will want to interview for the advertised role.
Firstly, you must know how to properly understand key selection criteria questions. For example, any question that has the word ‘demonstrate’ or any derivation of the word worked into it is asking for a quantifiable, substantiated example, and preferably using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format. It is no good using generalist questions such as these, or you will be discarded then and there. Questions with the phrase “Ability to…”, are a little less stringent in this regard as they recognise you may not necessarily have direct experience in the subject of the key selection criteria questions. However, we would advise that if you have had experience, treat it as a “demonstrated” question and use the STAR format as well. ‘Ability to…” means you have the necessary skills or qualities but may not be able to discuss instances where you have demonstrated this in a significant way (such as in a classroom). For example, under this criterion, you could outline your skills using specific software and how these may be transferable into effective classroom practice. If you do have experience integrating technology into the classroom, then you would detail your experience here.
A simple looking criterion such as “Approval to teach mathematics Years 7-12” may sound like it requires a simple yes or no answer, but in order to impress a panel, you need to give some detail about your teaching experience and practices and demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of quality teaching. This is also where you could select examples from your experience that are relevant to the needs of the school at which you are applying for a position. Look up the schools’ core values or vision to help shape your answer.
Ultimately, if you are unsure how to properly write your teaching resume and/or key selection criteria, it is best not to leave it to chance. At www.teachingresumes.com.au, we have years of experience in successfully advancing new and experienced teacher’s careers with compelling and persuasive documents that get you that much-needed interview. So do not leave your career to chance and contact us today.