When applying for a new teaching job, it is important to make a good first impression by dressing to suit the tone of the school you are applying to when attending any interviews. However most prospective employers will form an opinion of you based on how well you present your CV.

It can be easy to get overenthusiastic and want to list the extensive amount of experience you may have on your CV, but this can discourage prospective employers and they may not take you on due to you being ‘overqualified’. Some things to keep in mind when writing a CV are;

Formatting

Layout is incredibly important with a CV; it needs to be straight, clear and to the point. Use a plain font that is easy to read, but does not stand out, and never put pictures on the front of a CV as it doesn’t add anything to your CV. It is also important to put your most recent experiences first, and to make sure that you double check your grammar and spelling.

Recent and Relevant

Choose only the most recent jobs that are relevant to the position you are applying for now. You may be tempted to list some of your most memorable experiences, but the most relevant ones are what the prospective employer is looking for; they want to see you tick boxes! If you’re applying for a Key Stage 2 teaching job then there’s no point focusing on all the time you might have spent as a nursery supply teacher. Expand on your relevant experiences too; what key skills did you take away from those jobs? How will you apply them in the future?

However you need to make sure there are no gaps on your CV, as this can look bad. Make a note of when you were seeking employment if there are any gaps in your CV.

Volunteer and Charity

Volunteer work always looks good on a CV, because it shows that you are willing to go the extra mile to help someone out. As an extremely desirable quality in a teacher, showing recent examples of your volunteer work will help to impress your prospective employer, and give them a better idea of how you work.

You may need several different CV’s for different teaching positions. Don’t be afraid to create several CV’s as opposed to sticking to one ‘all purpose’ CV, as then you can dedicate more time to focusing on specific areas of each CV! You could be looking for a special educational needs teaching job but also be applying for roles at Key Stage 1 and your application for each job should be tailored accordingly.

To submit your CV to our database, simply click the Submit Your CV link and follow the instructions found on that page.