Teacher Job Search 101: Match Your Skills to the Position You Want

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make when writing their own resumes is to create a broad collection of job responsibilities and accomplishments that don’t really match the positions for which they’re applying. This “one size fits all” approach is rarely effective, as it does nothing to convince a prospective school district employer that you’re the “right fit” for the position they are looking to fill. Remember, to include relevant skills and accomplishments, if you are a career changer, you need to find transferable skills from your business experience.

Now, I realize this is probably not what you wanted to hear. After all, it would be so much easier to throw together a teacher resume or principal resume broad enough to cover all your bases, right? By this I mean, if you are applying for a teaching job and then also what to apply for an administrative job, you need two resumes. If you use the same resume for both you risk presenting yourself as a “jack of all trades and that you don’t know exactly what you want to do… teach students or lead the school community,” and that’s certainly not the image you want to present to your prospective school district. In this case you need two different resumes and cover letters…. this is called a second objective.

Before you throw your hands up in defeat, here are some tips you can use to make certain you’re doing everything you can to customize your teaching resume to the specific job or position you’re seeking.

First, if there is a posting, read the position announcement or job description-several times. Memorize it. Understand what kind of candidate your prospective employer needs to hire. Translate that understanding in the body of the resume, creating a qualifications summary or profile that provides the proof that you understand what is needed and that you can rise to the challenge in meeting that need.

Second, take some time to really think about the talents, expertise, and attributes you bring to the table, but only as they relate to your desired position. Visualize yourself in that position, picture what your day-to-day work will look like, and highlight examples from your previous experience that demonstrate your ability to do the same thing in the new position.

Third, speak the employer’s language. If the position announcement calls for a candidate that can integrate technology into the classroom, for example, don’t add this to your list of attributes without backing it up in some way. Describe a solid instance where you have integrated technology wand what was the results, did it increase students’ interest, students’ retention of material, did it help students develop effective critical thinking or reasoning skills?

Researching the school district will help to determine attributes or skills to include. If you find out what they are looking for in a candidate to improve their school community then you can include these skills in your resume, provided that you are honest with your ability to perform well in the areas you list. The more you tailor your resume to the needs the more you will be looked upon as an expert and that will increase the odds of securing a teacher job interview.

Candace Davies is a Certified Resume Writer and Interview Coach Strategist who is dedicated to assisting teachers, administrators and other professionals within the education sector. She has been the owner of A+ Resumes for Teachers for over 8 years. Candace is always looking for new and innovative resources to make your career documents standout for all the right reasons. As a result, she has helped countless teaching professionals land their dream teaching jobs. Visit her website at <resumes-for-teachers.com>. Also, you won’t want to miss her e-book: 101 Teacher Interview Questions and Answers: <resumes-for-teachers.com/Teachers-Interview-Edge.php>.

Article Source: http://www.c3careerarticles.com

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