Mistakes You're Making on Your Teacher Resume

Whether you're trying to exit the classroom entirely or you're trying to switch schools, your resume plays an important role in getting you to where you want to be. Resume writing can be challenging though, and lets face it, most people would rather jump off a perfectly good bridge than write or update a resume. If you fall into that category, you're not alone.

I am presently serving as the sole recruiter for a company that hires certified teachers to teach part time in the US and abroad. I've read hundreds of teacher resumes and I see the same mistakes again and again. The mistakes are rarely deal breakers, but I'm always shocked at how much more impressive the candidates are in person than they are on paper.

Assuming Humans are Reading Your Resume

The biggest hurdle you are facing (that you might not even realize) is that the person reading your resume isn't actually a person at all. Larger companies have automated systems that filter through candidate resumes. These systems are programmed to pull your identifying information and search for keywords in your resume. If you use a resume template from Microsoft Word or Google Docs, these programs can easily recognize and filter your information.

I was previously applying for positions in learning design and edtech. I figured, if I'm going to apply for these types of positions, why not use the software and design principals I'd be using in the position to design my resume? I built a beautiful resume that was full of information and interactive badges and I confidently started sending it out. I got 0 calls and a lot of automatically generated rejection letters. To these automated systems, my resume looked like one giant graphic file with no discernable information.

Not Including WHAT You Teach

This might seem like obvious advice, but I will tell you that based on the hundreds of teacher resumes I've read recently, it needs to be stated. Simply replacing "Teacher" with "Social Studies Teacher" in the job title section will help tremendously. The automated systems can understand that "teacher" is a job title and react accordingly.

What you teach can help clearly define your skillset. If you're applying for a copywriting position, your English teaching experience could set you apart from the competition. If you taught advanced high school seniors, you might be highly qualified to manage a team of recent graduates. This is a small change you can make to your resume that could garner big results.

Using Acronyms & Educational Jargon

I taught a variety of different subjects to a variety of different grade levels for nearly a decade. I am well-versed in the vernacular of education. Most of us don't even realize how many unfamiliar acronyms we use in our conversations and our resumes because they become second nature to us. "Before our PD, I filled out an RTI on a SPED student because his IEP didn't include the necessary supports outlined in his BIP," is a sentence that might make perfect sense to you, but it sounds like total nonsense to anyone outside education. Even if you wrote all those acronyms out, it still wouldn't make sense to someone outside of public education. Ditch the acronyms and the jargon and replace it with statements that would make sense to outsiders. Do this even if you're applying to other positions in education because the acronyms and verbiage can vary wildly from place to place, even if you're applying within your same district. I recommend having someone unfamiliar with educational jargon to preview your resume and point out anything they don't understand.

Including the Wrong Things or Not Including the Right Things

The world of HR is changing and it's changing fast. People are cutting to the chase faster and faster and we should all be excited about that fact. Your resume should reflect these philosophical changes. Gone are the days you needed an objective on your resume. If you're applying for an open position, it is implied that your objective is to get that job. You know that, the recruiter knows that. Filling your resume with "fluff" like an objective is counterproductive. Instead, replace it with a section like "Key Accomplishments" or "Professional Achievements" at the top that highlight your best qualities.

Relying on the "Bulleted List" Format

Like everyone of my generation, I was always taught that the bulleted list was the resume format to use. Start your bullet point with an impressive sounding action verb and make your sentence sound impressive! You didn't ring up customers at that burger joint, you "operated a computerized point of sale machine while handling transactions!" This format works best when you're doing tasks at your job that a recruiter or hiring manager isn't already familiar with. For example, my husband's job title is "Project Controls Coordinator;" we have been together for 14 years, married for six and I'm more than a little embarrassed to admit, I have no idea what he does. If I were considering him for a job, I'd need that bulleted list.

Everyone essentially knows what teachers do. Do you get enough credit? Of course not. Do most people know the absolutely crushing daily demands of the profession? Also no. That still does not mean you should write a list of all your daily and weekly tasks in a teaching resume. Instead, consider replacing that section with your major responsibilities, your leadership roles, or the times your were recognized.

Gone are the days where you need to fill out a resume template with the fields it pre-populates. Feel free to add your own fields. Write them in a way that feels authentic to you. This document is supposed to represent you and what makes you amazing. Make it your own and make yourself shine!