CV teacher tips and support

Your CV is a chance for you to share some of your experiences,  background, and training that may not have been highlighted in your online application.  Ideally, the resume should be one full page, but not more than two pages in length.  If you’re going to a second page, it should be two full pages rather than only a portion on the second page.  Note: It is redundant to use part of the second page to list your references and their contact information.  This information is included in your search application.

Philosophical Statement:  The philosophical statement should be a short paragraph – a statement about your belief system and the philosophical underpinnings that shape your views on education.  You can include statements on your belief about student management, differentiation, assessment, or general beliefs you have regarding factors for student success.

A two-page total resume and philosophy statement allows for good clean copying, front and back on one page.   Short, concise, and easy to read; exactly what recruiters are looking for. This serves as an introduction of yourself which might entice an administrator to review your online confidential profile and hopefully lead to being placed on a shortlist for an interview.

What do other teachers say?

“I think of the CV as a brief document to summarize that I have the relevant qualifications and experience for the position and that I’m actively engaged in my subject area. Have everything tell a passionate story of student learning (and less about you). In my opinion, demonstrating that you’re actively engaged in your subject area and passionate about student learning is more important than detailing long-ago accomplishments.

Just be very brief. It is only the first part of the job process. So don’t detail all your accomplishments just the main ones. I have had 16 employers so I don’t list them all. Mine goes “Worked in 7 schools in Australia teaching PE culminating in the role of principal. More details available if required”. So 7 schools are listed in one line. 80% of your CV should be last four years. What happened 20 years ago, (in my case some time ago) has little relevance.”

What do recruiters say?

Highlight what you did in each job that makes YOU stand out. Likewise with your PD, only the last few years. Recruiters want to see that you are cutting edge, on the game, full of fire, willing to be on committees, share your knowledge…Think about your CV as the key to piquing the interest of a busy recruiter who is looking to solve their recruiting needs with the best hire possible.

• Make it easy for us to read. CVs should be shorter than those used in a domestic market – 2 pages maximum. We want to be able to see all your information at a glance and print off one piece of paper ie. back and front, if necessary. See an example here.
• When it comes to selecting a design for your resume, less is more. Keep your CV simple, concise, clear, with lots of white space.
• Avoid large blocks of text and the use of small text.
• Make sure to include all information important for securing a work visa. This includes personal information such as age and information about your partner, eg. marital status. If it’s not clear from your CV that you are eligible, we will move on to the next application. Likewise, make sure that you are using abbreviations that anyone overseas will understand.
• We scan CVs by checking out points and jumping from section to section. If your layout is hard to skim, you’re distracting us from what you have to offer.
• Please use simple sentences
• There are times I print out CVs so please don’t have empty pages at the end.
• Save your CV as a PDF and test it to make sure it’s error-free and mobile-friendly, in case we end up reading your resume on our phone.

You may choose to add a professional image (please not a casual one). It is your choice, however feedback from a number of recruiters is that a photo helps them with putting faces to names and remembering candidates when reviewing CV’s.

Help with your CV

Deidre Fischer is an experienced international school Director, having lived and worked in 7 different countries over the past 20 years. She has also worked with the Academy of International School Heads (AISH), East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS), the IBO and has recently qualified with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as a Level 1 accredited coach for individuals as well as for schools.

If you would like to contact Deidre directly with specific questions regarding the strength of your Search profile (CV advice, or interview advice), please contact her on dfischer@searchassociates.com and indicate in the subject line: Search Associates candidate – profile advice.

Resources

• Here are some examples of CV templates to purchase.
• Check out TopResume’s library of free resume samples.
• How to make your own resume for free