3 average rating | Everybody dreads doing it, but a well- crafted CV can open doors for you. Fiona Salvage helps you get the balance right
Original paper headline: Juggling the other curriculum
You might be a whiz with the national curriculum, but how are you with your own curriculum vitae? Selling yourself on two sides of A4 doesn’t come naturally or easily to most people but it is a crucial skill to learn as this is a popular way for recruiters to decide if you’re a suitable candidate to interview.
You don’t have to give your life story in this document but if you offer too little detail you look like you’re hiding something. When cutting information to get your CV on to two pages, don’t leave expanses of time unaccounted for - people will fear the worst and assume you were in prison rather than doing an unglamorous job in a chicken plucking factory.
CV basics
Never write ‘CV’ at the top - everyone knows it’s a CV - simply put your name in a slightly larger font than the rest of the document. This also applies if you’re sending your CV digitally, and you should also remember to name the file with your own name, such as “Jo Bloggs CV.doc”, and never just “CV.doc”.
Font sizes should be the same whether your CV is printed or emailed, with 12pt a good compromise, 10pt a little too small, and 13/14pt looking like you’re filling space. Although many teachers use Comic Sans MS on everything, the CV is not the place for it. Stick to Times New Roman for printed CVs as it is easier to read, and a sans serif font like Arial for emailed CVs as this font reads better on screen.
Bold and italics should be used sparingly on a CV; bold for section headings and italics for job titles is a good way of breaking up the text and making it easier to read. Don’t use bold to highlight key words. If you’re using italics for publication names, such as if you were on the student paper, make sure you use them consistently.
Always check your CV for spelling, punctuation and other errors. Your work as a teacher on that front will be under a lot of scrutiny and if you can’t get your CV right a recruiter will worry about what care you will take with other written material.
It’s not necessary to put your date of birth or marital status on your CV, but if you’re a mature candidate, leaving out your vital statistics may look like you’re trying to cover up your age.
However, email isn’t secure and you shouldn’t put security details such as date of birth in a CV you are going to email. Instead, you could compromise and ensure you leave in the dates of your education.
Never include a photograph, unless requested. It looks terribly unprofessional.
Don’t skimp on paper and printing. Use good quality white or off-white A4 paper, minimum 80gsm but preferably 100gsm.
If you’re using a Mac and think your CV’s conversion to Word on a PC may affect your careful formatting you might prefer to send a PDF, although experts say Word is more widely used (for more information on digital applications, see page 17).
Your personal statement
Whether you are at the start of your career, or are a career changer and late entrant to teaching, you should always start your CV with a personal statement and your work experience. Recruiters want to know about you as a person, what skills you have and what your experience is (even if limited). These things will give you lots of areas to expand on at the interview stage.
Highlight your achievements, when you’ve turned a bad situation into a good one, and give them a feel for the sort of teacher you are and hope to be. Make sure you include something on why you want to be a teacher.
Personal statement, professional profile or career profile? Whatever you call it, the paragraph at the top of your CV nestled between your contact details and work experience is probably the most difficult part of a CV to get right. This is the part of the CV that makes you sound human and allows you to demonstrate your qualities and motivations rather than just your experience.
It doesn’t need to be an essay - keep it five to 10 lines maximum - but you do need to word it carefully, persuasively and concisely. This is one place in a CV that bullet points will not do you any favours. You should try to write this in the third person rather than the first. The best way to make this paragraph powerful is to make sure every word counts - don’t waffle, definitely don’t exaggerate, but do get to the point. The statement should be summing up your experience - so if you sorted out the lending library and the health and safety paperwork you’re a skilled administrator, or a well-organised individual. If you’ve turned a class from below par, to achieving the expected level for their age, you might be versatile, flexible, dynamic, innovative or motivational.
Design tips
Use of space is as important on your CV as it is in the classroom. Gaping holes with nothing going on will do you no favours, and nor will shoving everything on it.
There are plenty of templates available on word processing software packages, on websites or in CV books and you can take a steer from these. Use the space sensibly - leaving white space to aid readability - balance the page so it doesn’t look lopsided, use bullet points where appropriate and use headings to help the reader navigate through the page.
Above all, make sure you’re consistent in bullet style, spacing, font size and design.
Be a wordsmith
Throughout your CV, a good use of vocabulary will help take it from being an average one to an outstanding one. There are lots of CV books on the market and they all offer long word lists that you can crib from.
The most common of these are action verbs (eg achieved, accomplished, managed, improved, developed) and positive adjectives (resourceful, versatile, innovative, positive, productive)
Be interesting
One of the most revealing parts of a CV, but also sometimes the most neglected, is the multitude of sins that comes under “hobbies and interests”. Rather uniquely, those applying for teaching posts are probably able to turn this awkward part of a CV to their advantage, and use it to highlight opportunities for extra-curricular activities that you can get involved in.
Candidates with music skills would do well to highlight these talents, as would those with sporting prowess, while any position of responsibility in a team or organisation shows you can organise and get things done. Good luck!
Good words to use
- Achieved
- Delivered
- Developed
- Enjoyed
- Demonstrated
- Supervised
- Persuaded
- Improved
- Co-ordinated
- Implemented
- Trained
- Monitored
- Completed
Great words to use
- Quickly
- Resourcefully
- Effectively
- Competently
- Carefully
- Creatively
- Flexibly
Bad words to use
- Avoided
- Failed
- Relied
- Argued
- Lost
- Tried
From ‘Brilliant CV’ by Jim Bright and Joanne Earl, Prentice Hall
TOP FIVE CV BOOKS FROM AMAZON.CO.UK
- The CV Book by James Innes, Prentice Hall, £9.99.
- You’re Hired! CV: How to write a brilliant CV by Corinne Mills, Trotman, £9.99.
- How to Write an Impressive CV and Cover Letter: A Comprehensive Guide for the UK Job Seeker by Tracey Whitmore, How To Books, £12.99.
- Perfect CV by Max Eggert, Random House, £7.99.
Comment (35)
Great. Now give us a couple of example CVs for different posts...
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19:13
20 January, 2010
jht1973
an example would be very useful, i am trying to update mine after 12 years
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19:20
20 January, 2010
johwarden
I agree,some examples please
mili
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20:39
20 January, 2010
thandiwemili
Why on earth might mature people be presumed to be trying to cover up their age? Are Heads so prejudiced?
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0:35
21 January, 2010
Howdrey
is there any good asmples online rather than books? thanks
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10:34
21 January, 2010
ZoeLife
I think most of us know the basic rules of CV writing, but examples always seem to be retained. These are invaluable for gaining a greater breadth of ideas/inspiration!
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11:02
21 January, 2010
Nick1962
Great advice.
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Rating:
11:11
21 January, 2010
beaconforever
Great advice but wouldn't mind seeing a few examples please!!!!!
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11:36
21 January, 2010
ddeady
Great advice!! Please put on some examples
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13:03
21 January, 2010
osullivanvicky
RESUMES/CV:
Adding a pic is essential for you as a potential candidate being hired!
As a former ADOS in a variety of reputable schools in Asia we threw the ones without, straight into the bin.
We just couldn't risk calling long distance telephone interviews and hiring a faceless teacher.
So, NO NO no to NO attached pic!
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19:19
21 January, 2010
JOEKEITH
Very useful for a returner like me, but would appreciate an example
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13:54
22 January, 2010
racheldetnon
I agree.
The best way to learn is by critical observation and analysis of well-formed examples.
Please forward an example or two so that we can mould our own around the framework shown. Assimilating language used, the best practice for visual impact and of course, the one thing British reserve finds hard to do, even if you are terribly good at what you do ... "to blow your own trumpet", (selling yourself I believe the euphemism is for this technique).
This would show completeness an be an excellent conclusion to your article.
Thanking you in advance.
John Murphy
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13:04
26 January, 2010
John Murphy
As a Headteacher of an International School I advise staff to add a picture to their CV. When I receive 40-50 CV's for one teaching position it adds another dimension to a pile of CV's. If no photo is attached I will email the applicant for a recent picture...or I will concentrate on the CV's with pictures.
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20:17
26 January, 2010
blubaczewska
Couldn't agree more. Please can we have some examples
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12:23
1 February, 2010
sjtownsend
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/series/cvclinic
This is for graduates, but it shows their CV and point by point improvements. Very transferable. Only ever one pic up at a time though, so no quick fixes.
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17:29
2 February, 2010
ciaran.haines
Don't know if this would help but you could try <a href="http://brilliantcv.com/default.aspx">brilliant cv.</a>
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10:17
6 February, 2010
DBallantyne
Please help.
Do not understand.
Guidlines on the Personal Statement says do not use the first person. Always use the Third person.
eg. If you have re-organised the library you are a good administrator.
OK, so how do you say this in the Third Person????????
My name is John Murphy. Do I write...
"John Murphy, he is a good administrator".... when talking about myself?????
Please help!!!!!!!!!!
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17:01
8 February, 2010
John Murphy
Please help.
Do not understand.
Guidlines on the Personal Statement says do not use the first person. Always use the Third person.
eg. If you have re-organised the library you are a good administrator.
OK, so how do you say this in the Third Person????????
My name is John Murphy. Do I write...
"John Murphy, he is a good administrator".... when talking about myself?????
Please help!!!!!!!!!!
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22:03
8 February, 2010
John Murphy
In reply to DBallantyne on 6th Feb at 10.17....
Your website does not work:
<a href="http://brilliantcv.com/default.aspx">brilliant cv.</a>
So I tried cutting off the front bit:
http://brilliantcv.com/default.aspx">brilliant cv.</a>
and that does not work either.
Then I tried the bit in quotes only and that worked...
so go to website:
http://brilliantcv.com/default.aspx
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13:59
9 February, 2010
John Murphy
yeah, bruv! Give us some demo's!
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18:23
21 April, 2010
simeonsrage
I do not understand why some people want to see photographs! Judging on appearance is just wrong! You are going to see the candidates anyway, so why bother them with photos? Also, some people are not photogenic...
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19:07
21 April, 2010
bibitata
I actually agree with JOEKEITH, Bibita.
JOEKEITH says he would never employ a 'faceless' teacher. We had some faceless teachers when I was a kid. I would gaze into the spaghetti-like tangle of veins and sinews where their features should have been, as they gargled mucus and saliva from their lipless mandibles in an ill attempt at talking.
Gave me nightmares until I was 23.
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19:46
21 April, 2010
jimmyrotheram
Why does it look unproffesional to put a photo on your CV?
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20:35
21 April, 2010
tamsindance
Asking for photographs, in my experience in Thailand, is a thinly disguised way of racially profiling candidates.
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1:35
22 April, 2010
Howdrey
The issue with the photo is cultural.
In western cultures, and specially UK, where it can be even illegal to hire based on looks, we are advised NOT to put photo. I still don´t understand why some people say it is not profesional. but somehow CV´s with photos will go to the bin
while,
in most Asian cultures -I work in Korea- CV´s without a photo are incomplete and they go to the bin. Whether we like it or not, looks counts -a lot-.
And of course, in a world that is not black or white, you can find anything in between.
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3:18
22 April, 2010
fmoros
The 'safer recruitment' training recommends that schools do not accept CV applications and only accept applications on the standard application form so unless you are specifically asked for a CV (i.e by a recruitment company) then it is probably better to transfer the information on to the application form otherwise your application may well be rejected at the first hurdle
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8:38
22 April, 2010
JanisRogers
With regards to the issue of the photo - I think it's bizarre that applications anywhere are "thrown in the bin" if there is no photo. but i suppose if you do want to work in south east asia apparently thats what you have to do.
re the age thing - it's illegal in the UK now to discriminate due to age but if as an employer you had an applicant who was one year off retirement, it might put you off understandably even though legally, it shouldn't - and if no DOB is specified on the application, the employer might suspect something like this. you may as well just be up front and put it on.
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10:19
22 April, 2010
germalina
Great! It will be better if you add two or three CVs here with the best composition and style. Certainly, it would help the readers to compose their own CVs in the most proper way.
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9:01
23 April, 2010
Khan67
http://www.capitaeducation.co.uk/cv-template
Try this template, its great!!!
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21:35
30 June, 2010
teacherjay81
Thanks for the useful site!
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0:56
23 July, 2010
kim.williams
Thanks for Capita link - useful.
Good original article overall as well. Thanks
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4:24
15 August, 2010
Jamkid
Real-Resumes for Teachers..
http://englishtips.org/index.php?newsid=1150808582
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15:18
19 August, 2010
tayto
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ THE BOOK!
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22:43
20 October, 2010
dystalk
If you REALLY want the job, you should be willing to put your age, add a photo and jump through the hoops the organisation wants you to - if in disagreement about what they are asking for then it is going to be the wrong place for you! I have worked in the UK, Asia and Australasia as a teacher and in management. When hiring I appreciated any CVs that were clear, concise and where the candidate offered the correct range of skills and experience necessary to fit into the position. The ones I threw in the bin straight away were the 6 page, badly laid out ones that seemed to have applied for the wrong job altogether! However, I was much more thorough than my peers. I say put age, photo and important skills and experience that sell you. Good luck to all.
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0:27
8 March, 2011
OverseasLife
With a very busy scheduled there is a narrow window for writing applications. One moment the job is on TES the next it's the closing date. Some good examples of CV's, personal statements and cover letters would be more useful. If there are any that have been previously posted on TES please direct me to the source. Thanks
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6:50
25 March, 2011
Yodetunde