5 Tips to preparing your resume and cover letter

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Preparing your resume and cover letter for potential jobs should happen before you graduate or consistently if you are already in the workforce. Updating your resume often will make the process run much easier when you find a great job to apply for as it can be very time consuming and overwhelming otherwise. This article will provide some tips for preparing your resume and cover letter if you want to apply for a teaching job in England. There are many teaching jobs across England here that you can apply these tips to.

1. Make sure the resume and cover letter are tailored to the job you are applying. The easiest way to get looked over is to send in a generic cover letter and resume. A potential employer wants to see that you have done your research and that you can demonstrate on paper and articulate how you can fulfill the gap that they have. If you are unable to demonstrate this in your resume and cover letter, your application will likely go into the discard pile.
2. Your resume is also called a CV in England. So that there is no confusion, be sure to use this verbiage when sending in your application to potential employers.
3. If you are a new teacher, show them how you can relate past experiences to the position. Surely you have translatable skills that are attractive to potential employers.
4. Avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket. We all have hopes and dreams and if teaching at the American School in London is the only position you want to have, you may want to reconsider. While it is great to have aspirations, it is important to keep into perspective what is important. Is it more important to teach at the American School or have the opportunity to teach in England? The choice is yours to make but it is always a good idea to keep your options open and not put all of your eggs in one basket. Even if you interview with a school that may not be your first choice, perhaps they become a favorite after the interview because there is more underneath the surface than what meets the eye.

Always be gracious for the time that was given to review your materials even if you are not selected. Just because you were not selected during this round of candidate interviews, does not mean that you won’t be considered in the future or recommended to another school district that is in need of teachers. Being gracious, kind, and professional in your correspondence with the potential employer will only show that you are a solid candidate that should be considered for a job. If you are not gracious or act in a selfish manner for not being selected, the potential employer may see this as how you are as an employee and will likely write you off forever.