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ktopia
Joined: 24 Aug 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Austria
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 Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:05 pm Post subject: First Teaching Resume |
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Hello,
I am a Canadian recent CELTA grad. already in Europe hoping to begin my ESL career, and am revamping my resume to meet my new job-search needs. I'm not really sure what goes in the "Skills" section of a teaching resume, and I was wondering if those of you with more experience would give me some tips.
This is my first try, adapted from my fruitless summer job hunt of 2009, so feel free to change it drastically if necessary:
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
� Recent CELTA graduate with Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
� Able to adapt lesson plans as needed in order to meet specific needs of students
� Sound organizational skills and effective time management
� Educated in student-centred learning practices
� Friendly and approachable with a positive attitude
� Fluent in English, French, and German with some knowledge of Spanish
Being adaptable seems like quite an obvious and necessary skill to have highlighted in my skills-section, but a lady I spoke with yesterday about a possible position specifically mentioned this quality, so I thought it should be included.
Appreciate any and all help. Thanks,
Katie |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject: Re: First Teaching Resume |
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| ktopia wrote: |
Hello,
I am a Canadian recent CELTA grad. already in Europe hoping to begin my ESL career, and am revamping my resume to meet my new job-search needs. I'm not really sure what goes in the "Skills" section of a teaching resume, |
I don't have such a section and consider resumes that do to be a bit westernized. They hit my B pile.
Save the descriptions of your skills for the cover letter, I say. |
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dragon777
Joined: 05 Oct 2005
Posts: 163
Location: Christmas Island
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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Glenski, are you really qualified to do anything? You must really enjoy
teaching? |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject: Re: First Teaching Resume |
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| ktopia wrote: |
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
� Recent CELTA graduate with Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
� Able to adapt lesson plans as needed in order to meet specific needs of students
� Sound organizational skills and effective time management
� Educated in student-centred learning practices
� Friendly and approachable with a positive attitude
� Fluent in English, French, and German with some knowledge of Spanish
Being adaptable seems like quite an obvious and necessary skill to have highlighted in my skills-section, but a lady I spoke with yesterday about a possible position specifically mentioned this quality, so I thought it should be included.
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You recently finished CELTA. But did you recently graduate from university?
Remove 'summary of qualifications'. You don't need it, and honestly, at this stage, you're missing relevant experience as one of them and that's a big, big one.
Have an education section. Mine is at the top of my resume for teacher positions, at the bottom for marketing communications positions. I've seen people put them in both places for teacher positions. Standard advice from books is recent grads should put it at the top- play your strong hand first.
That's where you put both your BA and your CELTA.
Bullet points 2,3,4 and 5 belong in the cover letter.
You should DEFINITELY have a separate heading for languages on your resume where you list them in individual bullet points. This will be a strong, strong point in your favour. If I were you I'd put it directly under your education section.
My advice is make a one page resume:
name, contact info etc
objective ('make use of language related skills as a teacher of English language' or whatever)
education
languages
experience (put part-time jobs, volunteer experience, student work placements, if you have any etc here)
computer ability (can you use textboxes in word to develop materials, other programs etc)
That's about it.
Another thing: maybe hit a foreigner bar and start asking around what the local preference is for resumes (picture or no etc). Each country has their own, some basically never even use them- the 'recommendation' is really all you need. |
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ktopia
Joined: 24 Aug 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Austria
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the help so far.
My "skills" section is, for now, right under my contact information and directly above my education section, as it was set up for me by a hiring agency earlier this year, but at that time my job experience was a lot more relevant.
RE: a language section, is it necessary to put it in the "Common European Framework of Reference level" (B1/B2) or can I just put Advanced/Intermediate, etc.?
Luckily I am already living with several Austrians, so I have some go-to people for questions about CV style etc., but I am still wondering what sort of skills people highlight for teaching cover letters, resumes, and interviews. Computer proficiency seems like a good one. Any other suggestions? |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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I put skills at the top, kind of a paragraph of general things that I've done, like 7 years teaching experience. I also have a highlights section which shows publications, awards, workshops presented. Nonetheless my CV is only 1.5 pages, which is ok.
As for languages, it might help you, might work against you. HOnestly, employers don't want you speaking L1 in the classroom. still, it could help you understand why students make mistakes. I'd put it at the bottom after education and experience, next to computer skills. About your language skills, don't have to use the CEF. Actually, I wouldn't unless I had a cert to back up my claims. Just use fluent, mother tongue, advanced, intermeidate, etc.
More skills, classroom management, working on teams, can start things by yourself, such as English corners.
Honestly, if it's your first job, highlight the fact that you're responsible, a native speaker, and willing to learn their method. Then once you get your foot in the door, revamp your CV, try looking at other teacher's CVs for exmpales. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| dragon777 wrote: |
| Glenski, are you really qualified to do anything? |
What sort of remark is that? Of course I am. And you?
| Quote: |
| You must really enjoy teaching? |
Actually, yes. And you? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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| ktopia wrote: |
| My "skills" section is, for now, right under my contact information and directly above my education section, as it was set up for me by a hiring agency earlier this year, but at that time my job experience was a lot more relevant. |
What exactly have you put in this "skills" section? Just curious to see whether it would be better suited to the CL.
Employers here (Japan) usually want to see the degree first and foremost, in order to meet immigration requirements for a visa. Also, the entry level jobs don't even require much in the way of a degree or skills. Employers make a lot of decisions based on your personality or chemistry in the interview.
| Quote: |
| RE: a language section, is it necessary to put it in the "Common European Framework of Reference level" (B1/B2) or can I just put Advanced/Intermediate, etc.? |
The latter would work for Japan. I doubt that anyone here would understand the former. But you have not clearly stated where you are looking for work.
| Quote: |
| Luckily I am already living with several Austrians, so I have some go-to people for questions about CV style etc., but I am still wondering what sort of skills people highlight for teaching cover letters, resumes, and interviews. Computer proficiency seems like a good one. Any other suggestions? |
Nix the computer stuff if you come here. It's pointless, as you would be hired to teach, not run/program computers.
This is another reason why I emphasize describing your skills in the CL, but if you have experience, work that and a teaching philosophy into your letter more than saying anything about "skills". Eager to hear what you have put in that section. |
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ktopia
Joined: 24 Aug 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Austria
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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naturegirl, thanks for your tips. I'll try to synthesize what everyone has said and get a good Euro-CV out of it.
Glenski, just wanted to refer you back to my original post, which has the "skills" I was talking about. I think you already said that you would put them in the cover letter. I thought it was clear, but I am currently living in Austria and hoping to teach here, which I know will be difficult. I am hoping that my large group of friends and contacts will help with the Old-EU country Visa acquirement.
Last thing, just curious: my only publication was in an undergrad Journal of Sexual Diversity Studies. Do you think this is an appropriate thing to put on a resume in a relatively conservative country in order to highlight some academic achievement, or is it better left unmentioned? |
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ktopia
Joined: 24 Aug 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Austria
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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also, GambateBingBangBOOM, to answer your earlier question, I did just graduate from university in May, which is another reason my job experience is not very impressive. Job placements for English majors do not really exist  Thanks for your suggestions. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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| ktopia wrote: |
| Last thing, just curious: my only publication was in an undergrad Journal of Sexual Diversity Studies. Do you think this is an appropriate thing to put on a resume in a relatively conservative country in order to highlight some academic achievement, or is it better left unmentioned? |
NO! Leave it out. Has nothing to do with teaching and might actually get you rejected from some jobs. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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| ktopia wrote: |
| Glenski, just wanted to refer you back to my original post, which has the "skills" I was talking about. I think you already said that you would put them in the cover letter. |
Ok, thanks for confirming. These 6 bullets are on your resume as "skills", but I would not consider most of them to be skills:
� Recent CELTA graduate with Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
This is not a skill. It is an achievement. It should not go in a section of skills.
� Able to adapt lesson plans as needed in order to meet specific needs of students
This is not a skill. You did not train to be "able" to do this. It is also a very vague description that IMO merely implies willingness to be flexible.
� Sound organizational skills and effective time management
Ok, these are skills, but they are general except for the last one, and even so, I would say that they are so simplistic that they don't merit a section on skills.
� Educated in student-centred learning practices
Again, no skill here. It is something you should describe in more detail in a cover letter, but if you REALLY want it on the resume, assign sub-bullets to it to explain those "practices". Definitely worth talking about instead of relying on a 5-word bullet to make the point.
� Friendly and approachable with a positive attitude
Being friendly and approachable are not skills. They are your personality traits.
� Fluent in English, French, and German with some knowledge of Spanish
Skills, ok, but language fluency should go in its own section.
| Quote: |
| I thought it was clear, but I am currently living in Austria and hoping to teach here, which I know will be difficult. I am hoping that my large group of friends and contacts will help with the Old-EU country Visa acquirement. |
It was not clear to me where you were seeking work. It is now. I would suggest that your friends there look at your resume to see if it is formatted similarly to what HR people in that area are used to seeing.
| Quote: |
| Last thing, just curious: my only publication was in an undergrad Journal of Sexual Diversity Studies. Do you think this is an appropriate thing to put on a resume in a relatively conservative country in order to highlight some academic achievement, or is it better left unmentioned? |
Depends on whether the type of work you are pursuing even requires publications. If so, then put it down. How alarming is the title? If you think it is a bit disconcerting to the locals, then just leave out the title. |
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