Your CV will be the first thing an employer sees about you, so it’s important to make a good first impression. But what makes a good CV and how can you stand out from the crowd?
A successful framework
All great CVs start by following a simple framework that gives the employer everything they need to know:
- Your name
- A short summary of who you are and what you do
- Qualifications (including when or where you qualified)
- Employment history
- Other relevant experience
- Additional skills, achievements & interests
Following this structure guides the reader through your accomplishments in a logical manner, which leads us to our next point…
Clear and concise
Make sure your CV is user friendly and easy to read. You’re advertising the best parts about you, and if it is difficult to read then it might create a negative experience for the reader.
That means double-checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting are vital. Find an easy-to-read typeface and follow a logical structure. Give your CV to a friend to read because a spellchecker doesn’t catch everything!
Also, you might only have a few moments to make a positive impact so keep it short and sweet. We recommend a maximum of two or three A4 pages, if possible.
If your CV is longer than three pages, consider whether all the information provided is relevant. Have you copied and pasted the same information for each experience? Did you list your Primary and Secondary Education as well as your more relevant qualifications?
Career history
Your CV acts as a legally binding document when obtaining references, so you need to make sure your career history is up to date.
There are four key things to keep in mind when listing your career history:
- Start with your most recent position and work backwards
- Include the start and end date of all places of employment (we recommend a format similar to MM/YYYY)
- Briefly summarise your role and any achievements
- If newly qualified, give details of your practicum experience
Also, if you have any gaps of more than three months in between employment, be sure to include these in your CV.
Confident language
Many people find it difficult to write two pages praising themselves even though that’s the purpose of a CV. As a result, many candidates downplay their accomplishments by using passive language.
For example, you may have ‘helped organise the end of year play with the Head of Drama’. However, give yourself the credit you deserve and note whether you took responsibility for certain aspects of this. That way, you can show the employer how much you participated and what skills you can transfer to their school.
We encourage you to take another look at your teaching CV and up-level it following the above tips. We can’t wait to use your new CV to find the perfect education positions for you!
