How to write a resume is the number one question I get from teachers wanting to leave. We’re used to writing resumes for teaching and believe we need to learn how to write resumes for the corporate world. Is it a little different? Yes, but it’s manageable.
I also found that the EdTech space welcomes transitioning teachers and is okay seeing our teacher resumes. They are very forgiving, but you still should curate your resume in a way that attracts recruiters. So if you’re nervous about revising your resume, start with jobs in EdTech first.
Use these resume tips below to help you find a job outside the classroom.
Narrow Your Job Search
In my blog post, Jobs for Teachers Leaving Education, I mention some jobs that would be great for K-12 educators. Of course, you can’t apply for every job you see, you can, but unless you want to revise your resume to match all of those positions, I suggest focusing on jobs that fit your skill set.
Focus on one or two jobs you know you’d qualify for based on your experience; that way, you can have a resume or two perfect for that job.
Only Include Relevant Information
Let’s get right into it. If the job description doesn’t mention working with children, leave that experience off your resume. If you’re applying for Professional Learning Facilitator roles, you’ll only want to include the experience of you training adults. Let’s say you want to mention that you analyze data; say that. You don’t need to have that you analyzed student data.
If the job wants you to have experience as an educator, but working with kids is outside the actual role, make a list of your classroom experience, minus descriptions, on a second page.
Keep It Simple
I mentioned in the previous section that your resume might have a second page, but I’d keep it to one page. This is because you can successfully communicate your experience and qualifications on one page. And it is better for teachers attempting to leave the classroom, so you don’t have pages full of irrelevant experiences.
Search for Examples
Once you figure out what jobs you’re looking for, Google it! If you can find resumes on the internet that match the job you’re searching for, see how you can use them to write your own.
Honestly, it’s pretty easy to change your resume to fit the corporate world. Especially if you’re applying to roles within EdTech, I promise you can do it!