Create a Resume that Stands Out

Your resume is the most powerful tool in your search for a teaching position. In most cases, it is the first introduction you will have with the people considering you for a job. It's unfortunate, though, that most people don't put the effort into this most effective marketing tool.

A resume is your first impression. But you have to realize the impression you are trying to make is going to be stacked in a pile of other resumes attempting to be just as impressive as yours.

So how do you make yourself stand out? I’ve read thousands of resumes over the span of my career and some of the best are the ones built on the summarization resume style. This type of format is intended to draw the reader in with summarizations of your skills and experiences, prompting them to continue reading as they get to the details. The following pointers will help you to design a summary style resume. An example is also provided at the link below.

Remember your Audience

Your audience is probably an administrator who is spending time reading through many other resumes. After a while, they all might start looking the same. In my experience going through a pile of resumes, I always look for key features and words, particularly those that relate to the original job posting. Don’t be afraid to revise your resume for the particular job posting and be sure to hit upon the particular highlights from the job ad.

Begin with a highlight of your Qualifications

Begin your resume with a highlight of all your qualifications. This isn’t the place to identify each of your past or present jobs. It should be a synopsis of 5-10 bullet points summarizing your qualifications that will impress the reader to read further into your resume.

Summarize your professional experiences and accomplishments

As you have drawn the reader in, continue with a summary of your professional experiences and accomplishments. You don’t have to identify them specifically yet. This is a place to, once again, summarize all those experience and important accomplishments that highlight your qualifications for the job.

Employment History

This is the section where you can finally list employment and volunteer history. But remember, you have already summarized your qualifications and professional experiences. List your employment history and include 3-4 bullet points of your responsibilities to confirm what you have summarized in the earlier sections.

Final sections

Finish your resume with your education credentials, professional development, training, awards, technology skills and community involvement and activities that will enforce your unique qualifications, impressing upon the reader that you are the right candidate for the job.

Click HERE to download a PDF example of a Summary Resume.

Two last pieces of advice before you begin:

1. Be concise and brief while impressing the reader with your experience. You don’t need to write a book. In most cases, 2-3 pages are typically long enough for the evaluator to get a full picture of your skills and experience.
2. While you want to stand out, don’t stand out too much. There are always one or two resumes in a pile that us fancy or “fun” fonts that I find very distracting. Pictures on a resume or unique colors might make it stand out, but it might not appeal to your audience. Error on the side of being traditional rather than unique. Remember, you are trying to make a first impression.

So, where do you begin? Check out http://www.educationjobsite.com/ to find the teaching job you best qualify for and get working on that resume!

By: Marc Troeger

Marc was once introduced as a "Higher Education consultant, Enrollment Management and Development specialist, haphazard adventurer and a buccaneer for the exciting side of life." Having grown up as a world traveler, that zest for travel only continued throughout his career as he has crossed the globe working within and supporting the many facets of education. He has a passion for excellence and is a strong believer that the many connections we make throughout our lives are what help to guide and shape us along the roads we travel. You can follow Marc's adventures and musings at his occasional posts on his blog at http://www.mountainblogs.com/.