Resumes, Again By Popular Demand!

I've already briefly touched on resumes here... but there's a lot (not alot- do check for typos) more to be said... and I've had requests... so here goes... Here is a copy of an old resume of mine (so old that is has some old contact info... sorry about that) that might be of some help too.

Content

What to include

Get straight to the point- what do you want from this resume? Are you seeking permanent work, a contract, something part-time or supply? Tell them. Literally spell it out in your resume. I used the margins to do this, you may have a "career goals" heading or similar.

As you become registered etc be sure to include all your registration numbers. As a working teacher that means I have my employee number and teacher registration right alongside my contact information.

Referees are very useful, and for most of you they are your supervising teachers. If you feel a little shy talking yourself up you can use quotes from your referee reports to highlight your strengths and experiences. Make sure their contact information is up-to-date and make sure they are aware that they are acting as your referees. You should probably provide them with a copy of your resume so they can be, ahem, reminded of your skills and attributes.

Also, if you got suckered into doing odd-jobs, don't dispair. Make a heading called "Special Projects" and all of a sudden you are a dedicated, proactive worker rather than a soft touch!

What not to include

If you have extensive experience outside of teaching and your resume is getting too long, then clearly label this resume as a "Teaching Resume" and remove irrelevant information. You aren't saying that you haven't had a life outside of teaching, but you are preventing a prospective employer from having to wade through pages of irrelevant information.

Layout

Layout is what makes your resume easy to read.

White space is your friend. It draws attention to the information that matters. I used huge side margins to spell out the basic information ("Amber Stanley's Teaching Resume" down one side, "Available for Contract or Supply Work" down the other) that really needed to be stressed.

Headings are useful, they make it easy for the reader to quickly find any information they are looking for. And under those headings? Use bullet-points where possible, large blocks of text can be off-putting for the reader. You guys know all this stuff- just apply it to your resume (Yes I do realise that I'm not really applying it here!).

Delivery

If it is physically possible for you to hand-deliver a resume, then do it. You will know that it has made it into the right hands, and they will see that you (probably don't) have a mohawk. Actually, I take that back- a friend who works at a library who would make an awesome teacher currently sports a multi-coloured mohawk thanks to shave for a cure. But they will see that you motivated, proactive, capable of effective face-to-face communication.