Teacher CV Example [Writing Guide & Tips for Teaching Jobs]

Being a teacher is unique. Your success lies in the success of others. You spend your working life preparing other people for the challenges of life. 

But when it comes to writing a teacher CV you’ve got to turn that on its head. A teaching CV is about you. It’s about showcasing your skills, experience and achievements. Sounds scary, but writing a CV for teaching is easy once you’ve been taught.

Read on and you’ll see a professional teacher CV example you can adjust and make your own. Plus, you’ll learn an easy formula for writing a CV for teaching jobs that will land you 10x more interviews than any other CV you’ve written in the past.

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Looking for other CV writing guides? Read more here:

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Sample Teacher CV Template

Now, here’s the job-winning teacher CV formula:

1. Use the Best Format for Your Teacher CV

A teacher is responsible for delivering classroom instruction to help students learn. Your teaching CV needs to show you can prepare lessons, mark your students’ work, utilise and create classroom materials, follow the curriculum, and work effectively within the Ofsted inspection framework.

To put it another way, the purpose of your teacher CV is to show off your teaching skills in a way that’ll impress education recruiters. And you’ve got less than 30 seconds to do it! So sit back and be a student for a few minutes and let me teach you what you need to do.

• Select the correct CV format. The best choice for a CV for teaching is chronological format. It’s the format hiring managers know best and it puts the focus firmly on your experience.
• Follow the rules of CV layout. Margins set to one inch on each side of the page, left-align your text (no justification) and double space between each section. This allows plenty of white space, which makes your CV easy to read and easier to locate the most important information.
• Use a clear, readable CV font set to 11–12 point. Arial, Helvetica and Cambria make safe bets.
• Just like a student’s essay, CVs have word limits. Your CV length should be a maximum of two pages.
• Finally, save your CV as a PDF. It’s the best file type for keeping your layout intact.

Read more about CV layout: How to Layout a Professional CV

2. Write a Teaching Personal Statement for Your CV

A CV personal statement or personal profile acts as the introduction to your CV. Hiring managers are a bit like students, if you don’t hook them right at the start of the ‘lesson’ they’ll never pay attention. You already know how to engage students, but to engage the hiring manager you just need to answer these three questions. 

1. Who are you? 
2. What can you offer to the employer? 
3. What are your career goals? 

The way you answer those questions will differ depending on how experienced you are. More senior teachers should follow this approach.

• Make time to plan. Write a list of all your selling points as a teacher. Consider all of the experience, skills and abilities that make you a good teacher.
• Then refer back to the job advert, check the job description and match up 3–4 points from your list to the skills and experience required.
• Use those points to write a personal statement targeted to the teaching job you’re applying for. 

Are you a fresh graduate or a career changer writing a CV for a teacher? Then do this.

• List the skills and experience you already possess. Think of your education and any work experience you already have. Then highlight anything that’s transferable to a teaching position.
• Now combine those elements with passion for being an educator and knowledge about the institution you’ve applied to and demonstrate you’re a good fit.

For both cases, this section is easier to write if it’s left until last. It’s better to have your experience, skills and education all set out and ready to refer to.

See this guide for even more tips on how to write your personal profile: How to Write a CV Personal Statement [20+ Examples]

3. Craft an A Grade Work Experience Section

Your work experience section is crucial. It’s the CV equivalent of an Ofsted inspection, you want to be outstanding. Hiring managers want a teacher who can walk into the classroom and get students learning fast. Here’s how to show you’re an experienced educator.

• List your most recent role first then go back listing any preceding jobs in order. 
• Include each job title, the employer’s name, dates of employment (use “present” as the end date if it’s your current place of work), then write up to six bullet points describing the job.
• Start each bullet point with an energetic CV action word like boosted, tracked or designed, for added impact.
• Discuss measurable achievements, not just your duties. It’s not only about what you’ve done, you also need to show how well you did it.
• Use the CAR (Challenge Action Result) formula and accomplishment statements to structure your bullet points.
• Structure your work experience section so it’s targeted to the job description. Pay attention to what skills and experience are listed and match your own experience to what’s required.

Need some more hacks to create the perfect CV? Check out our guide: 20+ CV Tips and Advice for Job Application Success

4. Include an Education Section 

You’re an educator yourself, I don’t need to tell you how important an education section is for your teaching CV. But there’s a standard set of rules for presenting that info that you need to follow. Here they are.

• List the name of the university you studied at, the years you attended, and the formal name of your degree. Still studying? Include your expected graduation date. Honours should only be included if they’re a 2:1 or a first.
• If you have post-graduate degrees and/or your Post-Graduate Certificate in Education, use reverse-chronological order and list the qualification you completed most recently first.
• If you’re a new teacher and have only just graduated then you can change the order of your CV sections and put your education before your work experience.

5. Show Off Your Teaching CV Skills

Being a teacher demands a list of skills as long as your arm. You need subject matter expertise and all the skills to communicate it. So how can you narrow it all down and decide which skills are best to put on your CV? Here’s how.

• Read the job advert carefully to see what skills are required. The job description tells you exactly what the hiring manager wants. Then write down those skills in a list.
• Next, list your own skills. Check back on your work experience and education sections to refresh your memory.
• Then put the two lists side by side, check what matches, and select 5–10 of those to put in your CV.
• Try for a mix of soft skills, hard skills and technical skills. 
• For every skill, add a short sentence showing how you demonstrate it. Don’t just show, tell. E.g. Conflict resolution: undertook additional training in conflict resolution, applying those methods to classroom management.

These skills would make a great addition to a teaching CV.

Teacher Skills for a CV

• Communication skills
• Time management
• Lesson planning
• Conflict resolution
• Patience
• Empathy
• Subject knowledge
• Leadership skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Digital presentation skills
• Digital research skills

Read More: Best List of Skills to Put on a CV [Top Skills & Examples]

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

6. Add Additional Sections to Your Teacher CV

The sections we’ve just covered are a bare minimum for a pass-grade CV. But a pass-grade won’t cut it when there are an average of 75 candidates applying for every job. To be top of the class you need extra sections. Here are some suggestions

• Add a languages section. Even if you’re not a dedicated foreign language teacher it’ll make an impressive addition to your CV.
• Volunteering is also a great addition. 82% of managers prefer to hire people with volunteering experience. And volunteering in schools is the perfect way for career changers and trainee teachers to gain valuable experience.
• Include your Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) or Early Years Teaching Status (EYTS) in a separate section titled ‘Teaching Qualifications’.

7. Attach a Teacher Cover Letter

Your younger students probably don’t even know what a letter is. But now it’s time to brush up on your own letter writing skills. Cover letters are still a thing. In fact, around half of employers will reject applications without a cover letter.

Here’s how to write a cover letter.

• Use the right cover letter format.
• Write a cover letter opening with a ‘hook’. Be passionate, energetic and include an impressive professional achievement.
• Show that your experience and skills will enable you to excel as a teacher.
• Include a cover letter ending with a call to action asking to meet to discuss the role further.
• Stick to the right cover letter length.

One final tip. Always follow up. No reply after one week? Check back with the employer about the status of your application. It’s a great way of improving your chances of success. 22% of hiring managers are less likely to hire candidates who don’t follow-up after the interview.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

And that’s it. Thanks for being such a good student. What did you think of our teaching CV template? Are you looking for specialist advice like writing a primary teacher CV or English teacher CV? If you’ve got any questions at all about how to write a teaching CV, please use the comments section below. I’m looking forward to learning more.