Teacher CV Example & Writing Guide

Armed with knowledge and with the ability to inspire students at every level, good teachers are treasures of our society. Where would we be without them? To land a teacher role in the area of your choice, you'll need a great teacher CV that matches your ambition.

You can choose to teach in primary, high school, special education or ESL (English as a Second Language.) Regardless of which you decide to pursue, the ability to impress the hiring manager with your expertise within teaching is paramount in securing your dream teaching role. To be successful, you must be an individual who is dedicated to motivating and supporting students. It is a career, not a job and as such, you need to have a real drive for helping others achieve their full potential.

When applying for a teaching role, the first step is to create a dazzling CV that headmasters won’t be able to resist taking forward. At Resume.io, we have created a resource for all your job seeking needs, with CV guides, as well as CV examples for many professions. Our website is bursting with help and support, including a CV builder, that makes it extra easy and quick to create your CV.

Use our CV guide, with the CV example to create your own. You can expect to know the following by the end of this guide:

• How to format your teacher CV
• How to ensure your CV stands out from other candidates
• The most appropriate sections to make up your CV and how to use these to reflect your expertise
• The importance of keywords and where to use these on your CV
• The best layout and design to use, and how to tailor your CV

What does a teacher do?

The role of a teacher is to assist students in learning different subjects. The role of a teacher is to ensure that their classes are inspiring and fun. They are there to inspire and motivate students and help them learn, this can only be achieved if the classes are interesting.

A primary school teacher, for example, will be expected to have all round knowledge on a range of topics, including mathematics and English. A secondary school teacher, on the other hand, will be an expert in a specific subject, such as geography, biology, physics etc. 

Teachers can make a huge impact on the development of individuals, especially school children. A good teacher can give a student a great start to life and inspire them in subjects they might not have had any interest in otherwise. No one should ever underestimate the key role of a teacher.

Teacher job market and outlook

If you are looking to get into teaching or progress your expertise as a teacher, the good news is that there are plenty of opportunities. There was a skills shortage in the UK for teachers positions with sector recruitment targets failing for several years leading up until 2020. Therefore, class sizes were increasing, putting additional pressure on teachers.

Since the Covid pandemic, the number of teachers has increased, as employment opportunities were in short supply, people realised that this is a career with stability. It remains to be seen whether this trend will continue or if teachers will start to move into other roles, as employment opportunities increase again.

A career in teaching can be highly rewarding and the good news is that if you are looking to work in this industry, you can expect there to be lots of opportunities.

How to write a teacher CV

There should always be a structure to your teacher CV, and it is a good idea to jot this down before you get started. If you are prepared and know the direction you want your CV to go, it will be much easier to write your CV, and do it well. These are the main sections you should consider for your CV.

• The main header, including your name, address, and contact details
• Summary or profile – a few sentences with the main points of your career
• Employment history – your career to date
• Skills section – detail your main skills relating to a teaching role on this section
• Education section – your main education relevant to the role

Your CV should detail your main achievements, and how you have made a difference to students. A teacher is not just there to read from a curriculum, they are involved in lesson planning, leadership and motivating students that might need a little help.

Every role will be different, just as every school will be, which is why you should tailor your CV and direct it to the specific institution you are applying to. Take a look at their website and find out about their core values, as this will help with the direction of the CV. You may even be able to find some information on who you will be reporting to. Don’t just write your CV as a list of where you have worked, but rather, what you have achieved.

• Tailor your CV sample to the role and institution, always keeping the core values in mind as you write it
• Focus on your main achievements and how you have improved the life of students, do not just write a list of jobs you have held
• Look out for the main keywords in the job description and use these throughout your CV, as there may be an Application Tracking System in place. These are common in educational institutions with high volume recruitment

Choosing the best CV format for teacher

Teachers work in a field where experience counts, so the reverse chronological format is best for a teacher CV. The latest job is always the most relevant, so this is what the hiring manager will be most interested in. If you are completely new to the teaching industry and in which case, you may want to consider listing your education before your previous employment.

Make it as easy as possible for the reader to quickly scan down your CV sample and for the most relevant aspects of your career to pop out at them. Although you should take care with your CV and write it well, there is every chance that the reader will simply scan it, so you need to have an easy-to-read format.

CV summary example: Your main highlights

Think of your summary as the start of your creative writing task. This is the part that leads you into the rest of the story your teacher CV will tell. So, it really needs to grab the reader’s attention from the offset. Remember, it should be just a couple of sentences in length. 

Consider what skills or experience you have that really sets you apart from other candidates. Use strong action verbs, such as ‘initiated’ and ‘persuaded’ to reflect confidence in your abilities. You may want to mention any major achievements you have had or your qualifications.

If you’re not sure how to get started with your summary, don’t worry, we have plenty of material to help you. You can look at relayed education CV examples. There is everything to explore from early childhood educator CV examples to high school teacher CV examples.

Highlighting the main aspects of your experience and education is key for your summary and being as concise and descriptive as possible. If you have some special achievements, it is worth mentioning them here as they will stand out to the reader. It is worth remembering that some hiring managers don’t go into a lot of detail when reading CV samples, so you need to prepare for those that are detail oriented and those that aren’t.

If you come across as confident and clear in your abilities, you will grab the attention of the reader instantly., Take a look at the teacher CV example summary below.

Employment history sample: Your synopsis

In your employment history section you should always state your most recent experience first and work your way back. Use action verbs, such as: managed, led, assessed, planned, enriched. The role of a teacher is very autonomous, so you want to let the reader know that you are confident to take control of a class, and that you have the experience required to enrich the lives of your students.

Think about your experience in terms of what you achieved, rather than just the task. For instance, ‘identified problem areas in an Ofsted inspection and made effective changes to the curriculum that led to an ‘excellent’ Ofsted report the following year.’ You may also want to state the size of the classes you have taught.

The aim for your teacher CV sample is to keep it brief, while ensuring the key aspects of your employment are stated, as well as any special achievements. Your CV should be no more than 2 pages long, so consider it as a synopsis, rather than the full essay.

See below for a teacher employment history sample.

CV skills example: The plot thickens

Your CV skills section should reflect both your hard skills and soft skills. Your abilities, but also what makes you unique and able to bring out the best in your students. Innovation, motivation, and a positive attitude are key aspects of being a teacher.

The role of a teacher is just as much about the experience you have as it is the kind of person you are. We have all probably had the experience of being taught by someone who is unimaginative, uninspiring, and whose classes are generally dull and lifeless. A good teacher is someone with a positive attitude, and the drive and motivation to help students succeed. Their classes should be informative, but also fun and engaging.

Take a look at a CV sample for the skills section below.

Teacher CV education example

Of course, the education section is of utmost importance for a teacher CV. This is something the hiring manager will be paying close attention to.

It may be more challenging to write your teacher CV if you are aiming to work at a high school as opposed to primary school. You can take a look at this high school teacher CV example and guide for some inspiration.

We would always suggest listing your most recent education first and stating any continuous development and professional accreditations you have achieved. The role of a teacher never stops developing, and as such, teachers should be just as eager to learn and their students. If you can show that you are committed to learning. For instance, attending regular courses and workshops, as this will help your chances of being progressed to the interview stage.

If you are just starting your career in teaching and applying for a teaching assistant role, you can take a look at this teaching assistant CV example as a point of reference. If your experience is lacking, you may want to place the education section at the top, if you feel this is the most impressive section. You can see an education section from a teacher CV example below.

CV layout and design: Making an impact

Candidates tend to concern themselves more with the layout and design of their CV than the content itself. It really doesn’t need a high level of consideration. If your layout and design are clear and concise, including the same size and style of font and the same size of spaces between the different sections, you can’t go far wrong.

 A clean, fresh design is all you need, you don’t need anything illustrious. The design is not something the reader is going to delve too much into, especially for a profession like teaching.

Key takeaways for a teacher CV

1. Think about the impact you can have as a teacher, don’t just focus on the day-to-day duties.
2. Conduct some research on the school you are applying to. Find out their shortfalls. achievements and any challenges they face. How can you help?
3. Use relevant keywords in your CV, which can be taken from the job description.
4. Don’t forget to try our online CV maker, this will help you create a CV you will be proud of.