Whether you’re looking to take the first step into a career in education or land a position teaching English in a foreign country, a job as a teaching assistant can be enriching for both you and your students. Before you can learn how to effectively convey information and manage a classroom, you’ll first need to create a great teaching assistant CV.
Luckily, Resume.io can help. With dozens of CV examples and writing guides, we know exactly what employers are looking for when it comes time to make their next hire. Here’s what we’ll cover in this teaching assistant CV example and writing guide:
- What does a teaching assistant do?
- How to write a teaching assistant CV (tips and tricks)
- The best format for a teaching assistant CV
- Advice on each section of your CV (summary, work history, education, skills)
- Professional CV layout and design hints.
What does a teaching assistant do?
A teaching assistant is a classroom aide who helps a teacher or other education professional carry out lesson plans and improve learning outcomes for students. Teaching assistants may take on a variety of tasks including planning and materials creation, one-on-one tutoring, small group instruction or individualised attention for students with special needs.
In the UK, teaching assistants are commonly found in classrooms in England and Wales where they reduce workloads for teachers by working with small groups of students or preparing for lessons according to the National Careers Service.
Teaching assistant positions can also include schemes where young people teach their native language to students in foreign countries. Another common type of teaching assistant are those in universities, often called TAs, who help professors with organisational tasks like grading, communication or instruction of break-out groups.
How to write a teaching assistant CV
A teaching assistant CV should convey all the necessary information in a concise and well-organised document. Here’s the standard structure for most CVs:
- The CV header
- The CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The CV skills section
- The education section
Whether or not you have previous experience as a teaching assistant, you’ll want to tailor your CV to the exact position you’re applying for by including a number of skills and experiences the employer is looking for.
If this is your first time working as a teaching assistant, your CV should focus on transferable skills in other jobs. You can also choose to highlight your expertise in the area you plan to teach. For example, a physics TA may want to discuss their relevant coursework and physics projects or leadership experience.
Find more writing inspiration in our related education CV examples including our student CV example, academic CV sample, teacher CV sample and graduate CV example.
Choosing the best CV format for teaching assistants
Most teaching assistants will find that the reverse chronological format is the best CV format for their needs. This structure centres around the employment history section, where you’ll be able to list all previous experience. Hiring managers prefer this format because it allows them to quickly evaluate your abilities.
It’s best to use the reverse chronological format whenever possible, even if you need to add volunteer activities to fill in your employment section. However, if this is simply not possible, you may choose to use the hybrid format which starts with the skills section and features a smaller employment history section further down. We do not recommend the functional CV format unless you are still in secondary school or have zero work experience to show.
Unless you’re emailing your application or delivering it in person, you should assume your CV will pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). These CV scanners are built into virtually every online hiring portal used by education institutions. An algorithm will scan your CV for keywords and rank it against the other candidates. Only the top selection will be reviewed by the hiring manager. While there’s no way to guarantee you’ll get past the ATS, here are some steps you can take to avoid being filtered out:
- Read the job description closely and pick out any duties or skills emphasised by the employer – these are your keywords.
- Place them into the appropriate CV sections, paying close attention to the summary and skills sections.
- Use common section headings like “Employment History” to tell the ATS exactly where to find the information it’s looking for.
CV summary example
The summary of your teaching assistant CV is the hiring manager’s introduction to you and all you have to offer. These 3-5 sentences should call attention to your skills, relevant experience and even your teaching philosophy while injecting some personality into an otherwise dry document.
If you’re submitting to a large system or institution, it’s also worth mentioning the name of the position and location you’re applying to so that your application can easily be identified.
Remember, the hiring manager can find out more about your educational background or previous jobs later on, so the summary is the place to give them the highlights and encourage them to keep reading the rest of your CV. Below you’ll find the summary from our adaptable teaching assistant CV example.
Dedicated teaching assistant with valuable experience working in both secondary-school and university placements. Adept in working collaboratively and effectively with colleagues in a team environment to ensure the highest quality of instruction for students.
Employment history sample
The employment history section of your teaching assistant CV is the place to showcase all relevant roles and work experience. If you don’t have any teaching experience, you can place other jobs here and use the bullet points to highlight transferable skills or personality traits.
In this section, you’ll want to create subheadings with the job title, employer name, dates worked and location. Underneath, add 4-5 bullet points which describe the duties assigned to you and your achievements in the role. Any learning outcomes, statistics or concrete information can help prove the impact you had on students. Make sure to choose examples that are most relevant to your prospective employer. Below, you’ll find the employment history section from our teaching assistant CV sample.
Teaching Assistant at The University of Manchester, Manchester
September 2018 - Present
- Serve as a dedicated and enthusiastic TA in the Department of Economics.
- Assist in the delivery of instruction to students as a whole class, in groups, and individually.
- Utilise various teaching techniques to effectively deliver lessons.
- Assist the teacher in making daily decisions about curriculum, timelines, and course specifics.
- Plan and facilitate structured workshops for students.
- Attend all staff development and training sessions.
- Assist with course coordination and supervision of adjunct faculty in multi-section courses.
Learning Support Assistant at St. Peter's High School, Manchester
September 2016 - May 2018
- Assisted instructors in helping students to learn about economics in relation to daily life.
- Provided varying types of support to instructors to ensure the integrity of the course being offered.
- Completed all assigned tasks that were important for the successful conduct of the course.
- Offered suggestions for improving the format, requirements, readings, and lectures of courses.
- Assisted with grading and held office hours for students.
CV skills example
The skills section can be one of the trickiest parts of your teaching assistant CV to master because it is limited by its bullet-point format. One strategy to approach this section is to create a master list of all the skills you possess.
Then, choose the top 4-5 for your CV based on the particular opening you are applying to. This is a quick and easy way to customise your CV for the job and increase your chances of beating the ATS. You’ll also want to include a mix of hard and soft skills as seen in our CV sample below
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Fundamentals of Economics
- Effective Time Management
- Leadership
- Communication Skills
- Ability to Work in a Team
Teaching assistant CV education example
Education is a vital part of any CV, but it plays an even bigger role when it comes to landing a teaching assistant position. Complete this section with your degrees and diplomas – if you’ve completed a master’s or higher, there’s no need to include your secondary school.
The education section is also the place to add any teaching certifications you possess, which may be required by law. You can also include awards you’ve won and professional memberships you hold here.
M.Sc Economics, University of Manchester, Manchester
September 2013 - May 2015
BA (Hons) Education, University of South Wales, Newport
September 2009 - May 2013
CV layout and design
The layout and design of your CV instantly convey your seriousness about the position. For candidates with limited previous experience, a great layout can also make your CV stand out and encourage the hiring manager to give it a closer look instead of moving on to the next.
Education is a fairly formal field, so the design of your CV should be professional in tone. A pop of colour may be appropriate in some instances depending on the subject or age group you plan to teach. Choose common font styles like Arial, Helvetica or Georgia and stick with the same selection throughout your CV. You’ll also want to balance the amount of white space to text so that the page is not tiring on the eyes.
An attractive and authoritative header can quickly make your CV stand out and keep your contact information at the hiring manager’s fingertips. Creating one becomes much easier with a professionally-designed CV template.
Key takeaways for a teaching assistant CV
- A teaching assistant position is the perfect stepping stone into the world of education, but you’ll need a great CV to get started.
- Your summary is the place to showcase both your relevant experience and your approach to teaching.
- If you have no previous experience in education, use the employment history section to highlight transferable skills.
- Check out our adaptable teaching assistant CV sample for more ideas on creating a great page layout.
