Create a Professional Resume Quickly with Our Resume Builder

Job searching can be daunting—or even downright difficult at times. And education can be an especially competitive field. Teachers today are an incredibly important part of our society. They help set up children to be successful citizens of the world afterall. 

All that’s to say, school boards and administrators take hiring new teachers seriously. In order to even land an interview, you need a top-notch teacher resume. 

In this writing guide, we’ll cover what it takes to create a resume that’s guaranteed to stand out.  We’ll include template examples and go into great detail about how to write the perfect teacher resume. Throughout this guide, you’ll learn:

• How to properly format your resume
• What recruiters, school boards, and principals look for in a teacher’s resume
• What skills you should mention (and how to demonstrate them correctly)
• What achievements you should include on your resume
• Things you should avoid mentioning and other common resume mistakes
• How to write a great resume objective or summary section
• How to list teaching association memberships
• How to list certifications, licenses, volunteer experience, and other interests
• How to write a teacher resume if you have little to no experience

We’ll also give you top tips and tricks for ways to tweak your resume for each school and position you apply to. You’ll be equipped with all the knowledge to write a resume that is sure to stand out and land you an interview.

Let’s start with some teacher resume template examples.

Multiple template examples

How to write a perfect teacher resume?

There are many things that go into writing the perfect resume. Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as just word-dumping onto a piece of paper. It takes time and thoughtful effort to write something that will catch a recruiter’s eye.

To do so, you need to show why you’re a competitive candidate with concrete, creatively crafted words. Typically, teachers should plan to highlight their relevant teaching experience, education, credentials, certificates, and position-specific skills. 

Though it might be tempting to send the same resume out to each position you apply to, you should think twice about doing this. Every position is as unique as the school and district it’s at. Tailoring your resume for each job application will make you a much more competitive candidate. 

Writing a perfect resume also means writing about your accomplishments, not just your job responsibilities. It’s certainly important the hiring managers get a sense of what you do—and what you were responsible for—but that’s not enough. 

Recruiters don’t just want to know what you do. (They know what teachers do. Who doesn’t?) They want to know how well you can do it. A teacher who does the bare minimum won’t bring nearly as much value as a teacher with a long list of classroom accomplishments. 

Don’t sell yourself short. Focus on what types of change you brought at your previous places of employment and include them on your resume. What you write can make or break your candidacy. 

Once you’re happy with the content of your resume, start thinking about formatting.

How to format it

A resume that isn’t formatted properly is a resume that will get tossed in the trash. Though it used to be common practice to create a resume in Microsoft Word, that’s now an outdated way to format your resume. 

And it’ll stand no chance against resumes that were professionally-designed with formatting in mind.

A properly formatted resume should include the following sections:

• A header section that includes your name, phone number, and email address 
• An objective or summary section demonstrating why you’re the right person for the job
• An experience section that highlights your previous teaching positions and accomplishments
• An education section that includes your college or university as well as your degree 
• A skills section that shows you have the tools needed to succeed

As a general rule of thumb, your resume should never be more than a page in length. If you’re struggling to condense your content, try using a resume template. They’re designed to maximize space so you can make the most of every word. 

And speaking of words, your text should always be easy-to-read at a 100% zoom level. Meaning, a recruiter or principle shouldn’t have to zoom in on your resume in order to be able to read it. 

And lastly, remember that your resume should always be sent in PDF format. Otherwise, the formatting can get messed up when it’s opened on a new device. 

Those are the basic rules of resume formatting. Next, we’ll review exactly what recruiters look for in a teacher’s resume. 

What recruiters will look for

Recruiters want to hire someone they know will succeed. That being said, there are certain things they’ll look for in a teacher’s resume. 

They want to see what you can accomplish. Here are some accomplishment examples teachers can add to their resume:

• Improved student tests scores by 8% from the previous year
• Developed a new science curriculum that resulted in a 13% improvement in state testing scores
• Improved overall pass rates from 78% to 85%
• Teaching awards
• New programs and the results of those programs

It’s best to demonstrate your achievements numerically whenever possible. Doing so adds to your credibility tremendously. 

Recruiters also want to see that you’ve tailored your resume to the job. And trust us when we say, it’s clear if you don’t. Your resume should demonstrate why you’re the right teacher for the position, not just that you’re a great teacher in general. There are lots of great teachers. That doesn’t always mean they’ll be a good fit culturally. Or that they have the necessary skills to succeed in this specific position.

Read the job description carefully and tailor your resume based on the required skills and responsibilities. But don’t make the mistake of adding the obvious. For example, you don’t need to say that you did lesson planning. Every teacher does lesson planning. All that says is that you do your job. And that is already a given (or at least it should be). 

We’ll go into more detail below about the best ways to target your resume for each application. But first, let’s talk more about which skills recruiters will look for. 

What skill to mention and how to do it correctly

Your teacher resume should feature a skills section. In it, you can include both soft skills and technical skills that teachers frequently use. Typically, soft skills are a focal point, but sometimes schools use specific technology in their classrooms. If that’s the case, it’s best to add them to your resume. 

Here is a list of common teacher skills to add to your resume:

• Classroom management
• Student advocacy
• Conflict resolution
• Patience
• Teambuilding
• Leadership
• Organization
• Adaptability
• Creativity
• Behavior Management
• Blackboard
• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Office 

Soft skills are best demonstrated through real-world examples. Explain in 2-3 sentences how you used these skills in a classroom setting. It’s much more impactful than just adding them to a list.

What achievements to mention and how to do it correctly

Including achievements on your resume is another great way to make you a more competitive candidate. Include certifications you’ve earned as well as any teaching awards you’ve won. 

This can be a standalone section on your resume or it could be included elsewhere. 

What to avoid mentioning

Avoid mentioning anything that’s irrelevant or obvious on your resume. Whether it’s previous jobs or interests that are unrelated to teaching, if they don’t add value to your resume they aren’t worth including. 

Every word on your resume should add value. If it’s there just to fill space, it doesn’t belong. Find something else to add or use the extra white space to your advantage.

How to write a resume objective and examples of this

A great resume objective shows your personality, passion, and career-related goals. It should be short and sweet—just two to three sentences. And it should make a recruiter want to keep reading the rest of your resume.

All that’s to say, there’s definitely a right and wrong way to write a resume objective. Here are examples of both:

Elementary school science teacher, graduate of the University of Iowa, with 2 years of teaching experience seeking a new teaching position.

This summary gives only very basic information. And a recruiter can gather all of this from other sections of a resume in about 5 seconds. It doesn’t make you want to read more. And it certainly doesn’t add any value.

This summary section, on the other hand, is much more engaging and makes a recruiter think, “Wow, we have to hire this person.” 

Elementary school science teacher with 2 years of teaching experience. I’m passionate about cultivating STEM knowledge in students and encouraging girls to explore careers in science. I’m seeking a new position where I can improve test scores and launch a GirlsWhoCode club. 

This resume objective is much more engaging. You get a much better sense of the person and their goals. It incorporates specific details about the candidate and shows administrators exactly how their school will benefit if they hire this person.

This is a resume objective that is much more impactful.

How to write a resume summary and examples of this

If you don’t want to write a resume objective, you can opt for a resume summary instead. It really depends on personal preference and whichever option you think can better communicate why you’re the right person for the job.

An objective is more focused on your goals while a summary tends to focus more on your experience and accomplishments. Just like a resume objective, your resume summary should focus on the specific details that set you apart from other candidates. 

Writing a vague summary adds little, if no, value to your resume. Here are two examples of resume summaries (both bad and good):

Math teacher with 4 years of experience teaching algebra. 

This summary could apply to hundreds, if not thousands, of math teachers. Meaning, it won’t help you stand out. It could even be the decision factor in whether or not the recruiter decides to keep reading.

Compare that summary with this summary, which is much more specific.

High school algebra teacher with 4 years of experience. My students average in the 80th percentile for state-wide tests and I’ve increased school passing rates from 70% to 85%. 

This summary goes into much more detail about what kind of value you can bring to a school. It gives real-world examples of accomplishments and it’s anything but vague.

This kind of summary is what’s going to catch a recruiter's eye.

How to list teaching association memberships

To list teaching association memberships on your resume, you can create a specific section called Memberships. Below it, be sure to list the organization name and your title (especially if it’s something other than a member). 

And be sure to include any contributions to the membership. This could include fundraising, event planning, communications, etc. 

If you’re not a current member, but still want to add it to your resume, you can list yourself as a “former member.”

How to list any additional details, like certifications, hobbies, interests, volunteer experience.

Certifications and licenses are especially important for teachers to list on their resumes. They can vary state-by-state, but many times they’re required. They should be listed in an easy-to-see spot on your resume.

Consider adding them to your resume header underneath your name as a kind of subtitle. 

If you have extra space, you can also consider adding hobbies, interests, or volunteer experience. Just be sure they’re relevant to teaching or working with children. Otherwise, use that space for something else.

How to write a teacher resume when you have no experience

If you’re a recent grad who has no teaching experience, don’t worry. You can still create a compelling resume that will land you an interview.

Go into detail about your student teaching experience and show how it prepared you for the next step in your career. Include examples of successful classroom management, your ability to handle stressful situations, and how you can effectively think on your feet. 

Be sure to include certifications or licenses as well as any relevant coursework you completed in college. Have you ever substituted? Be sure to add that. Did you work with kids outside of a classroom setting? Include that experience too. 

How to target your resume for each application

It’s incredibly important to target your resume for each job application you submit. To most people, this sounds like a lot of work. 

You put so much time and thought into writing a great first resume, the thought of doing that over and over again for each application sounds like a waste of time. But the fact of the matter is, customizing your resume is critical if you want to show you’re the right person for the job.

The good news is, targeting your resume each time doesn’t mean you need to completely reinvent the wheel. Even if you’re applying to different school districts/positions, there are a number of things you can keep the same. 

For starters, you can follow the same outline and overall resume structure. No matter what, you’ll likely keep the same resume sections and some of the content within those sections. For any application, you won’t need to change which schools you’ve worked at, your titles, or your education. Other areas however will require more tailoring.

You’ll always want to update your resume objective or summary statement. This is usually your first chance to capture the attention of a hiring manager. Make sure this part of your resume always matches what they’re looking for. If the school you’re applying to focuses largely on pass/fail rates, be sure to include information surrounding that.

You’ll also want to update the bullets under your job experience. You should try to tailor them based on the needs expressed in the description of the new position you’re applying to. Think about how they measure success and demonstrate similar examples on your resume. 

Another section you’ll want to update for each application is the skills section.

How to list only the relevant skills for that specific school/district and position

Updating the skills section of your resume for each school/district and position is so important. Say you’re applying for three different teaching positions with the same job title. Just because the job title is the same doesn’t mean they have the same expectations or needs when it comes to skills they’re seeking.

One of the best ways to only list relevant skills for each position is to print out a copy of the job posting and circle or highlight the qualities and strengths the recruiter is looking for in a candidate. Then, try to match these with your skills section so that you can show exactly why you’re a good fit for the role. 

For example, if the position requires a teacher who has experience with Blackboard, you should intentionally include that skill on your resume.

How to make your resume stand out

As you know, education can be a competitive field. To ensure your resume gets picked from the pile, it needs to stand out. Here are some ways to do that. 

Add some color.

A splash of color will stand out from stacks of black and white resumes. Adding color isn’t only pleasing to the eye, but it can also highlight different sections on your resume and make it easier to read. 

Just make sure you don’t go overboard with it. Stick to neutral colors and make sure it doesn’t become overwhelming. 

Use unique fonts.

Yes, Times New Roman is considered professional—and probably even the standard. But that just means you’ll blend in. 

Instead, try using a font that isn’t overused. Try using Arial, Helvetica, Georgia, Garamond, or Avenir instead. They still look professional but will stand out from the rest. 

Choose a professionally-designed template. 

The design of your resume is the first thing employers will notice. Before they even start reading, they’ll notice what your resume looks like. Picking a professionally-designed resume is key to making a great first impression.

Use power verbs.

Begin each bullet with power verbs to emphasize your actionable accomplishments. Start sentences with words like, “increased,” “initiated,” “led,” “managed,” “developed,” and “improved”. 

Using power verbs is more impactful than simply stating your duties. 

Quantify your achievements.

Numbers will jump out at a recruiter. Determine what metrics your school uses to measure success (test scores, passing rates, etc.) and determine where the baseline was before you started. From there, calculate the difference you made and add it to your resume. 

For teachers, it can also be helpful to incorporate numbers to show how many students you’re used to teaching at a time. 

Demonstrate soft skills with real-word examples.

You can add classroom management as a skill to your resume, but what does that really mean? Without an example, it doesn’t add much value. Instead, think about a time you had to manage a tough class and how you did it. 

How the Resumebuild tool could be utilized for an easy resume setup

Resume Build is an online tool that can help you create a professional, HR-approved resume in just 5 minutes or less. With more than 20 tailored-built resume templates to choose from, you can turn your resume from drab to fab in just three simple steps. 

Step 1: Choose a resume template. With options for every industry, you can rest easy knowing they follow all resume guidelines and best practices.

Step 2: Show what you’re made of—and why you’re the best fit for the position. Easily upload your content right into the template. Or, if you’re struggling to find the right words, Resume Build has uploaded thousands of pre-written samples and resume examples. 

Step 3: Download your resume and start sending to employers! It’s as easy as 1-2-3. 

Ready to get started? Build my resume now.

Creating an effective professor resume presents you with the challenge of appealing to many audiences at once. You’ve got the gatekeepers like ATS (more on what that is later) and university hiring managers as well as other professors in the relevant department. 

If your resume is too technical or academic, the hiring managers may struggle with it, but if it’s too focused on them, your academic expertise might be questioned by the department.

Before you start worrying, read our guide. It’s got expert tips to help you craft a resume which balances all of these audiences to get you the professor position you want.

What you’ll learn in this guide:

• How to use professor resume examples to get inspired
• What you can do to prepare for ATS
• How to create a resume recruiters and hiring managers will love
• The proper formatting rules to follow
• How to make your achievements more impactful
• Which skills to include
• How to start with a great objective or summary
• Why targeting your resume makes such a difference
• How to use a resume builder to make the process easier

Professor resume examples to get you started

As an academic professional, a core part of your job is reading journals and generally keeping up with the latest industry scholarship. But when it comes to creating a resume, most professors simply update the old one they already have.

The problem is that this is a bit like publishing a paper without being familiar with the latest research on the topic. You risk looking out of touch and that you skipped a critical step. That’s why before you start writing, you should analyze some quality professor resume examples for ideas and inspiration.

Below, we’ve compiled a few examples for you. As you examine them, be sure to begin listing what stands out and which elements you’d like to incorporate into your own resume. Also try putting yourself in the shoes of a university recruiter and consider what works and doesn’t work about these examples from their perspective.

[Examples]

How to write a professor resume that will get you through the door

Too many academics simply send off a resume for a professor position and wait to hear back. But understanding the process and preparing for each step will give you a far better chance of getting called in for an interview.

Beyond your resume, also be sure to leverage your professional contacts to learn as much as you can about the position. For example, a university might be looking for someone with expertise in a specific research area or someone with more of a teaching focus. This information will allow you to better tailor your resume (more on that below).

The idea behind this technique is to understand the audiences for your resume and appeal to them. Ironically though, the first audience isn’t always a human HR professional but an algorithm.

Why you need to start by understanding ATS

While they’re more associated with big business, many colleges and universities use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) for their hiring. These AI-driven tools are designed to read large numbers of resumes and quickly sort them into those worth reviewing further and those who will be rejected.

Unfortunately, applicants who don’t ensure their resumes are optimized to be read by ATS are highly likely to have their resumes automatically rejected, even if they’re otherwise qualified. The key to ensuring you’re in the former category is understanding how ATS work and following these three rules.

1. Only submit your resume as a .pdf, .doc, or .docx. These are the three file types that most ATS are designed to read so submitting anything else is likely to lead to an automatic rejection.
2. Use a resume builder. Not all of these files are created equal. The way the data is structured within the file has an enormous impact on how well an ATS can read it. The easiest way to ensure you don’t encounter this problem is to use a resume builder designed specifically to produce ATS-friendly files.
3. Use keywords strategically. ATS are given a set of criteria and will look for evidence that you match them on your resume. Knowing what those criteria are and specifically ensuring you include as many of them on your resume as possible is critical. The best way to do that is to simply read the description of the position and list the skills and experience it asks for. Now, try and ensure those keywords end up in your resume whenever possible.

How to give recruiters and hiring managers what they’re looking for

Once you’ve made it past ATS you’ve still got someone from HR to impress. Think about some of the assignments you’ve seen students turn in, occasionally it seems like they never considered that you, their professor, would ever read it. The assignment is all about the student and ignores its audience. That’s the exact mistake you want to avoid here.

At every step of your resume creation process, consider the recruiter who will be reading it and ask yourself how you can make their job easier. This comes down to structuring the information well (more on that in the next section), editing your writing so it’s concise, and considering what information to include. On that last point, the keyword technique you just used to optimize for ATS will also help ensure your resume is easy for recruiters to read.

How to format a professor resume

Formatting is about more than just what goes where, it’s about controlling the flow of information from your resume to the person reading it. Doing this allows you to get ahead of questions which might arise and emphasize key advantages of you as a candidate.

The primary rule to follow in formatting is to put more important information towards the top. This is why reverse chronological order is best for listing your academic experience, publications etc. However, if there’s a standard practice in your specific academic field, you can default to that.

How long should it be?

Because of the importance of the position you’re applying for, your resume can be a bit longer than average to include all the important information about your academic work. However, do not use this as an excuse to be verbose. Recruiters still have limited time and will not appreciate feeling it was wasted by reading information you could have left out.

So, try and make your resume as short as you can and consider the recruiter throughout. Ask yourself “does this information make my resume better or am I including it out of habit?” This question should guide you in deciding what to add and what to leave out.

Which sections should you consider including?

Again, don’t include all of these sections simply out of habit. Consider which ones will help your resume stand out to recruiters.

• Resume objective or summary
• Work experience
• Achievements
• Publications
• Education
• Hard skills
• Soft Skills

How to highlight your most important achievements

As much as academia focuses on research and knowledge generation for its own sake, the HR professionals from the college or university will have other considerations. They will be looking for candidates who can help further the institution’s goals, whether publishing more, gaining visibility, improving teaching, etc.

That’s one reason why making your achievements concrete and relating them to the goals the reader will have in mind is such an effective strategy. If you can have a recruit thinking “this candidate sounds like they could help us address X issue” you’ll make a better impression. You’ll still need to show off your academic bona fides, but including achievements which appeal to fellow professors and the administration will help you get hired. Let’s see two examples to illustrate how you should phrase these achievements.

Consistently receive high ratings from students.

This “achievement” is simply too vague to carry much weight. A recruiter is likely to read over this and have it barely register.

Obtained an average student rating of 8.7/10 on teaching, 9/10 on responsiveness, and 7.9/10 on difficulty during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Beyond simply giving a recruiter more information, including more details forces them to consider your teaching abilities, reinforcing the idea in their mind. Phrasing your achievements this way also makes you sound reliable, detail oriented, and competent.

What are ideal professor job qualifications and how to list them correctly

Most job listings for a professor will have very specific qualifications. These might be academic credentials like a PhD or work experience in the field. What you need to do is identify what the exact qualifications are for a specific position and ensure it’s easy to see that you meet them. For example, if a PhD is required, don’t forget it to put it next to your name so the recruiter is instantly aware you meet that requirement.

If the core requirements are met via your work experience, you can try putting your current or previous job title next to your name or in a resume objective or summary (more on how to write them below). If there’s a more detailed list of requirements, you can also create a separate section just to list your relevant job qualifications. In either case, your mission is to make checking that you meet them as easy as possible.

How to make your skills stand out

When listing your skills, you should follow the same rules we laid out for your achievements: be specific. Including specific examples of instances when you demonstrated key skills will make them far more impactful and noteworthy relative to simply listing them. This is particularly true for soft skills, as possessing such skills tends to be less obvious.

Applying for grants

Knowledge of grant application systems is a valuable skill for just about any professor, but simply stating that you have it doesn’t mean very much. Let’s see how this skill looks with a practical example included.

Applying for grants

-Completed 24 grant applications in the past 4 years, resulting in 5 projects being successfully funded.

With this example, you can see just what the candidate’s experience looks like and what the results have been. Instead of simply knowing you have some experience with grants, a recruiter or fellow professor reading this can already envision the successfully funded projects which might result from hiring this candidate. You can only unlock the power of that kind of imagination with specifics.

Of course you won’t always have an example to back up a skill, but it’s still best to focus on the skills where you do. It’s also still vitally important to mention as many of the skills listed in the job description as possible without being dishonest.

The best hard skills to include

The skills required will vary tremendously based on the specific field you’re in, but these are some of the hard and soft skills you’ll want to consider mentioning.

• Curriculum development
• Applying for grants
• Research skills
• IRB application experience (if applicable)
• Academic field specific hard skills

The best soft skills to include

• Teaching
• Mentorship
• Academic networking
• Collaboration
• Dependability
• Problem solving

The best way to begin a professor resume

As mentioned, it’s vital to begin your resume with the most important information you need to get across. The most flexible way to do this is with a resume objective or summary.

A resume objective is a single sentence designed to quickly explain who you are and what you hope to achieve with your resume. It should be concise and information dense while still being readable (the last thing you want is a recruiter re-reading your first sentence to understand what you meant to say). Professors often have a reputation for being wordy and overusing dense academic language, so be sure to avoid making those mistakes here.

A resume summary is longer and therefore allows more flexibility in how you use it. However, avoid making the mistake of using this as an excuse to be wordy. A resume summary should still be well-written and to-the-point. Whether you’re starting with an objective or summary, this is your best chance to make a first impression. It’s also a good place to get ahead of questions which might arise elsewhere in your resume. Now let’s see some examples of both to better understand how they can be used effectively.

How to write a resume objective

Your goal here is to be short, punchy, and get right to the point. The reader should come away with a clear idea of you as a candidate. Let’s compare two examples to see that in action.

I’m a History professor with 6 years experiencing teaching courses largely focused on colonial America looking for a new teaching position.

This example shows many of the things you should avoid in a resume objective. On the most basic level, it’s written in the first person and your resume should be entirely in the third person. But more importantly, while it avoids the common problem of vague wording, it focuses on the wrong details. The goal is to make a strong first impression, but this example only really tells the reader what the candidate’s academic focus is. In other words, it’s a missed opportunity. Now let’s compare that to an improved version.

Associate professor with 6 years teaching experience looking to bring an engaging teaching style and important research on race in colonial America to UNC Chapel Hill.

By rewording this objective, it now communicates several key reasons to hire this candidate. Specifically, it starts by making it clear this person meets the minimum requirements for the position before emphasizing how their teaching and research will enhance the university. Even phrasing an objective this way communicates that the candidate is thinking about the whole university community and not just themselves.

How to write a resume summary

The maxim to follow here is “just because it can be longer doesn’t mean it should be longer.” This is why it’s helpful to plan out the main points you want to make in your summary before you start writing it. This will help it stay focused. Anyone reading your summary should come away with a clear idea of the points you’re making. Let’s look at two examples to better understand this in practice.

Professor of communications at Fillmore College (2011-2015) and Auburn University (2015-2019) over the past 8 years, widely respected in the field and published in a number of prestigious journals. Looking for a position to allow a balance between research and teaching responsibilities along with the opportunity for eventual tenure.

This example alternates between providing too much detail (the years when the candidate taught at specific institutions aren’t needed in the summary) and not enough detail (on journal publications). Then, it shifts to focusing entirely on what this candidate wants from the institution which hires them instead of focusing on what they can provide that institution. Granted, the requirements listed are important, but they aren’t the best things to mention at this stage. Let’s compare that to a version with those problems addressed.

Professor of communications with 8 years teaching experience specializing in political communication techniques looking to bring research into how social media is affecting how politics is discussed to the classroom to help UNC Chapel Hill’s students better understand they affect and are affected by social media campaigning.

In this version, the resume summary largely focuses on how the particular research and teaching topic of this candidate will enhance the university’s student body. Details about their publications have been moved to its own section elsewhere on the resume so this argument can be more focused. As a result, the recruiter can come away with a single clear idea about who this candidate is and why they should be considered.

How to target your resume for each application

Considering how intensive the process of hiring a new professor is, you’re not doing your candidacy any favors by sending every college or university an identical resume. Different institutions will be looking for different qualities. One of the single best things you can do to improve your chances of getting hired is to customize your resume to emphasize the qualities each role requires.

Doing that simply means starting with the job description. Analyze it closely and list all the criteria it mentions (you should have already done this for ATS). Next, try researching the institution and using your networks to gather more information about the challenges it faces. Even if those challenges aren’t mentioned in the job description, demonstrating that you can help the institution face them will help your candidacy immensely.

How to make your resume stand out

The last component of an excellent professor resume is the design. You want to use clean and modern design which doesn’t make you look like someone who’ll bore their classes to death with Powerpoint. Even better, good design will make it easier and more pleasant for a recruiter to read through your resume. But if design isn’t your forte, you need to use a tool which does that for you.

Why using a resume builder is so critical

With so many elements to get right, you need all the help you can get when it comes to crafting the perfect professor resume. That’s why using a resume builder is a no-brainer. It gives you easy access to modern design templates, ensures your resume will be ATS-optimized, and gives you a user-friendly platform for crafting custom resumes for each position.

Together, these advantages add up to giving yourself a better chance of getting hired. It shows you’re proactive and ready to find better solutions instead of relying on the way things have always been done, an essential quality in a great professor. So instead of trying to cut corners and just update your old tired Word resume, see the difference Resumebuild.com’s powerful and intuitive features make.

The quote, “You know you’re a substitute teacher when you’re happy to hear the phone ring at 6 a.m.” perfectly encapsulates the life of a substitute teacher. It hints at both the joy that this role brings as well as the haphazardness that comes part and parcel with it.

While substitute teachers may not be recognized for their efforts in the same way that regular classroom teachers are, there’s no denying that they’re just as essential to every public and private school. After all, by stepping in for a regular classroom teacher when they’re unable to attend class, substitute teachers help ensure students’ learning opportunities aren’t disrupted.

There are a number of reasons why a substitute teacher may be called on to temporarily replace a regular classroom teacher for a single day or a longer period of time. These may include when a classroom teacher:

• Is sick
• Is involved in an accident
• Has a family emergency to deal with
• Needs to attend internal or external training
• Is required elsewhere for a specific school activity or program

Whatever the reason and for however long they’re needed, the best substitute teachers empower students to meet the high academic standards while ensuring their safety and wellbeing.

If you’re ready to step up to the challenge of becoming a substitute teacher or you simply want to receive more requests to substitute teach, keep in mind that you’ll need to provide schools with a strong resume.

The easiest way to learn how to create a resume that schools love is to read our substitute teacher resume example and complete writing guide below. You’ll learn:

• The key resume elements principals and school hiring managers are after
• Which achievements to emphasize and how
• How to work out which hard and soft skills to focus on 
• The most straightforward way to target your resume for each application
• Pro tips for differentiating your resume from the competition 

1. Multiple Template Examples

2. How to Write a Substitute Teacher Resume That Will Get Your Phone Ringing?

How do you format the resume?

As a substitute teacher, you’ll know better than most just how important it is to present yourself as a neat and organized professional. So why, then, should your resume appear to be any different? 

The fact of the matter is that a neat and well-organized resume will attract far more attention from a principal or school hiring manager than an untidy and disorganized one. This is why it’s crucial to select the right resume format to arrange the contents of your resume. 

In our opinion – as well as that of most human resources professionals – the reverse-chronological resume format does this most effectively. It’s considered to be the go-to format for experienced professionals as it organizes your resume in a way that emphasizes your career progression. It does this by presenting your most recent job first, followed by the ones that preceded it, in reverse-chronological order.

While you’re tinkering with your resume’s format, you should also bear in mind the particular layout guidelines principals and school managers prefer. For your convenience, we’ve shared the most critical ones for you to follow below:

• • Number of Pages: 1 page at most.
  • Fonts to Use: A conservative font that you would feel comfortable using to write to the school principal, such as Times New Roman and Cambria.
  • Fonts to Avoid: Any fonts that would look right in place on a student’s artwork, such as Austiebost Crazy Days and Cherry Rush.
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

• Line Spacing: 1 or 1.15.

• Header size: 14-16 point size.
• Text size: 11-12 point size.

What makes a great substitute teacher resume?

A great substitute teacher resume should boast a number of key elements in order to catch the eye of a principal or school hiring manager. At its most fundamental level, a resume should be flawlessly formatted and written in a professional manner. 

It should additionally be set out in a way that addresses how the candidate meets the specific criteria stated in a given job ad. In cases where a candidate wishes to submit an application to substitute teach at a school that hasn’t directly advertised for a substitute teacher, the candidate’s resume should be in line with the given school’s general values and teaching goals. 

Ultimately, a great substitute teacher resume should convince whoever is reading it that the candidate is well worth hiring. A resume can do this by establishing how the candidate’s relevant professional experiences, skills, and attributes in turn make them an ideal substitute teacher to teach at a given school.

How to give principals and school hiring managers what they’re looking for by targeting your resume for each application

Now that you’ve learned about the key qualities every great substitute teacher resume should have, you may be raring to start piecing together your own. 

However, it’s vital to be mindful that there isn’t just one perfect resume that will be the right fit for every job. This is because each job comes with a distinct set of criteria attached to it. After all, as every school and principal is unique, expectations for substitute teachers will vary accordingly.

This is precisely why you won’t have much luck in your job search if you simply hand in the same resume each time. If you want to score your dream substitute teaching gig, you’ll need to start targeting your resume for each application. All this requires you to do is customize your resume each time so that it showcases the precise qualities a principal or school hiring manager is looking for. 

If you wish to apply for an advertised substitute teaching role, you can figure out what these qualities are by carefully analyzing the given job ad. The main thing you should be on the lookout for are ‘keywords.’ 

Keywords describe the words that a principal or school hiring manager has included in a job ad to convey what they’re seeking from an ideal candidate. Typically, these will be related to critical skills and competencies. Once you’ve identified these keywords, you’ll need to customize each section of your resume around them. 

Conversely, if you wish to hand your resume over to a school that hasn’t directly advertised for a substitute teacher, you’ll need to take a different approach to targeting your resume. The reason being that you won’t have a job ad to refer to. Instead, you can look at the given school’s website to discover which specific qualities are valued by the school’s principal.

By doing so, you’ll be able to gain a greater understanding of the school’s values and goals, including the type of teacher and teaching styles that are preferred. Once you’ve pinpointed what these are, customize your resume so that it reflects these qualities. 

Which soft and hard skills should you mention? How can you do so correctly?

If you had to add up all of the skills that you’ve drawn on throughout the days, weeks, or months that you’ve worked as a substitute teacher, it would prove to be a near impossible task. After all, there are countless skills you rely on to support the diverse range of students that you teach – and more often than not, you’ll be applying multiple skills at once!

So how do you choose which of your skills will be most worthwhile mentioning in your resume? The short answer is that for the most part, it isn’t up to you at all. The skills you feature should be a reflection of the skills that a principal or school hiring manager is seeking from a substitute teacher for their school. 

As we explored further above, in order to create a great resume, you must customize your resume around the keywords you find in each given job ad (or the qualities you find on a school’s website in cases where there is no job ad). The most common kind of keywords you’ll come across is skills-focused keywords. These keywords basically describe the skills a principal or school hiring manager is looking for from an ideal candidate.  

When you’re analyzing a job ad, keep your eyes peeled for two types of skills-focused keywords: soft skills and hard skills. 

Soft skills are positive personality traits that describe the manner in which you conduct yourself with others as well as the way in which you perform tasks. Hard skills are technical abilities that allow you to complete the tasks expected from you. They are measurable and teachable, and are more often than not specific to each profession.

To gain a clearer understanding of what we mean, take a look at the soft and hard skills we’ve highlighted below. We extracted them straight from real-life substitute teacher job ads so that you can see some of the most sought-after skills principals and school hiring managers are looking for from substitute teachers.

Soft skills

• Positive, respectful, and professional attitude 
• Remaining objective when dealing with student problems, grading, etc.
• Building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among students, faculty, and parents
• Highly-organized
• Punctuality
• Patience
• Leadership
• Ability to follow instructions
• Oral and written communication abilities
• Working well under pressure

Hard skills

• Establishing clear objectives for all lessons and projects 
• Adapting teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs, abilities, personalities, and interests
• Developing techniques to help students improve their learning potential
• Organizing the classroom efficiently to meet the educational and physical needs of students
• Observing and evaluating students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health
• Maintaining thorough student records to document attendance, participation, or progress
• Providing students positive feedback to encourage and help them develop an appreciation for academic achievement
• Reinforcing and rewarding appropriate social and academic behavior in the classroom
• Instructing students individually and in groups using a variety of teaching methods
• Providing a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use

So the big question still remains: How do you correctly mention the soft and hard skills you find in a job ad for a role that you wish to apply for? You should naturally add them to three main sections of your resume:

1. “Resume Objective” or “Resume Summary”: Mention a few relevant skills that you want the recruiter to know immediately about.
2. “Skills” section: Mention 6 to 8 relevant skills in list form.
3. “Employment History” section: Incorporate relevant skills throughout as many of your work achievements as possible (read the following section to learn more). 

Pro tip: Only add skills from a job ad that are relevant to your unique skills set. For example, if a job ad gives preference to teachers who are skilled at teaching students with learning disabilities but you’ve never taught such students, don’t include this skill in your resume. Remember, if you’re caught red-handed embellishing your skills, your application will come to a crashing halt to say the least. 

How to highlight your most important achievements

Your resume is your time to set aside any modesty you feel about your achievements as a teacher and let them shine. The main section you should do so is in your resume’s “Employment History” section. 

If you’re wondering how you can narrow down which achievements to highlight, the answer is simple: look at the given job ad for keywords or the school’s website for useful insights. Yes, once again, these sources of information are the key to making a resume that principals and school hiring managers love.

This is because the achievements you include in your resume shouldn’t be picked at random. You should strategically select achievements so that you have the opportunity to emphasize the very professional experiences, skills, and qualities principals and school hiring managers are seeking from an ideal candidate.

But before you set off, don’t just carelessly plonk the keywords or qualities you’re trying to target into your achievements, like this candidate did:

• Supported students’ varying needs by using various teaching methods known to meet students' varying needs.

This achievement overuses keywords in an unnatural way, which is a phenomenon known as ‘keyword stuffing’. Keyword stuffing not only makes the candidate’s achievement sound stilted and repetitive, but it also puts them at risk of being immediately rejected for engaging in this frowned upon behavior.

Instead, use keywords naturally so that they show off your most impressive attributes. For example:

• Supported a range of students’ needs, including students with physical disabilities and learning difficulties, by implementing 3 different versions of the same lesson. 

This achievement effectively incorporates keywords in a natural way to convey just how skilled the candidate is in supporting different students’ needs. The candidate not only explains how they did so, but also quantified their achievement with an eye-catching example to drive their point home.

What are ideal substitute teacher job qualifications to have? How do you list them correctly?

Unlike regular classroom teachers who must hold specific qualifications in order to work, the qualifications substitute teachers must hold are less clear-cut. 

For private school substitute teachers, mandatory and ideal qualifications will vary from school to school. This is because private schools have the prerogative to decide which qualifications a substitute teacher either must have or ideally have. To learn more, you’ll need to refer to each job ad or each school’s website. 

For public school substitute teachers, mandatory qualifications will vary significantly from state-to-state as well as district-to-district. As such, the ideal qualifications you should highlight in your resume will depend on which state and district you’re teaching in. To learn more, we suggest taking a read of helpful resources such as the National Education Association’s resource, Status of Substitute Teachers: A State-By-State Summary.

Below, we’ve provided some general guidelines for which ideal qualifications to include in your resume as well as how to correctly include them.

Education 

Generally speaking, most states require substitute teachers to have a high school diploma or equivalent at minimum. That being said, it’s ideal for substitute teachers to have a bachelor’s degree (with some states even requiring one). In your resume, make sure to list the highest level of education you attained, in accordance with relevant school, state, and/or district requirements.  

To list your educational background correctly, create an “Education” section. Be sure to include the following details about each degree or diploma:

• The name of the degree or diploma
• The concentration of your degree (if relevant)
• The name of the college or institution you obtained it from
• The state the college or institution is located in
• The years you studied the degree or diploma

For example:

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Education, University of Connecticut, CT, 2016 - 2020

License or Permit

Some states may require substitute teachers to obtain a license or permit from the state in order to teach. It’s important to note that some states may require this in addition to a bachelor’s degree or as an alternative to one. If you’re required to hold one, you can list your license or permit in a section called “License” or “Permit” respectively. Be sure to include the following information about yours:

• The name of the license or permit
• The state it is valid in
• The year you obtained it

For example:

• Arkansas Teacher's License, 2019

Training and Certifications

As you can hazard a guess, whether you will be expected to have undertaken certain training and/or obtained a particular certification will depend on each school and/or state and district. It’s worth keeping in mind that some states will offer higher pay to teachers who hold a valid teaching certificate. 

Even if not required, it’s ideal to feature any relevant training and certifications you have to your name as a substitute teacher. Principals and school hiring managers are always on the lookout for highly-qualified substitute teachers – especially those who have taken the initiative to be the best teachers they can be.

To list any training and certifications, create a “Training and Certifications” section and provide the following information about each one:

• The name of the training or certification
• The name of the issuing institution
• The state it is valid in
• The year you obtained it

For example:

• First Aid Training, Red Cross, CA, 2020

Pro tip: If you’re currently working as a regular substitute teacher at a particular school, ask the principal if there are any opportunities for you to join in on teacher training the school provides to other teachers.

How to write a resume summary or objective and examples of both

If you’ve never heard of a “Resume Summary” or “Resume Objective,” you’re not the only one. There are many resume guides out there that don’t make mention of them, or if they do, they say that they’re optional or even unnecessary.

We wholeheartedly believe that including one or the other is a crucial component to making a fantastic substitute teacher resume. You only need to consider the fact that they have the potential to completely change how a principal or hiring manager views your application in order to realize the value they offer..

So what are these sections designed to do exactly? Both aim to provide the reader with a brief introduction of who you are as a professional. For example, your resume summary or objective should highlight your most notable skills, experiences, achievements, and attributes.

However, be mindful that you should only include one or the other. If you’re an experienced substitute teacher who has been teaching (whether as a regular teacher and/or a substitute teacher) for at least a few years, write a resume summary. If you’re just starting out your teaching career, write a resume objective.

We’ll provide you with some insider tips and tricks for how to write both to perfection below. 

Resume summary

If you want principals and school hiring managers to quickly recognize what an incredible substitute teacher you are, you must convincingly convey this fact in your resume summary. To do so, you’ll need to first understand what mistakes to steer clear of. Take a peek at the following candidate’s lacklustre resume summary, which illustrates a few of the biggest ones clearly:
 

• Substitute teacher who has experience working in a range of different schools. I have been told that I am a truly great substitute teacher because of the unique skills and numerous favorable qualities I offer. For these reasons, I am confident that your school would benefit from making me the school’s go-to substitute teacher.

The main gripe we have with this resume summary example is that the candidate fails to put a spotlight on any qualities that would help them to differentiate themselves from other candidates. The candidate only offers a hazy overview of who they are as a substitute teacher as they didn’t think to include any specific details about their teaching experiences, skills, and qualities. 

For example, they state that they’ve worked “in a range of different schools” but haven’t indicated which types of schools. They also waste space stating that they offer “unique skills and numerous favorable qualities” instead of just specifying what exactly they are. Finally, the candidate confidently states that the school would benefit from hiring them, but didn’t provide a single solid reason for the principal or school hiring manager to think this themselves.

The following example highlights the qualities that you should aim to include in your own resume summary:

• Licensed substitute teacher with 3+ years of teaching experience (including 1 year as a Grade 2 teacher) wishes to bring their enthusiasm for teaching and ability to meaningfully integrate technology into learning experiences to Greatsville Public School. Having taught in both small- to medium-sized schools with a range of students, including those with learning difficulties, I believe I would be able to provide the high level of support students seek from a substitute teacher.

This candidate’s resume summary is tenfold more attractive because it highlights:

• That they’re licensed
• The number of years they’ve been teaching
• The fact they have experience as a regular classroom teacher   
• Their relevant soft skills (e.g. enthusiasm for teaching)
• Their relevant  hard skills (e.g. integrating technology into learning experiences)
• The types of schools they’ve taught at
• The types of students they’ve taught
• Their belief about why they’re worth hiring

If you want to write as strong of a resume summary yourself, be sure to address the above points as they apply to you. Remember, specificity is always better than vagueness!

Resume objective

If you’re just starting out your teaching career and endeavor to get your foot in the door with a substitute teaching job, your resume objective needs to be as strong as steel. Don’t forget that before a principal or school hiring manager gets to see you in action, they’ll only have your resume to go off of. 

That means that including an uninspiring resume objective could close the door to countless job opportunities. After all, who wants to hire an entry-level substitute teacher who can’t even write a convincing resume objective? To see what type of resume objective you should steer clear of writing, take a look at the one below:

• Substitute teacher who has only taught for a couple of days in the same school wishes to find more regular work in one or many schools. I don’t care where I work, I just want to gain more experience so that I can keep strengthening my resume. I’m willing to teach in grades K-2 but prefer not to work grades 3-5. Please note: I would rather not teach physical education if possible.

The problem with this resume objective is that it doesn’t inspire confidence in the candidate’s abilities or motivation to teach. There are a number of signs that the candidate isn’t taking their resume objective, and in turn, their job application seriously. For example, they literally write “I don’t care where I work” and state that their main drive is to strengthen their resume.

What’s more, they come across as very picky. As a substitute teacher, you need to show a willingness to be flexible. As such, it’s not advisable to state which grades or subjects you wish to avoid teaching.

Moving swiftly on, let’s now take a look at a much more inspiring resume objective: 

• After honing my ability to differentiate learning experiences and juggle multiple tasks at once when completing my Bachelor’s in Education, I am now eager to apply for the opportunity to work as a substitute teacher at Hillside Private School. I am well-versed in teaching a range of subjects and offer particular expertise in music. I am willing to teach all grades and subjects. Certified in first aid and CPR. 

Any principal or school hiring manager would be delighted to read such a thoughtfully written resume objective. The candidate sets themselves up to be a rising star by highlighting a number of appealing qualities that every aspiring substitute teacher should offer. All in all, their resume objective is so well-written that it would be sure to convince many principals and school hiring managers to give them a chance. Specifically, they shared:

• Their useful hard skills (e.g.  differentiate learning experiences)
• Their useful soft skills (e.g. juggle multiple tasks at once)
• That they have completed a relevant degree
• Their enthusiasm to work at the specific school they’re applying for
• The subject they particularly excel at teaching
• Their willingness to be flexible with which grades and subjects they teach
• Relevant certifications they hold

As you can see, there isn’t too much to creating a resume objective that turns heads. All you need to do is ensure that you feature the right sort of information in it. Do so, and you’ll soon be packing your bags ready to go to your very first substitute teacher job.

How to make your resume stand out

If you thought that you’re a shoo-in for any substitute teaching job your heart desires, think again. According to 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over half a million substitute teachers in the US alone. While you won’t need to compete with all of the substitute teachers in the country, you will need to with those in your state and/or district. 

In the interests of providing some sense of regularity and familiarity to students, schools tend to ‘hold onto’ substitute teachers they like. This means that it can be difficult to secure a more regular substitute teaching gig if a school already has one or a handful of go-to substitute teachers. The good news is that you can become one of these teachers if you create a resume that stands out. Here are our insider tips for doing so:    

• Mention any relevant professional organizations you’re part of: If you want to show your commitment to teaching, an easy way to do so is to mention any relevant professional organizations you’ve joined. Your membership shows your initiative to grow as a professional as well as form positive connections with fellow educators.
  
  Some well-known professional organizations you may wish to join include: the National Education Association (NEA), Association of American Educators (AAE), National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), and Computer-Using Educators (CUE).

• Emphasize your tech skills and experiences: As an increasing number of schools pivot towards a more tech-focused approach to teaching and learning, there will be a greater demand for teachers who can boast skills and experiences in tech. Make no mistake that this includes substitute teachers as well!
  
  Whether you’ve taught a memorable class that incorporated the use of technology or you’re skilled using relevant teaching and learning technologies, don’t be shy about shining a light on them in your resume. It’s particularly important to do so if you discover the school is a big proponent of using technology in the classroom. 

• Make sure your resume has perfect grammar and spelling: There are few resume faux pas that are worse than grammar mistakes and spelling errors. Unfortunately, there’s even more pressure for teachers to hand in a perfect resume. After all, if a principal spots that you’ve written ‘alot’ or confused the use of ‘their,’ ‘they’re’ and ‘there,’ they’ll wonder if you’ll make the same mistakes when teaching their students.
  
  For this reason, it’s crucial to reassure every principal and school hiring manager who reads your resume that you’re a spelling and grammar buff who sets the same high standards for students. Proofread your resume several times and don’t hand it in until you’re 100% confident that it would score an A+ for both grammar and spelling. 

3. How to Use Resumebuild.com’s Resume Maker to Craft an Eye-Catching Resume in Minutes Instead of Days

Substitute teaching is no doubt a highly rewarding job. You have the opportunity to teach and engage with all kinds of students in a variety of schools. You may teach at a particular school for just one day or become their first point of call whenever they need a substitute teacher. 

But for all of the amazing things about substitute teaching, there are some downsides too. It can be exhausting and frustrating to lack a set schedule and travel constantly between different schools. And then there’s the students themselves. You may get an angelic class one day and then have one or many troublemakers to deal with the next. 

So if you can’t muster up the energy to create your resume from scratch, we completely understand. This isn’t an unusual response at all to the prospect of creating a resume. Needless to say, very few job seekers actually look forward to the multi-day process of making a resume.

That’s why more and more of them have turned to Resumebuild.com’s simple but powerful resume maker. It’s designed for job seekers who are looking for a straightforward and quick way to compile a magnificent resume. Forget about trying to remember every tip we’ve shared above – our resume maker will assist you to make a resume that not only looks the part, but also puts your best foot forward as a substitute teacher. 

Principals and hiring managers will be impressed by just how sleek your new resume looks. After all, our resume maker will offer you the guidance you’re seeking (including helpful pre-written examples!) in order to correctly fill out each essential section of your resume. As an added bonus, you’ll even get the chance to select your favorite resume template from our extensive resume template library.

If you’re ready to book out substitute days months in advance, it’s time to create your resume with our easy-to-use resume maker.