CV Tips
At Athona Education we match the right candidates to the right schools. We look at hundreds of CV’s, so we know What A Good One Looks Like (WAGOLL).
You can send us your CV here, but if you want your CV to have the most impact, here are a few things that you can do:
Keep it simple
- Use one colour (usually black)
- Choose a clear and easy-to-read font such as Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri etc, at about 10pt – 12pt. Consistency is key, use the same font throughout.
- If you want to include headings or sections, create them using the same font and enhance them by making them bold.
- We would not recommend including a photo.
- CV’s with boxes, colours and fonts may look eye catching, however, they can actually put people off reading them.
Don’t make it too long
Keep to two pages. We know that this can be difficult when you are trying to highlight your achievements, but employers are put off by long CV’s and are unlikely to read to the end.
Follow the CV Structure
This may sound like common sense, but choosing the wrong layout can inhibit your chances of standing out. Follow our tips below for the best layout:
Contact details
Make sure you include your name, phone number, email address and a general area of location, for example, Brentwood, Essex. This information at the top of your CV makes it as easy as possible for an employer to get in touch.
Double check your contact details, it is so easy to make a mistake. We have received lots of CV’s with an incorrect email address or phone number leaving us unable to contact the candidate about potential positions.
Personal statement
It is common to write a short section about you at the top of your CV to show your personality and passion for the role. Don’t make this section too long, you can expand on your experience later on, keep it brief (one paragraph or 3-4 sentences is just enough)
Work experience
Always put your most recent position first. An employer will be interested in your current job. For each role, expand on your relevant experience, list the skills you have acquired, show personal highlights etc.
Separate each job with a space of at least one line to its easy to read (remember try not to make the CV more than 2 pages long).
Tailor your CV to the job
We recommend that you amend your CV depending on the role you are going for and don’t just send the same one out for each and every position.
For example, if you have EYFS experience and the school is looking for a foundation teacher or early years TA, then make sure you highlight this. Similarly, if you have SATs experience, include this in your CV when applying for a year 2 or year 6 position as the school will want to know.
For ECTs – expand on your placement experience
Time to talk about your placement! Schools already know that ECT’s will have less experience, but all your classroom experience is relevant so use this opportunity to highlight how your skills and knowledge will suit the role.
Gaps in your work history
Keep it brief. If you have any career gaps it’s a good time to explain them in your CV so that there are no unanswered questions in your application. Include the dates and the reason, for example ‘career break to raise children’.
Other Roles
List your other jobs, but if they are not relevant to the role you are applying for keep them brief, a few bullet points at the most.
Qualifications
Highlight your academic achievements, in date order. Make this section clear – if you have a degree, include the subject. For those that aren’t qualified teachers, your specialist subject knowledge can help you to become an instructor.
If you have other qualifications, such as Teaching Assistant L3 diploma, include the full name of the course and the level you achieved.
Hobbies and other interests
In one or two sentences, sum up your hobbies or interests. This personalises you, and could add value to the school, for example, having an additional language or a sport.
References
Use ‘references available on request’ at the bottom of your CV giving you full control of who is asking for them.
Use the correct perspective
Talk about yourself in 1st person… ‘I work well in a team environment’. Using 3rd person (Emily works well in a team) would disconnect you from a prospective employer.
Check your work
Read and re-read your CV – to check for spelling and grammar mistakes. In addition, ask someone else to check your work. Any mistakes show a poor attention to detail, this reflects badly when working in education.
There are lots of online companies offering CV templates such as Microsoft or My perfect CV. An example of what we think a good CV looks like can be found here.
Once you are happy with your CV, send it to us here and the team will be in touch, we are always happy to give you some feedback on your CV. If you need some additional advice, contact us or call 01277 245840 and we will try our best to help.
