Education Career Services, Grove City College

Alumni Resources
Purpose ♦ Benefits ♦ Guidelines ♦ Getting Started ♦ Checklist ♦ Samples

Resume Writing

A resume is your most important marketing tool. Therefore, prepare to spend some time developing several drafts until you have created the most effective representation of your strengths and experiences. Don't put off writing the first draft until your last semester!

Students and alumni may email their resume to Deborah Snyder for review and critiquing. Also, please contact Mrs. Snyder for an individual appointment to discuss your resume and other employment-related issues.

Purpose

A resume is a summary of the strengths and experiences related to your career objective and the employer's needs. There are MANY opportunities to use your resume throughout the application process:

To give administrators and teachers you meet during student teaching
To share with interested teachers/administrators at an in-service day or professional conference
To provide to a reference as he/she develops a letter of recommendation for you
To pass along to individuals in your network
To accompany an online application
To respond to an advertised job vacancy
To distribute at Job Fairs
To send to a prospective employer
To present to an employer at the interview

Benefits

Resume writing is a crucial stage in job-hunting, not only because of the importance of the end-product, but the self-assessment stimulated by reflecting on your strengths and experiences is foundational to the entire job-hunting process. By examining your background and developing inventory of your strengths, you will be better prepared to:

Draft a cover letter that summarizes and emphasizes major skills, accomplishments, and experiences on your resume.
Begin targeting employers that meet your needs, interests, and values.
Respond effectively to interviewers who are evaluating your self-awareness, maturity, judgment, communication skills, and personal attributes.
Formulate a skills and experience summary to respond succinctly to job fair representatives.

Resume Guidelines

There is not a universal format or formula for organizing a resume, but here are some guidelines to follow:

Don't edit too much in your head. Initially, develop an inventory of related experiences (i.e. teaching, interacting with children, etc.) and a list of other experiences, such as leadership, extra-curricular, professional associations, awards, service, and volunteer activities, etc. This secondary list may be helpful to round out your skills and qualities.
Keep it concise, factual, and positive.
Consider the Relevancy Test: the information on your resume should support your career objective, AND it should be pertinent to the employer.
List accomplishments, not just responsibilities. Provide evidence of skills, not a list of duties. If possible, list outcomes--what did YOU accomplish or contribute in a particular experience?
Include relevant activities. Clubs, organizations, travel, and outside interests may strengthen your resume, indicating the many dimensions you bring to the classroom.

Getting Started

1. Develop a list of the Top Ten Skills you bring to the classroom. What are your strengths? What are the unique skills and qualities you bring to the classroom?

Consider feedback you've received in other experiences, e.g. field experience, volunteering in your church or community, student teaching. How would faculty and classroom teachers describe you? Also, consider results from objective assessments such as Career Direct, the Strong Interest Inventory, and the Myers-Briggs Indicator. (If you want to explore any of these assessments, contact Mrs. Snyder.)

2. Develop a list of the Top Ten Skills and Qualities the prospective employer is seeking. Do your homework--consider general skills a teacher needs, as well as any particular needs of the school district to which you are applying. Some helpful resources: a) O*net lists skills, abilities, etc., required for various occupations, including teachers; b) AASPA, American Association of School Personnel Administrators, compiled key skills school districts seek in the ideal teacher

3. OK--you have 2 lists: a) Your Top Ten Strengths and b) the Top Ten Skills and Qualities the employer is seeking in the ideal candidate. Review both carefully. Where do they intersect? These are the skills, experiences and interests you want to highlight on your resume.

If you simply list your strengths without considering what the employer is looking for, the employer may not consider your resume pertinent to his/her needs. One the other hand, if you develop a resume for a particular position, you may be tempted to manipulate information by using flowery language that is unconvincing and canned. However, if you have done your homework and developed lists from both perspectives, you will position yourself well for writing an authentic resume. Additionally, you will be well-positioned for writing the cover letter and describing relevant strengths and experiences in the interview.

Resume Critique Checklist

First impression is favorable
No spelling, grammar or punctuation errors; verb tense is consistent
Name, address and phone numbers are accurate and professionally formatted
Margins are approximately 1", nothing less than 3/4"
Layout facilitates quick review by reader
Concise descriptions are easy to read--better yet, bulleted entries help the eye to move easily over the page
Most significant items are emphasized by bolding, italics, underlining or capital letters where appropriate (and consistently), but not overdone!
Indentations are used to organize information logically
Action words are descriptive, communicating accomplishments and results
Teaching and related experiences include quantifiable results and contributions
Jargon outside of education has been converted to transferable language
Extraneous and personal information (e.g. height, age, gender, political and religious affiliation, etc.) have been deleted
Resume demonstrates your experience as a teacher and the total package you bring to the classroom!!

Sample Resumes

Resume formats vary depending on the information you are highlighting. Here are some sample resumes for your consideration. Please contact Education Career Services (Mrs. Snyder) for more information and to receive feedback on your resume.