Once you
submit your application for employment with us and your application for teacher registration with the
Queensland College of Teachers (QCT), you may wish to contact the
regional HR team in the geographical area in which you want to teach to discuss your preferences, needs and what you have to offer a school. In this conversation the regional HR officer may ask you to forward your resume (sometimes called a curriculum vitae or CV) to them.
You may also be asked for a copy of your resume when you approach schools directly for supply or short-term contract work. This means you will need to have one prepared.
We’ve compiled a quick reference guide on what to include to get you started.
Before you begin
Make sure you have the ID numbers from your application for employment and your Queensland College of Teachers application, even if they are not yet finalised.
Find a modern resume template you would like to use to create your resume. You can find many templates online.
Consider the readers of your document—they are likely to be reading multiple resumes during a recruitment process. How can you ensure that yours easily communicates the key information they require?
Your resume represents you. Consider how the content, style of document and tone in which you write communicates about the person you are.
What to include
Personal information
On your resume, you should include your name as it appears in your application. You may like to add a 'preferred name' if you are commonly known as something else besides your legal name.
You should also include your QCT applicant/registration number (6 digits) and your applicant number (the 7-digit number you will be provided once you have submitted your application for employment).
You only need to include your phone number and email address on your resume as all other contact details will have been submitted with your application for employment.
Professional profile
A professional profile is approximately 3 to 5 sentences long and is usually placed at the beginning of a resume. It should sell you in a snapshot and give an ‘essence’ of you or how you might add value to a school. This is not your teaching philosophy. It’s about what you do and what you are. Have a look online at templates and examples or check out our
quick reference guide for advice.
Experience
You should list your experience in reverse chronological order (most recent/relevant first) and include your job title, employer, dates and key duties in that role. We recommend you use bullet points to outline your key duties.
If you have a long work experience history, shorten the very early part of your working life or the non-relevant roles by listing the roles you held and the employer without the list of key duties.
Qualifications and skills
You should include any
qualifications you have completed, such as an undergraduate degree or postgraduate degree, certificates, diplomas, as well as other relevant certifications including workplace health and safety, first aid, Justice of the Peace or Commissioner of Declarations, sports coaching and officiating and bus licences.
If you have any transferrable
professional skills, you should also include these. These could include (but not limited to):
- coaching and mentoring
- computer skills
- behaviour management skills
- iPad or technology skills
- OneSchool system proficiency
- leadership skills
- multi-age curriculum planning
- assessment alignment.
Your personal skills should also be included on your resume. These might include (but are not limited to):
- organisational and time management skills
- interpersonal and communication skills
- active listening
- commitment to personal and professional development
- resilience and growth mindset
- team work and collaboration.
Activities and interests
Sharing activities and interests you’re into can be a great way of providing a potential employer with a snapshot of who you are and how you might fit in with the key needs of the school and community. These might include:
- sports
- musical instruments
- drama and theatre
- singing
- gardening and cooking
- recycling and eco-friendly living
- technology
- event management
- volunteering.
Referees
It’s usual practice to provide 2 or 3 referees on your resume, with at least one who has directly supervised you in a teaching position or on professional experience/practicum.
We strongly recommend you contact your referees before you submit your application to ask for their consent to be a referee and provide them with a copy of your resume so they know what they are speaking about.
You may choose to say 'referees on request', however it is often simpler for those managing recruitment if they are listed on your resume.
Formatting
To make it easy to read, you should:
- stick to the recommended page limit (2 to 3 pages at most)—leave spaces between paragraphs or sections
- use bullet points where possible—this can take up more room, but the white space helps readability
- minimise the bolding of key words—don’t bold too many
- keep it short and sharp—don’t waste words
- consider whether your use of colour (if you’re using it) enhances readability or distracts from it
- be creative with how you use the 2 or 3 pages—refer to some templates online for ideas.
Including a personal photo is not contemporary practice.
There is no 'one-size-fits-all' way of creating a resume so find a template that best expresses your professional self.
Supporting documentation
You don’t need to include a teaching philosophy or professional experience reports in your resume. These can be supporting documents that you either upload with your application for employment or that you supply if the principal or recruitment team ask for it.
Cover letters
Cover letters are not always required. On most occasions, just the resume itself is enough. However, they are sometimes handy for supply or short-term contracts if you are handing your resume in to schools directly (a business card is also handy for supply/short-term). It’s a good idea to make an appointment to do this as school leaders are busy people. If you do wish to write a cover letter, check out our
cover letter quick reference guide for some helpful tips.
Further assistance
Check out our other quick reference guides on
cover letters and
professional profiles.