When applying for TEFL jobs you need to keep your CV brief with a simple format that’s easy to read. Most importantly you need to highlight the skills you have relevant to the job, so employers can easily see you are a suitable candidate for the post. Don’t be tempted to send out a generic CV to all the jobs you apply for. Each teaching job will have different requirements and are also in different countries. Therefore, you will need to show why you are particularly qualified for the job you are applying for and any interest you have in the location.
Personal Profile
Your personal profile should briefly summarise the following:
- Qualifications - Degree, TEFL qualification (only mention relevant qualifications here)
- Relevant Experience (i.e 2 years post qualification teaching experience)
- Any specialisms
- Any language/cultural familiarity relevant to the location
- Career goals
Tip - Don’t say you are TEFL qualified as this is a generic term for the qualification. An employer needs to know which specific TEFL qualification you have for example, CELTA or Trinity TESOL. All qualifications differ in terms of content and quality.
Employment History
Give details of your employer, role and dates of employment. Be sure to give 'from' and 'to' dates so the recruiter can establish how long you worked for the company and exactly how much experience you have. You should then bullet point your main responsibilities in that role. If you have no teaching experience, list jobs highlighting any transferable skills you have acquired. For example:
- Good communication skills
- Any training or planning you may have done in that role
Education
At the bottom of your CV you should list your academic qualifications. Put your TEFL qualifications at the top of the list so the employer can clearly see you have the relevant qualifications. Always put your grade, place of study and the course dates. You should then list your other qualifications with the most recent first.
Remember each teaching job has different requirements which may include a degree, CELTA grade B or previous experience. It is therefore important to ensure you are familiar with the job description and tailor your CV to it, ensuring that the recruiter can very clearly see you have these requirements.
Final Tip
Keep you CV short - no longer than 2 pages.
See current employment opportunities with International House here.
