Education Resume Types (With Templates and Examples)

Education professionals produce a resume to show hiring managers that they have the skills to fulfil the duties of an educator effectively. Candidates looking for a role in the education sector use their resumes to highlight their relevant qualifications and experience to increase their chance of success. Understanding how to create an effective educator resume can help you secure an interview. In this article, we discover what an educator's resume is, explore useful writing tips and share three education resume examples.

What is an education resume?

An education resume is a professional document a candidate presents in the early stages of a recruitment process. This document provides a record of their employment history, skills and educational achievements, which helps hiring managers to assess if they're the ideal candidate for the role. Teachers, teacher's aides, research associates, special education teachers and other professionals in the education industry typically use this type of resume.

Related: Jobs in the DECD (Department for Education and Child Development)

Tips for writing an education resume

To create an effective resume for an educative position, consider the following tips:

Use your professional summary to highlight important information

The professional summary section is an opportunity to summarise the content of your resume and draw the hiring manager's attention to your experience and specific skills. This section is typically two to three sentences long and aims to encourage the hiring manager to continue reading or invite you to an interview. This section explains how your education, skills and industry knowledge make you the ideal candidate for the educational role.

You can also incorporate education-related keywords into this section. The job description attached to the advertisement typically contains role-specific keywords that you can include to increase the likelihood of applicant tracking systems (ATS) selecting your application. An ATS scans resumes for specific words to determine how well an application aligns with the job's specifications. Here are some education-related keywords that you may consider including in your professional summary:

• learning environment

• behaviour management

• lesson planning

• curriculum

• teaching styles

• interactive learning

Related: How to Create a Stand-Out Resume (With Template and Example)

Choose the correct format

The format of your resume may differ depending on your level of experience. It's important to select a suitable format to focus on either your experience or skills. To do this, consider how much experience the hiring manager prefers candidates to have. For example, senior positions may require individuals with more experience, so candidates may consider prioritising the work history section of their resume. Three common resume formats you may consider using are:

• Chronological: Chronological resumes focus on work experience. Typically, candidates can list their work history in reverse chronological order.

• Functional: This resume format focuses on skills and education history rather than work experience. Functional resumes are useful for candidates who have relevant qualifications and lack industry experience.

• Combination: Combined resumes highlight skills and experience and are especially useful for candidates with a lot of relevant experience and skills.

Include additional qualifications

Specialist roles, such as special education teaching positions, may require additional qualifications or a major in a specific subject. Therefore, it's important to highlight this on your resume and inform the hiring manager you're suitable for the role.

You can list your qualifications by stating your degree title, the name of your university and the year of graduation. Candidates applying for senior academic roles, such as university lecturer or professor positions, can list all relevant academic qualifications in the same format, including PhDs or master's degrees.

Related: What Does a Special Educator Do? (A Comprehensive Guide)

Focus on soft skills

To prepare a resume for a general educative position such as a teacher's aide, consider focusing on soft skills. These are transferable skills that are useful in different roles within the education industry. Soft skills help candidates work and communicate successfully with other educators and students.

To ensure that you include the relevant skills, consider referring to the job advertisement and job description. These typically list the skills that the employer prefers the successful candidate to possess, which you can include on your resume to increase your chance of selection. Useful soft skills for educators include:

• strong written and verbal communication

• compassion

• effective presentation

• confidence

• resilience

• critical thinking

• problem solving

• effective time management

Proofread your resume

Before submitting your resume, it's important to proofread it thoroughly. Resumes are typically a hiring manager's first impression of a candidate's written communication skills, so it's crucial to ensure no spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors. This is particularly important, as educator roles typically require comprehensive written communication skills.

Resume template for educators

The following is a template you can use to create your resume:

[Name]
[Location]
[Phone number]
[Email]

Professional Summary

[Two to three sentences highlighting your most relevant qualifications and experience, such as certifications that may make you a competitive candidate.]

Work Experience

[Job title]
[Company name] [Location] [State] [Date started–finished/current]

• [relevant job duty]

• [relevant job duty]

• [relevant job duty]

• [relevant job duty]

• [relevant job duty]

[Job title]
[Company name] [Location] [State] [Date started–finished/current]

• [relevant job duty]

• [relevant job duty]

• [relevant job duty]

Education

[Title of qualification]
[Institution name, graduation date]

Skills

• [relevant skill]

• [relevant skill]

• [relevant skill]

Related: How to Become a Teacher (Including FAQs)

Examples of an educational resume

Depending on the role candidates apply for, educator resumes may focus on different aspects. For example, candidates looking for an entry-level position may choose a functional resume, which focuses on skills and education rather than work experience. Candidates who apply for senior roles that require many years of experience and additional qualifications may use a chronological resume. The following shows three resume examples for different education professionals:

Teacher resume

This is a resume for a special needs teacher. It focuses on employment history and shows the hiring manager that the candidate possesses the necessary skills and knowledge to teach students with specific educational needs:

Claire Thompson
Moore Park, Sydney
0491 304 2032
ctom@email

Professional Summary

I'm a dedicated special education teacher with over five years of experience working with students with varying disabilities, creating a positive and supportive learning environment. My skills and experience allow me to connect with students and facilitate positive progress in their academic journey.

Work Experience

Special education teacher
St Peters School, Sydney: 2017–Current

• working with children to establish their learning needs

• tailoring lesson plans to suit different learning styles

• marking homework

• working with parents to help guide them through assignments

• organising school trips

Education

Bachelor of Education (Special Needs Teaching)
The School of Accessible Learning, 2016

Skills

• patience

• knowledge of different learning styles

• empathy

• communication

• sign language

• story building

• behaviour management

• adaptability

• flexibility

Student teacher resume

The following is a functional student teacher resume. It focuses on education history rather than work history, as this is most relevant to the type of positions they typically apply for:

Susie Watts
Bedfordale, Perth
0491 293 1938
swatt@emai.com

Professional Summary

I'm a dedicated teaching student looking for training and placement opportunities to further my skills and prepare myself for an English teaching career when I'm fully qualified. The skills I have gained during the theory-based portion of my teacher training have equipped me with valuable classroom and conflict management skills that I believe make me an excellent candidate to facilitate a positive learning environment.

Education

Master of Education
The Perth Teaching School, estimated graduation date 2022

Bachelor of Arts
The Perth University, 2021

Skills

• classroom management

• conflict resolution

• resilience

• time management

• active listening

• knowledge of English literature and language

• patience

• written and verbal communication

• organisation

• creativity

Related: Teacher Aide Job Description: Skills and Responsibilities

Lecturer resume

A lecturer is an academic professional who works in university settings and teaches their specialist topic. Lecturers and professors may require a doctoral degree in their specialist subject to begin teaching. The following resume example demonstrates this:

Joseph Adams
Woodside, Adelaide
0491 249 2034
jadam@email.com

Professional Summary

I'm an experienced educator looking for a role as a university lecturer specialising in journalism studies. My extensive experience as a university professor, coupled with my doctoral degree, allows me to pass on expert knowledge that can help students succeed in their academic endeavours. My critical thinking and discussion skills enable me to initiate enlightening conversations and debates that resonate with students, making me an asset to any institution looking to improve student satisfaction.

Work Experience
Associate professor, Ethics of Journalism lecturer
The Department of Media, The University of Heaton, South Australia: 2015–Current

• delivering lectures to students according to the reading list and curriculum

• assigning coursework to monitor student progress

• marking coursework to establish final grades

• working with students to process course feedback and improve course structure

• organising seminars to discuss reading materials

Senior lecturer
The Department of Media, The University of Heaton, South Australia: 2010–2015

• worked with professors to establish reading lists

• delivered lectures

• marked coursework

Lecturer
The University of City South, NSW: 2003–2006

• worked with academic staff to deliver lectures and seminars under the supervision of professors

• moderated student papers

• supervised undergraduate and master's students through the thesis process

Research associate
The University of City South: 2001–2003

• assisted lecturers gather course materials for the academic year

• conducted reading list research

• helped undergraduate and postgraduate students with their thesis writing

Education
PhD in Ethical Journalism
The University of Sydney, 1999

Master of Education
The Sydney Teachers' College, 1997

Master of International Journalism
The University of Sydney, 1995

Bachelor of Arts
The University of Sydney, 1993

Skills

• group discussion skills

• debating skills

• communication

• critical thinking

• problem solving

• time management

• organisation skills