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Application preparation for graduate teaching roles

Amber Roberts Careers Adviser

Career Development Service

What is a resume? • A summary of your education, employment experience and

skills and relevant aspects of your extra-curricular life • A marketing document selling yourself for a role • Showcases your skills and attributes as a graduate • Purpose = to get you to an interview!

Employers are likely to spend no more than 90 seconds reviewing your resume

How to write your resume • Start by researching the role • Find out as much as possible about the school – from their website

& from talking to other people who work there • Identify your skills, strengths and achievements • Also tailor your resume to suit the requirements of a particular

teaching position. Make it school specific.

‘Your Resume is a 60 second commercial to convince others of your abilities to solve their problems.’ Paul Stevens. The Australian Resume Guide. 2003.

Review the Professional Teaching Standards – Victorian Institute of Teaching http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/standardsandlearning/Pages/professional-standards.aspx The Standards within each key stage are intended to describe the nature of teachers’ work in three domains: •Professional Knowledge •Professional Practice •Professional Engagement

Formatting • Maintain consistent style – same style with bullet points, font or

spacing • Font size 11 or 12 with headings in slightly larger or bold font • Avoid mixed fonts (Arial, Times New Roman) • Use subheadings & bullet points • Make each section distinct • Include a footnote (name and page numbers) • Justify information to the left • Use colour sparingly • Do not put clip-art, cartoons, or other illustrations • Avoid tables and go easy on underlining • Should be no more than 2-3 pages (*as per their guidelines) • Neatly typed on white A4 paper and if sending stapled top left (do

not bind!)

At all times you MUST follow employer instructions!

Content Guidelines • Be concise and systematic • Reverse chronological order • Achievement focused • Use action verbs • Achievements are quantified • Use plain English • Avoid jargon, slang or acronyms • Put less important information at the back • Provide evidence of real life examples • Use an English spell checker set to English • Don’t ever send your first draft – proof read and edit thoroughly • No photo is necessary (unless asked for) • Get it checked by someone “in the know”

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Tailor your resume! • Don’t use the same resume for each application • Identify key words from the job ad & position description – make sure

you use them in your resume • Tailor your key competencies/skills section in your resume

Possible Headings • Teaching Philosophy • Education/Qualifications • Key competencies • Teaching Practicum • Employment History • Voluntary Experience/Community Engagement • Professional Development / Additional Training • Professional Memberships • Awards and Achievements • Extracurricular involvement • Interests • Referees

Contact Details

• Make your name stand out • Address • Phone Numbers

– Only put the one with an answering machine

– Most contactable first • Email – make sure it is

professional • Do not include: marital status,

DOB, gender, ethnicity • Consider including Permanent

Residency Status

Tina Teacher 23 Yellow Street Cronwell VIC 3210 Ph: 0412 234 333

Email: tina.teacher@hotmail.co

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Teaching Philosophy – an example

A dynamic and motivated graduate teacher who has a strong interest in being involved in, and promoting, inclusive education, environmental conservation and the performing arts. An ability to design balanced, innovative programs that encourage students to make a positive impact on their local and global communities within the scope of current curriculum frameworks and educational models. Ideally seeking a full time Graduate Teacher position as a English and Drama Teacher.

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Education • Include dates (start and end date) • Title of the degree in full • Name of Institution (Australian Catholic University, not just ACU) • When you expect to complete the course • Achievements (e.g. HD average, enter score) • Don’t write lists of subjects you have undertaken at school or Uni

Examples 2011 - Current Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts

Australian Catholic University 2010 Victorian Certificate of Education

Doncaster Secondary College

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Skills Summary • Can be called Skills Summary/ Professional Skills/ Key Strengths/ Key

Competencies • Must be aligned with the key selection criteria • Highlight your key strengths relevant to the employer’s requirements • Substantiate your claims – provide examples Examples: • Natural ability to establish a good rapport with students,

strengthened through establishing supportive relationships with student both within and outside the classroom environment

• Effective communication skills with individuals from all different levels, including the ability to liaise with parents, staff members and students

Teaching Practicum

Date School ( Weeks) Years/Classrooms • Sentence about what you did - not what was expected of you on

practicum but what you developed, implemented, school activities you were apart of, etc.

Examples: May 2013 Year 7 and 8 (4 weeks) Carmall Secondary School • Developed lesson plan, worked with students to explore the inquiry

unit on multiculturalism and developed an assessment task, which contributed to their semester grade

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Employment History • Can be separated into sections; Relevant Work Experience and

Other Employment • Include

– Date of starting & completing the job – Hours of work (e.g. 15 hours per week) – Title of the position – Name of the organisation – Key roles and responsibilities – Achievements • Use this format for detailing volunteer work, vacation work,

industry experience etc.

Employment History Example Mar 2012 - Current Integration Aide (Year 6) Hillside Primary School • Supervise and assist students with additional needs within the

classroom environment • Management of individual student’s progress, assisting with learning,

behaviour management and providing support to the classroom teacher

• Liaise with classroom teacher, principal and parents about the students’ progress

• Support other students with a range of additional needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Down Syndrome and Narcolepsy

Extra-curricular Activities/Community Engagement / Volunteer work List all other relevant roles you have taken that are relevant i.e.

Volunteer work, sports related roles, the arts, community or church activities Example: 2012 – current Homework Club Volunteer Atherton Gardens • Provide support with homework to students in Year 7 and 8 • Gained experience with cross cultural communication and the

issues faced by young people who are migrants

Professional Development/Additional Certifications

Remember to only put in what is relevant to the position you are applying for! Examples: 2013 Creating and maintaining Individual Learning Plans The Centre for Professional Learning 2012 Senior First Aid Certificate: Level 2 Australian First Aid, Updated CPR February 2013 2012 Education Support (Training Program) Australian Education Industry Centre

Accreditation/Registration/Professional Memberships

Include any student memberships of organisations within your industry (Include: Year you joined, Name of the Association, Level of membership) Example: 2013Working with Children Check 2013 National Criminal History Record Check (Ref no. 89763330) 2013 Provisional Victorian Institute of Teaching (Reg no. 87555500)

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Interests

• This lets the employer know a little bit about your personality • Include: 3-5 interests, be specific. If you like reading state what you

like. Be interesting but mindful that your interests reflect you!

Example: Enjoy keeping fit through playing weekly competition netball and training for cycling.

Referees

A Position Description usually specifies the number and perhaps the type of referees/references required.

Three referees are often required. A guide to help you choose your referees is: • A School Principal [who knows you and can speak highly of your

professional expertise.] • A classroom teacher [who knows you well and can speak highly of

your professional expertise.] • A lecturer from the ACU National Education Faculty [who knows

you well and can speak highly of your academic/educational expertise.]

• Your current Manager from your paid employment or a volunteer role you undertake regularly

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Referees

• Some schools require a Minister of Religion as a referee. Choose one who knows you/your family well.

• Choose and ask your referees early. [Listen to their responses very carefully. ]

• It is not appropriate to name relatives as referees. • Written references are now less common. Include one only if it is

required, or if you are sure it will really enhance your application. Always follow the employer’s directive.

• Remember to get permission!!!!!!

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Some things to avoid …… • Missing dates • Vague language • Typos • Controversial hobbies • Misrepresentation • Irrelevant information(DOB, Primary School) • Graphics or clip art • Putting “Resume” at top • Using different font and coloured fonts throughout resume –stick

with black • Photo of yourself – do not include unless specifically requested

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Resume Checklist • Presentation Can you improve the layout? • Tailored to the position- Is your resume organised to highlight most relevant

achievements/experiences? • Up to date information Is it current? • Proof read Did you check, double check, get someone else to check! • Would you interview yourself based on the content, formatting and

layout of your resume? Does it look like a professional document?

Cover letter A cover letter (application letter) is just as important as your resume. Purpose of it is to make the reader want to read more about you. Research shows that employers make a recruitment decision in seconds based on the quality of the letter. Never send a standard letter. A letter must be job and company specific. You have only one chance of enticing the Manager/Recruiter to read more.

Cover letter • All left-aligned • Keep the tone positive • Clear, concise, to the point, ideally one side of A4 • Proof read to avoid spelling or grammatical errors • Send the covering letter as an attachment and write a brief

explanatory email • If you mail a hard copy you should include your address, the

employer’s address and the date to the top of your letter

Cover letter – an easy formula to remember

Talk about you – Education and Experience Talk about the role/the job and the School Summarise the skills and qualities you bring to the role (important if there is criteria for the role but you don’t need to submit a ‘response to key selection criteria’)

Cover letter format Dear Ms Smith (try to find out their name but if you can’t address it to: Dear Sir/Madam) Re: Application for . . . . . . (write job t title and reference number, if applicable) Paragraph 1: The Opening - Introduce yourself briefly; refer to where you saw the advert, or if it is a speculative letter say why you are writing, including what kind of job/placement you are enquiring about. Paragraph 2: Why this career and why them? Give reasons for your interest in this role and the career sector for which you are applying, show that you have done your research and choose elements of the role that genuinely excite you. Give the reasons you are applying to this particular company/organisation. This is your chance to target your application and demonstrate that you have done your background research. Avoid vague generalisations about their “excellent reputation” or “first class training”. Paragraphs 3: Why You? It is vital to show what you can do for them. Give reasons why they should consider you. Write about the highlights in terms of your experience, skills and knowledge, which match the employer’s criteria in the advert. Don’t just repeat what is already in your CV, but emphasise your key selling points for the job.

Cover Letter Template Final Paragraph: The Ending Conclude positively, thank the employer for considering you and say that you look forward to hearing from them. Yours sincerely (If you wrote to a named individual but Yours faithfully if you used ‘Dear Sir or Madam’). Sign it here

Points to remember with selection critieria

No matter how the job selection criteria appear, follow these six Steps to ensure your application covers all the required information: • read and reread the advertisement and position description • highlight key words and think about what the employer is looking for • list examples of how you meet the key selection criteria- describe

relevant skills, experience, incidents, training, personal qualities and expertise

• review your list and summarise, in 60-120 words, how you have demonstrated you meet the KSC

• repeat these steps for the remaining KSC.

*print or save the job details and position description, so you can easily refer to them later

More tips • Address every aspect of each criteria. • Avoid unsupported statements such as ‘I have great initiative.’

Show, don’t tell. Support your claims with relevant concrete examples from study, teaching rounds, work experience, voluntary work and community experience. e.g. ‘I demonstrated my initiative when……’ ‘My initiative was evident when…..’

• Start a new document and use the exact wording of the selection criteria as

headings. • Don’t be tempted to combine criteria which sound similar. Keep in

mind that selection criteria are not always well written but you need to work with what is given.

Responding to different types of criteria

Skills or ability criteria: often referred to be recruiters as ‘competencies’. • Give examples of when you have demonstrated the skill or ability. • A typical response might consist of 2 or 3 examples • Use examples from a range of experiences and contexts throughout

your responses- your work, study or extra-curricular activities

A useful framework for responses for skills criteria is the STAR model: S – situation: set up the context – where, when, who? T – task : what specifically was the task/challenge? A – action: what did you do to get the task done? R – result: what was the outcome? There is no strict guide to length but consider a 1/3 to 1/2 a page.

If describing a scenario, use the STAR acronym S – Situation T – Task A – Action/Activity R – Result

Finding Positions • Teaching rounds matter! Sometimes students are informed of upcoming positions at schools where they are known. • Look at the Catholic Education Commission Victoria Website.

There are four Catholic Dioceses in Victoria and many more Australia wide.

Go to www. cecv.vic.catholic.edu.au Search your diocese or several dioceses. There are also Lutheran Schools, Uniting Church Schools, Anglican Schools, Islamic Schools, Greek Orthodox, other Christian, Indigenous, Steiner etc. Many, if not all, employ graduates. They advertise in various ways.

Finding Positions

• The biggest employer of Secondary Teaching Graduates Victoria wide is the State Education system.

• For State Education go to www.education.vic.gov.au There are sections on job vacancies, graduate recruitment and teaching scholarships etc. Application is online.

• Read newspapers, especially The Melbourne Age, on Tuesdays [Education Age] Wednesdays and Saturdays. Jobs in Victoria, overseas and most non government schools are advertised in The Melbourne Age. Additionally jobs are advertised in the local rural press on Saturdays or Wednesdays.

• Don’t rely on only one source of information for job vacancies. • Keep your mind open in regard to job possibilities. Be imaginative,

patient and proactive.

• Job vacancies seem to peak in November and early December, but start looking many months earlier

Review Jobs Carefully

• Make sure you understand all aspects of an advertisement. E.g. 48/52. 52/52. 40/52. FTE1. What do these mean?

• Can you meet or address the selection criteria? • Do you want this specific job? [Research information about the

school and the town if you wish.] • Weigh up your options. [Consider that graduates often get

better leadership and curriculum opportunities in smaller country schools. Jobs in Ballarat, Geelong and Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs usually have many more applicants.]

• Apply or choose not to apply. • N.B. Only apply for a job if you are sure you will accept it.

Employment Info

Employment Status Definition Benefits Pay

Casual Teaching day-to-day basis replacing permanent teachers

-flexible hours -travel throughout NSW -experience teaching in other aspects of the curriculum - shorter termination notice

Approx $300 per day incl leave loading

Temporary Teaching full-time for four weeks to a year or part-time for two terms or more.

-locality and climate allowances in some areas -extra leave options and vacation pay.

pro rata of entitlements applicable to a permanent teacher

Permanent Teaching

Full –time continuing

-generous leave entitlements (summer vacation and school holidays)

four-year trained teachers start on a salary of $59,706 (2013)

*reference only, subject to change

Be Social Media savvy

• Employers will look at Facebook and they may view you in an unfavourable way.

• Content that is on forums, blogs or video-sharing sites may be damaging to you as a jobseeker.

• Keep your photos and videos private. • Remove tags from photos that you do not want employers to see. • Google your name to check online content

Best wishes for your teaching career!

Contact a Career Adviser Amber Roberts Email: amber.roberts@acu.edu.au Ph: 9953 3608 Room 1.22B (Monday -Friday) Jo Messer Email: jo.messer@acu.edu.au Ph: 9953 3373 Room 1.22A (Available: Tuesday & Thursday) Make an appointment: http://www.acu.edu.au/155361 or acu.careerhub.com.au For answers to general careers questions, simply email Ask a Careers Adviser via ACU CareerHub Online Resume Review Simply upload your resume on ACU Careerhub and it will be reviewed by a Careers Adviser Register by using your ACU Log In username and password. New users must first register at http://acu.careerhub.com.au