Creating Your First Yoga CV – a How To Guide & Template

You’ve just completed your teacher training and you are ready to take your first steps into the brave new world of teaching real students in a real actual location. Going immediately into running a studio or teaching privately simply isn’t for every teacher. For many of us, we will look for opportunities to teach at a studio or gym before undertaking anything more entrepreneurial. This is also known as ‘getting a job’. Daunting right? How on earth do I produce a CV when I am newly qualified and have no experience to speak of? We hear you ask! In fact, for most people constructing a well-designed and persuasive CV can seem like climbing a mountain – or achieving that perfect handstand you’ve been working at. It can seem impossible, but we are here to give you all the inspiration you need to present yourself in the best light to that studio or gym you’re looking to work at. 1. Include your yoga teacher biography Conventional recruitment wisdom says that the Personal Summary section at the top of a CV is optional at best – it’s incredibly difficult to get the tone and presentation correct. However, most yoga teacher bios go one further – summarise your inspiration, what brought you to yoga, and a description of your teaching style. Remember that your bio is the way that others can differentiate between you and other yoga teachers – so this is where you get a chance to sell who you uniquely are. Also give an indicator of the type of experience you are looking to gain and what you can bring to an employer. This way your CV will communicate not only what brought you to where you are now, but paint a picture of where you’re headed in the future.

2. Dig deep into your yoga related experience…. On the surface you may feel like you have zero or very little relevant experience. But hang on a minute, if you’ve got to the stage of training as a teacher we are willing to bet you’ve invested considerable time and effort into your own practice. It counts more than you might be giving it credit for! So you’ll want to think about your how your own practice developed, and what that journey has looked like. Start from the beginning. Think of any yoga retreats you’ve been to. Think of the classes you’ve attended, the time you’ve spent reading (or writing) on the subject. Also think of any training you’ve been involved with, official or unofficial. Have you assisted yoga teachers in their workshops? Have you been involved in yoga-related associations? 3. ….but don’t forget your other skil ls and experience Teaching yoga is a multifaceted discipline, so other things you’ve done can apply in a complimentary way. Remember that the goal of a CV is not just to list your training and history, but to sell you as a “total package” with additional skills and experience that can make you a standout candidate. Have you taught other things in other contexts? Do you have performing experience? Have you coached or mentored anyone? Have you been involved in customer service or marketing positions? All these can contribute to you being a better candidate for teaching yoga. Remember all those job interviews where they asked you what you’ve done outside of the position you were interviewing for? You’re doing the same thing here, so think about what will make you shine.

4. Include a robust description of your teacher training

This is key. On the surface it may seem sufficient to say that you simply completed your first 200hr RYT. Not so! There will have been some very definite reasons you chose to go with a certain teacher, studio or style. This is your chance to give a future employer insight into what you know, what you care about and what you are capable of.

Include an experiential paragraph on your YTT – describe areas of the syllabus you found particularly challenging, those you enjoyed the most, and any specialist areas you wish to pursue as you continue along your teacher development path. Those matter, and you don’t want to drop the ball on including these. Important note: Don’t leave off any smaller official training that can be useful for yoga teachers to have in general! You may be planning to teach yoga only to adults, but if you’ve received certifications in kids yoga, pre-natal yoga, CPR or any health-related topics, those are critical things to mention, too. 5. Don’t go too woo woo on the presentation If you are coming to a career teaching yoga from a conventional or corporate background it may be tempting to make your ‘Yoga CV’ into a sunshine and unicorns summary of your skills and experience. This won’t work in the yoga world, so be frank and straightforward in your presentation. Don’t get tempted into esoteric floaty language or fluffy visual design. Your CV should be as clean and straight to the point as a regular CV. Remember that the people who will be reviewing your CV are looking to hire, just as people in other professional industries are looking to hire, so they demand the same efficiency and clarity. Stick to the conventional rules and make it easy for those reviewing your CV to navigate every word.

J I L L J A C K S O N

VINYASA | HATHA FLOW | YIN & MEDITATION

ALL LEVELS | 200 HOUR | YOGA ALLIANCE QUALIFIED TEACHER

In the first ‘summary’ paragraph here include your biography/a clear explanation of your current situation and if relevant, your aspirations as a teacher. Interpersonal strengths/highlights can be included as prose or written below the paragraph as bullet points. We recommend you include a photograph and contact details at the top. jill@yogarocks.com07890123456

Other Professional Experience (make this a relevant summary in bullet points including your present full time role, if applicable) 2013 - date Head of Marketing, Leading Digital Agency London 2011 - 2013 Teaching Assistant, YogaPlace London Training & Education 2012- 2013 Completed an Intensive 200hr RYT Vinyasa Training in Goa (include a short précis of your YTT here – highlight any areas of focus/specialism, any additional education you undertook while training eg. anatomy & physiology, or marketing) 2010 - date Undertook the following workshops/retreats (include a

summary)

RelevantYogaExperience v 2013-date TeachingAssistant,YogaPlaceLondonv 2011-2013 Coordinator,EastLondon10kRunv 2009–2010 EnglishTeacher,JapanThenextpriorityistobegindescribingyourmostrelevantexperience,(whichcangointhisbox!)followedbyyourotherprofessionalexperience.Remember:teachingexperience,fitnessexperience,andperformingexperienceallhaveweighthere.

2006 - 2009 Received a BA (Hons) in Theatre & Drama from York University Other qualifications v HighlevelsofcompetenceinMicrosoftOffice,WordPressandMailChimpv QualifiedinFirstAid–compliantwithHSE1981firstaidatworklegislationSpecialProjectsv Leaderofthe2012YogaintheParkInitiativeforcharity,£4000+raised