The document provides guidance on creating an effective resume for teacher job applications. It recommends that resumes clearly articulate achievements and results, focus on the quality of content over quantity of experiences, and use a concise and logical format. Specific tips include using action verbs to highlight accomplishments, quantifying results when possible, and limiting the resume to one page with consistent formatting. The document also encourages finalizing one's resume and attending upcoming hiring events.

1. Creating a Remarkable Resume
The Office of Strategic Teacher Recruitment and Staffing
1

2. Do Now
Take a look at the sample resume. Make a list that outlines the
resume’s strengths and areas for improvement.
• Principals see hundreds of resumes each hiring
season. During a job fair, consider how many
resumes get placed in the resume drop boxes
alone.
• A principal may only have a few seconds to scan
your resume during a job fair, or many only scan
submitted resumes very quickly.
2 © The New Teacher Project 2012

3. Objective
• Participants will be able to identify common areas for improvement in
their resumes.
• Participants will feel confident they can revise their resume into an
effective, professional document that highlights their unique skills.
3
3 © The New Teacher Project 2012

4. A compelling resume will do three things
Clearly articulate your recent achievements and the
1 results of your accomplishments.
Focus on the quality of your resume’s
2 content, rather than the quantity of experiences.
Use a logical format that is concise and easy for the
3 reader to follow.
4 © The New Teacher Project 2012

5. #1: Clearly articulate your recent achievements and the
results of your accomplishments
Four steps in articulating your achievements include:
1 Outline the relevant schools, organizations, and clubs you
have belonged to in the past.
2 List any titles, duties, and responsibilities you held for each
organization you list above.
3 Create a list of notable achievements for each role, title, or
responsibility you held.
Use action verbs to highlight the results of your
4 accomplishments. Use the following questions as a guide:
• What did you accomplish?
• What was the result?
• How / Why did you do it?
5
5 © The New Teacher Project 2012

6. Review your accomplishments with a critical eye
What was the result?
How many students did
he teach and which EXPERIENCE
exam did they pass?
Aug. 2009 – Present Strategic Staffing High School Memphis, TN
Biology teacher
Leader of biology remediation program
How did he Inspired students to maximize their potential everyday
inspire students? Tutored students after school
Coached basketball and organized practices
Served as a recruitment leader; worked with principal on interview
team
How many students did Helped students pass Gateway exam
he tutor and why? Wrote grant to Bill Gates Foundation and received $10,000 for new
science library
Mentored new teachers during their first year
How many teachers did he
mentor and what kind of
support did he provide?
6 © The New Teacher Project 2012

7. Review your accomplishments with a critical eye
EXPERIENCE
Aug. 2009 – Present Strategic Staffing High School Memphis, TN
Biology teacher
Leader of biology remediation program
Inspired students to maximize their potential everyday
Tutored students after school
Coached basketball and organized practices
Basketball Coach Served as a recruitment leader; worked with principal on interview
team
Helped students pass Gateway exam
Wrote grant to Bill Gates Foundation and received $10,000 for new
science library
Recruitment Captain Mentored new teachers during their first year
7 © The New Teacher Project 2012

8. Highlight important roles, titles, and achievements
Aligned the school
heading and key titles to EXPERIENCE
the left
Strategic Staffing High School – Memphis, TN Aug. 2009-Present
Biology Teacher, Teacher Recruitment Leader, Varsity Basketball Coach
Listed key roles Developed and implemented a biology remediation curriculum for
beneath the 30 students, resulting in a 70% passage rate on the Biology I
organization Gateway Exam for two consecutive school years.
heading Engaged 100 urban students in the biology course content by using
personal anecdotes, real-life situations, and technology.
Secured a $10,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Led each bullet with to develop a new science library which will serve 600 students and
an action verb and 40 faculty members.
combine inter- Hosted weekly meetings and 4 pot-luck dinners in order to help 3
related points new teachers transition into their new roles.
Coordinated practice, game, and study schedules for the 13-member
basketball team, resulting in a 18-2 record and avg. team GPA of 3.2.
8 © The New Teacher Project 2012

9. Highlight important roles, titles, and achievements
Aligned the school
heading and key titles to EXPERIENCE
the left
Strategic Staffing High School – Memphis, TN Aug. 2009-Present
Biology Teacher, Teacher Recruitment Leader, Varsity Basketball Coach
Listed key roles Developed and implemented a biology remediation curriculum for
beneath the 30 students, resulting in a 70% passage rate on the Biology I
organization Gateway Exam for two consecutive school years.
heading Engaged 100 urban students in the biology course content by using
personal anecdotes, real-life situations, and technology.
Secured a $10,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
to develop a new science library which will serve 600 students and
40 faculty members.
Hosted weekly meetings and 4 pot-luck dinners in order to help 3
new teachers transition into their new roles.
Coordinated practice, game, and study schedules for the 13-member
basketball team, resulting in a 18-2 record and avg. team GPA of 3.2.
Quantified results
9 © The New Teacher Project 2012

10. Common questions when revising bullet points
How do I articulate past achievements?
Within every role, there are three ways to elaborate on what you’ve
accomplished: For example:
Complete • Generated monthly academic reports for 20
the Task students to keep stakeholders abreast of
progress.
• Increased frequency of progress reports from
Improve the monthly to weekly in order to provide up-to-date
Task information about students’ academic progress
to 40 parents and 20 students.
Initiate a • Designed a website for 40 students and 20
New Task parents to provide 24-hour access to class
news, new assignments, and school
announcements.
10 © The New Teacher Project 2012

11. Common questions when revising bullet points
How do I quantify my results?
For task you list, answer the following questions:
• How many people did I serve or manage in the task?
• How frequently did I perform the task?
• How many people benefited during or after the task was completed?
Common items on a resume that can be quantified include:
• Class sizes
• Test results – student improvements over time and test passing rates
• The frequency of tasks you completed
11 © The New Teacher Project 2012

12. #2: Focus on the quality of your resume’s content, rather than the
quantity of experiences
How do I choose which accomplishments to keep on my resume?
Think about how the experiences in your past inform how you teach today.
After you brainstorm your achievements, use this basic checklist:
 Does the accomplishment set me apart from other candidates?
 Is the accomplishment relevant to the position I am applying for?
 Is the accomplishment recent? If the accomplishment is not
recent, is it significant?
If you can not answer “Yes” for each question above, omit the
accomplishment from your resume.
12 © The New Teacher Project 2012

13. #3: Use a logical format that is concise and easy for the reader to
follow
• Contact information: Phone, email, mailing address all on the
top of the page
• Experience and achievements: Teaching and other related
work. Use action verbs
(cultivate, strengthen, prepare, implement, coordinate). See
Action Verb supplement on Teach Memphis website
• Education and certification/licensure: List all undergraduate
and graduate degrees – do not include high school
• Include any additional certifications: Other subject
areas, Certification in Conflict Resolution or other teaching-
related skills, for example. List education after experience if you
graduated more than 5 years ago.
13 © The New Teacher Project 2012

14. #3: Use a logical format that is concise and easy for the reader to
follow
• Keep your resume to one page.
– Often, an objective is not necessary
– Be thoughtful in how, and to what extent, you detail old positions
• Organize your resume by using bullets. It makes your resume easier to read.
– Use short, descriptive phrases rather than long narrative sections or paragraphs
– Avoid using the first person “I”
• Use consistent, easy-to-read formatting.
– Recommended fonts: Times New Roman, Arial, or Book Antiqua
– Recommended font size: 10-12 point
– Be strategic in your use of bold and italics- never use throughout document
• Proofread!
– Many principals or hiring committees will automatically reject people with typos in
their resume or cover letters
14 © The New Teacher Project 2012

15. Take these next steps in your job search
1 Finalize your resume
– Use your workshop materials as a reference.
– Research schools at www.mcsk12.net.
2 Email or upload your updated resume to add to your surplus application
– Visit our Contact Form at www.teachmemphis.org/contact.
– Email us at info@teachmemphis.org.
3 Attend upcoming networking and hiring events
– Schedule follow-up appointments and school site visits at the events.
15 © The New Teacher Project 2012

16. Questions?
Teach Memphis
Website www.teachmemphis.org
Contact www.teachmemphis.org/contact
Form
Hotline 901-416-9905
Fax 901-416-0540
Email info@teachmemphis.org
Mailing Teach Memphis
Address 2597 Avery Ave, Room 148-B
Memphis, TN 38112
Become a fan of Teach Memphis on Facebook or
follow us on Twitter via @TeachMemphis!
16 © The New Teacher Project 2012