How To Write an Education Resume
When creating your resume for education jobs, use each section to show you can provide positive learning experiences for students and manage a classroom. The below tips and examples will help you capture this theme on your resume so it gets you interviews for your next job in the education sector.
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your education qualifications
In a brief paragraph or bullet list at the top of your resume, outline three to five key reasons why your target employers can count on you to support students’ learning.
These may include your years of related experience or a certain approach you take to working with students or managing a classroom. They may also include an advanced degree, rare certification, or anything else that sets you apart from other candidates and shows your commitment to education. Feel free to get specific in this section as well – a quantified achievement is often a great way to drive home the strengths you’re showcasing in your profile. By leading with your top qualifications, you can catch hiring managers’ attention and persuade them to read further.
(Note, most job seekers find it easier to write their profile last.)
Entry-Level Profile Example
Art Educator with strong recent work, volunteer, and academic experience. Passionate about engaging students in art theory and practice and helping young people explore their creative potential. Skilled at adapting instructional methods to each student’s learning style. Master of Arts in Teaching.
Mid-Career Profile Example
Collaborative College Admissions Counselor with 5+ years of experience. Skilled communicator who puts admission and financial aid topics in clear terms for diverse applicants and their families. Experienced public speaker passionate about conveying the value of higher education to prospective students. Adapt readily to new work challenges and conditions. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.
2. Add a detailed education professional experience section
For each job in your recent work history, brainstorm your duties and achievements on a separate document or sheet of paper. Then, identify and copy the most relevant details into your resume’s experience section. This approach keeps your resume concise and focused.
How will your performance be measured in your target education job? Give examples of your success in a similar capacity – this helps hiring managers envision the impact you’d have on their school community. Also, think about broader measures of school success and student outcomes, like average test scores or enrollment or graduation rates. Have you helped drive improvement in those areas? If so, how? Your answers to these questions will generate strong points for your experience section.
Mid-Career Professional Experience Example
College Admissions Counselor, TNN College, San Francisco, CA | August 2017 to Present
- Member of an 11-person admissions and career services team
- Ensure students understand all application essay requirements and offer tips and resources for managing the writing process
- Build positive, productive relationships with diverse high school students and their families
- Introduced a more efficient system for documenting each individual’s work and progress. System enhanced student communications and raised overall team efficiency by 15%
Senior-Level Professional Experience Example
Principal, North Philadelphia High School, Philadelphia, PA May 2016 – Present
- Manage a team of 60 educators, office staff, and school personnel, oversee all aspects of daily operations for a high school with 700+ students, and lead the development and allocation of a $1.5M operating budget
- Plan and implement community outreach initiatives and school events to foster positive relationships across faculty, students, and parents
- Lead the development and implementation of college prep programs and academic advisory services, resulting in a 30% increase in successful college admissions
3. Include your education and certifications relevant to education
Start by giving basic details on your highest education degree. Then, flesh out this section with details that help show your knowledge base in your target field, such as a major or minor in education, teaching license, related training programs, or educator conferences you’ve attended. Details like these can add a valuable dimension to your resume. They show you’re not just invested in students’ learning and development but in your own.
Below are templates and examples to help you format your education and certification details. Note that optional template areas appear in [brackets].
Education
Template:
Degree Name — [Major, Minor], School Name, City, ST or online | [Year]
[Select Coursework]
Example:
Bachelor of Science (BA) — Art Education, Radford University, Radford, VA | 2021
Select coursework:
- Art Education and Teaching Labs
- Art History
- New Media and Crafts
- Traditional Media
Certification
Template:
Certification Name or Title, [Awarding Organization] | [Year]
[Description]
Example:
California Professional Educator, State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing | 2023
4. List key skills and proficiencies related to education
Add a key skills section to show the various ways you can contribute to your target education job. Feel free to include soft and hard skills, as well as technical programs in this section. Below are some common education skills and keywords to consider:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Application essay instruction | Budget management |
| Change management | College affordability |
| Community outreach | Conflict management and resolution |
| Curriculum development | Differentiated learning |
| Educational leadership | Lesson planning |
| Policy development | Program development |
| Relationship building | School administration |
| Student and family relations | Student-centered learning |
| Student counseling | Student enrollment |
| Team collaboration | Test development and delivery |
| Time management | |
How To Pick the Best Education Resume Template
For education professionals, a clear and straightforward resume template is usually best. Opt for a layout that lets the hiring manager quickly review your best career details. Select a traditional resume font, and avoid any template with a colorful or elaborate design. Also, ensure the template complies with applicant tracking systems (ATS) used by employers to screen resumes.
Education Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
Amar Singh
123 Santa Maria, San Francisco, CA 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]
Profile
Collaborative College Admissions Counselor with 5+ years of experience. Skilled communicator who puts admission and financial aid topics in clear terms for diverse applicants and their families. Experienced public speaker passionate about conveying the value of higher education to prospective students. Adapt readily to new work challenges and conditions. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.
Key Skills
- Application Essay Instruction
- Career Counseling
- College Affordability
- College Transition Planning
- Event Planning & Organizing
- Procedure Improvement
- Program Development
- Public Speaking & Presentations
- Reporting & Documentation
- Student & Family Relations
- Student Coaching & Advising
- Student Financial Aid
- Team Collaboration
- Test Preparation
- Workshop Facilitation
- Writing Principles & Instruction
Professional Experience
College Admissions Counselor, TNN College, San Francisco, CA | August 2017 to Present
- Member of an 11-person admissions and career services team
- Ensure students understand all application essay requirements and offer tips and resources for managing the writing process
- Build positive, productive relationships with diverse high school students and their families
- Introduced a more efficient system for documenting each individual’s work and progress. System enhanced student communications and raised overall team efficiency by 15%
Education
University of California, Berkeley
- Master’s Degree – Counseling | May 2017
- Bachelor’s Degree – Counseling | May 2015
Affiliation
Member, National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC)
Language
Fluency in Spanish | Proficiency in Italian
Frequently Asked Questions: Education Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for education resumes?-
One of the best ways to enhance your resume is by starting each bullet point with a strong action verb. Dynamic verbs keep the hiring manager’s attention and show the varied nature of your experience. The following list can help you find a good mix of action verbs for your education resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Created | Decreased |
| Enhanced | Established |
| Generated | Improved |
| Increased | Instructed |
| Mentored | Organized |
| Prevented | Produced |
| Ranked | Reduced |
| Streamlined | Strengthened |
| Taught | Trained |
| Updated | Won |
How do you align your education resume with a job posting?-
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for educational instruction and library occupations will grow at roughly the same rate as the average for all U.S. jobs between 2022 and 2032, with around 857,600 openings each year.
You can get more interviews in this field if you tailor your resume for each application. Start by looking closely at the job description and highlighting words that are repeated, emphasized, or otherwise seem important. These key words can tell you what details you may want to feature in your resume profile or key skills sections (as long as they’re accurate to your experience).
For example, if the organization seeks someone collaborative, you may want to call out that aspect of your experience in your profile and key skills sections. Or say the school has many non-English speaking customers. You could highlight your foreign language skills both in your profile and as a separate section farther down the document. With adjustments like these, you can make your resume more relevant to each job opportunity.
What is the best education resume format?-
Most education professionals should use the combination (or hybrid) format. True to its name, this format combines two important features of other resume formats: the chronological format’s experience section, and the functional format’s profile section. (The resume examples on this page all use combination format.)
By fusing these two features, a combination resume offers the best of both worlds. The experience section lets you outline your recent work history – essential information for most employers. At the same time, the profile section lets you display your career highlights at the top, regardless if they’re from that work history or another part of your background. As a result, you can present yourself clearly and strategically. With this format, you give hiring managers the best view of your experience and relevant strengths, so they can make an informed decision to call you for an interview.
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To increase your chances of an interview, write and submit a strong cover letter. The key to a good cover letter is tailoring it to each job opening. Read our cover letter guide to learn how. For other related examples, see our teacher and school counselor cover letter guides.
