There is no doubt that teaching jobs are harder to come by than ever. States across the country are slashing their budgets in an attempt to combat rising fuel costs and a struggling economy. In fact, many school districts are forced to cut more than $20 million from their budget. Unfortunately, this is causing many people to lose their jobs as teachers.
So how are teachers supposed to get a teaching job in this situation? It’s possible?
The answer is yes, but it will not be easy. To get a teaching job, candidates will have to do everything they can… they will have to use every trick in the book.
One problem many teachers have is getting their resumes noticed. How can one make their teaching resume stand out when a school district can receive thousands of resumes?
That is how…
First of all, let me start by saying that the resume tip you are about to read will always be powerful, but as of this writing, it is currently EXTREMELY powerful as hardly anyone is using it.
Also, let me say that I did not come up with this resume tip on my own. In fact, someone who works in the human resources department of the Sarasota School District in Florida told me. The Sarasota School District is a very popular Florida school district that receives thousands upon thousands of resumes each year.
In a recent conversation it came to my attention that a strategy is starting to be used (by very few candidates, about 1 in 1000) that not only makes the candidate look good, but also makes the candidate’s resume STAND OUT. It’s something that will immediately grab the attention of readers… something that will literally compel the reader to take a closer look at your resume… something that simply cannot be overlooked.
What’s so fascinating about this strategy is that it’s taken directly from Marketing 101. It’s the same strategy that has worked for sales letters and websites for years…it’s so simple I can’t believe I didn’t think of that myself!
What is this awesome resume tip?
Simply add testimonials to your resume. That’s right… testimonials!
**Important Note: This is not intended to replace the references section of your resume. You will still have a section at the bottom of your resume where you write your references (including name, title, and phone number).
However, in addition to references, you will now include testimonials on every page of your resume. Just like you would see on a website. Simply use the left margin of your resume to write other people’s testimonials about yourself. Remember, when it comes to getting a job, you’re “selling” yourself, and ask any salesperson and they’ll all tell you the same thing… testimonials increase sales. So use the left margin to write short 1-sentence testimonials. Use small, italic font with the person’s name and title included.
For example:
______ has an A
work ethic.
–Jim Ross, principal
Mr.______ has been
a true team player.
–Harriet Cohen, Principal
______’s positive attitude has
helped inspire students to learn.
–John Smith, teacher
You get the idea. Simply place multiple testimonials on each page and see how much more your resume stands out from everyone else.
Again, this strategy is currently being used by very few people, so now is the time to take advantage of it. I guarantee that there will soon be a time when this strategy becomes routine and every resume will include testimonials. Until then, you have a golden opportunity to make your teaching resume grab readers’ attention and land the teaching job of your dreams.