Looking to transition your teaching skills to a new career? This article offers resume examples and tips to revamp your teaching resume. Learn how to highlight your classroom experience, educational background, and transferable skills to fit roles in various industries. Training, communication, and leadership are assets—find out how to best showcase them to attract employers.
Next update scheduled for
Here's what we see in the best transitioning teacher resumes:
Show Impact By Using Numbers: Good resumes use metrics. Show how you increased
Highlight Relevant Skills From Job Descriptions: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned in the job description. Some popular ones are
Show Adaptability With Sample Roles: Identify how you adapted. For example,
Want to know how your resume measures up for teaching roles outside the classroom? Our resume scoring tool gives you a clear picture of your resume's strengths and areas for improvement. It evaluates your document based on key criteria that hiring managers in various industries look for when considering former teachers.
Upload your resume now for an unbiased assessment. You'll receive a score and specific feedback to help you make your transition from teaching more effective. This straightforward evaluation will show you how to improve your resume and increase your chances of landing interviews in your new field.
When changing careers from teaching, place your education section based on your recent activities. If you recently completed significant further education, list it first. This tells employers why you may have gaps in work history.
For those new to the workforce or recently graduated, place your education at the top. This helps to show your academic background right away. If you have been working for a while, list your experience first and education after that.
In your resume, emphasize transferable skills like communication, project management, and problem-solving. These skills are valuable in many fields, not just teaching.
Use specific examples to show how you used these skills in a teaching environment. This helps hiring managers see your potential in other industries.
When you are transitioning from teaching, your resume should be concise. Aim for a one-page document if you have less than 10 years of teaching experience. This length is enough to show your skills and background without overwhelming the reader. Make your teaching skills relevant to the new industry by focusing on transferable skills like leadership, project management, and communication.
If you have a longer career in teaching, you might go up to two pages. Ensure the first page highlights your most recent and relevant roles and skills. Use the space effectively to showcase your experience in education and how it can apply to your new field. Remember, hiring managers may only briefly review each resume, so put the strongest and most relevant information upfront.
Read job postings in your target field and note common keywords. Include these in your resume to match the language employers use.
This practice increases your chances of passing through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter resumes. Highlight these keywords naturally in your experience and skills sections.
When you apply for a new role, your resume might first be seen by a computer program, not a person. These programs are called Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). They check if your resume has the words and phrases the job needs. Here are tips to help you as a teacher moving into a new field.
Make sure your resume is clear and easy to read. The ATS looks for keywords that match the job. Use the job description to find what words to put in your resume. For example, if the job needs someone good at planning, talk about how you plan lessons or school events.
You need to show how your past work fits the new job. Think about what you've done before and how it helps with tasks you'll do in the new role. Use words the job posting uses.
If you are moving from teaching to a new field, you have important skills to show. Here's how to list them on your resume:
Put these skills in a special section on your resume. This helps computers (ATS) read your resume better. You don't need all these skills. Pick the ones that match the job you want. For example, if you want a job in sales, show your public speaking and curriculum development skills. This shows you can talk well and plan.
When you transition from teaching, showing your impact with numbers makes your resume stand out. Numbers help hiring managers see the clear value you can bring to their team. Think about your teaching experience. What can you measure? How did your work make things better?
Here are some ways to think about your teaching impact:
Use these examples as a guide to think about your own experience. Remember, even if you don't have exact numbers, a well-thought-out estimate shows you understand the value of measuring impact.
When you're moving from teaching to a new field, it's key to show how you've been a leader or moved up. Think about ways you've guided others or taken on more responsibility.
Use clear examples on your resume. For instance:
When you apply for a new job, it's key to show how you have grown and taken on more responsibility over time. If you've been a teacher looking to move into a new field, think about the ways you've led others or moved up in your role.
Even if you're not sure if your experiences count as leadership, they might. For example, if you mentored new teachers or led professional development sessions, these are strong signs of leadership. Use clear, simple phrases to describe these roles, like:
When you're moving from teaching to a new field, the size of the company you apply to matters. For small companies and startups, show how you can adapt quickly and wear multiple hats. You might say 'Adaptable professional skilled in creating diverse lesson plans that can be altered for various business needs.'
For larger corporations, such as Google or IBM, focus on your ability to manage large classrooms and create structured lesson plans. This shows you can handle the scale and processes of a big company. You could write, 'Experienced in managing classrooms of 30+ students, ensuring high-quality education that aligns with company-wide standards.'