Applications and CV's

Dear all,

I've been on holidays and have had time to think about this blog and what I should write to assist with writing the letter and creating the CV to get the school's attention. However, if you are with an agency most will have their own methods to apply and you will have to do it all over again online the way they want it done.

Your Letter: One page

Use one that has been successful already, make the changes to suit the position and write a paragraph about why you wish to teach overseas.

On your CV: Two pages

*Include your personal details and contact details

*A personal statement about your philosophy of teaching/short history of your career

*Your professional timeline - add when, for how long, what you taught

*At least 3 professional referees

*A photo of you - worth getting a nice professional photo

If you have a few 'changes' like I've had, you need to add why this happened in your short history. It has been asked a few times in both my home country and in international schools. My reasons were that in the 90's it was a contract time and long term jobs were not available and that my others were chasing promotions. Never, ever put anything negative on a CV.....seems a simple thing, however as a leader I've read CV's that are heart bleeds and it raises alarm bells immediately.

***A friend asked me to add this (she was a deputy principal):

"It might be worth mentioning gaps in timelines. I always worried about these if there was no explanation. I have had explanations for gaps ranging from having children, following a partner to a new area, serious injuries/accidents to self or family members, illness, travelling or study. These never bothered me but no explanation...often suggests prison or something dodgy!"

The referees can be easy if it is time to move on and it's agreed between your bosses and yourself. Usually they will gladly be your referees....but ask them first, use your gut feeling if you know that they may not give you the best reference. If things aren't good, get one from a colleague at the same place to be it for you, someone you have directly worked with or is a line manager. These should be no more than 3 years old.

If your time was that bad and it isn't always your fault, omit it. If you are a good person whom just had a terrible time, then your referees from other schools will verify this.

It's easy to tell when someone is lying, the YouTube clip called 'when you lie on your resume' is a cringe worthy satire of this. (I wont put links on this in case of legal stuff!)

Lesson: Don't lie on your application.

If you are serious about teaching overseas, apply for many, apply for the job first and the country second (and yes you need to combine both in the end!). Worry about accepting it when you are made the offer and have looked at the package (my next blog!).

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

HB