You’ve been teaching for awhile and you are looking to change jobs. Perhaps you are moving out of state, going to another school, or you’ve obtained a master’s degree in a different area. Whatever has prompted your job search as a practicing résumé professional, you are now searching for a different job.

When was the last time you updated your résumé? What do you include, and do you e-mail, fax, and put it on a disk, or mail a hard copy?

How do you prepare for interviewing if it’s been awhile?

Turn to the KDP Career Center and its affiliate resources to help you get the edge on your job search.

Has it been awhile since you last updated your résumé? You may want to review the basic layout and format of a résumé as you begin to plan your update. Read the overview.

You may find it helpful to take an inventory of your skills before you begin to build your résumé. Listing the skills you’ve developed on the job helps you flesh out your résumé and build your confidence. Can you clearly identify the skills you have acquired that will transfer to your desired position? You may want to use this transferrable skills survey to get started on your list.

Be sure to include all your certifications, as well as subsequent degrees, coursework, and professional development workshops you have completed. If you are changing careers into education, consider using a functional résumé or a blend of functional and chronological résumé styles to highlight first your skills and then your experiences that relate most to education.

View sample résumés:
Elementary Teacher
Assistant Principal
Media Center Specialist
Find more sample résumés

Electronic Résumés
With so many employers accessing résumés electronically, a text (ASCII) version of both your résumé and cover letter is imperative. Though text-version résumés are not visually appealing, they retain their format after transmission, unlike other programs. Using a text version allows you to send your documents via e-mail to potential districts and post to district Web sites and online job boards. To prevent format changes or loss of information on your résumé, you may prefer to save it in portable document format (pdf), though there is a slight risk that the attachment may not go through or not be opened for security reasons. Most districts require an online application anyway, so it’s best to check guidelines and requirements for each school to which you apply.

For general guidelines on writing your résumé, read our overview of preparing a résumé.