Resumes

Getting advice on resumes can drive you crazy: everyone says something different and everyone is sure they know best. Be aware that education resumes are significantly different from business resumes -- many resume "experts" don't know what a teaching resume should look like. Work hard on your resume: it is the most important document in the job search. Resumes involve lots of careful decision-making. Here is our advice for secondary English resumes. By the way, we think it's 100% right!
 * RESUME WRITING ADVICE**

First, you don't need a resume; you need several resumes, targeted to fit the different types of jobs you will be applying for. You need a different resume for middle school and for high school. You need a resume focused on working with "at-risk" students. may want a resume focused on traditional suburban schools, one for rural areas, one for the "inner city." You might want a resume targeted to alternative schools, religious schools, charter schools, or other specialized institutions. You need versions of your resume that allow you to apply for specialized positions in theater, journalism, mass media/speech, creative writing, etc. as appropriate to your interests. You need resumes that accent your minor or double major or that play to joint or interdisciplinary positions in say English and Social Studies, or English and Spanish, or English and Communications, etc. You may want a general resume that tries to capture all the above for jobs you know nothing about. While many elements may appear in common between your resumes, the changes in focus and content that you make to target your resume to the position are critical to landing the job. Obviously you need to have these different versions on your own computer disk so you can play with them for the specific positions for which you are applying.
 * Multiple Resumes**

You might begin the process of preparing resumes by making one enormous rough draft, a "throw in the kitchen sink" 5-6 page version of your resume and then use it as a starter for developing your more succinct targeted resumes. Even when you streamline it, //__the single biggest mistake you are likely to make is to have a "traditional" one-page resume.__// One page is not enough for secondary English teaching positions. We suggest the common strategy of a single piece of 11x17 paper folded into an 8-1/2 x ll" facing page with your name, address, and phone on the cover, the resume on both of the two inside pages, and references on the back cover. This realy gives you four pages on a "one page" resume.
 * "One-Page" Resume**

Be conscious of how you use space; don't crowd things together, or leave big open areas on the sides or in margins. You can use some bold face and perhaps more than one font, but be careful to keep the look simple and easy to read. Use the form of your name you want people to call you and leave off middle names or initials (as well as on the cover, your name should appear again at the top of the first inside page). Job seekers need to have a phone answering machine. The first category on the resume is "Objective." The objective is one of the most important parts of the resume; //the second biggest mistake you are likely to make is to say something like "To find a position as a Secondary English Teacher."// Duh. Instead you want to use the objective to target your resume to the specific job, to demonstrate your values and commitments as a teacher and as a person, and to show that you are prepared to be a professional leader to the other teachers in the building/district where you will be hired. Work hard on your objective and find ways to coordinate it with comments later on in the resume about student teaching, prior accomplishments, interests, and so on. Coordinate the objective with your cover letter and speak to it at your interview and your primary values and philosophy as a teacher shine through the whole hiring process. Throughout your resume use the current professional language of English teaching in order to accurately express your commitments, values, and vision, such as "student-centered," "process writing," "voice," "skills in context," "cultural literacy," "multicultural," "canon," "objectives," "assessment," "portfolios," "empowerment," "cultural studies,", "critical pedagogy," etc. Your objective should not be "To find a position...," but "To create a... classroom where..."
 * Using Space**
 * Resume Objective**

After the objective the next category on your resume should be "**Certification**." List your areas of certification in your state and use the official state language and code for your certification. (In Michigan Secondary English is "BA.")
 * Resume Categories**

The next category should be "**Education**." Becareful how you describe your education. If you graduated from many programs, including WMU, you may have a bachelor's degree in English (not in Education). You can describe your English major as "in the Secondary Education Curriculum," but if you have listed your certification above, this is not necessary. In addition to the institution, degree, and date of graduation, one choice you can make is to list by course title relevant, significant, interesting, or graduate level course work taken. Listing a few course titles can help the resume "prove" your objective, cover an area that might otherwise appear weak, or demonstrate a knowledge or interest relevant to a particular position. If you have entered a master's degree program be sure to say so.

Since you are going to be a secondary school teacher it is important to //list accomplishments and interests in high school// -- this provides you with an excellent opportunity to show competence in a variety of relevant areas from academics to extra curricular, potential for coaching, etc. (Ignore the routine advice about not including high school -- a resume for secondary teaching is different.)

If your **gpa** is less than 3.5, we recommend not listing it. You can, however, list a gpa for your major or for English Education classes if that is substantially higher. If you have been on the Dean's list, you should say so. If you have won any awards or published any creative works either in college or high school you should probably mention them. You can assume that people know that your university uses a 4.0 scale. For many prospective employers gpa's are not a big deal.

The next section should be "**Teaching Experience**." Start with subbing and/or any major, paid teaching experience. Next list "intern teaching." List the titles of classes you interned in. Assume the reader knows that you had full charge of normal teaching responsibilities, but describe with enough detail and professional language some of the special/unique things you did as an intern to give them a flavor of your approach. "Show" don't "tell," as they say. For example, rather than saying you "developed curriculum," give specific titles and activities. Do the same for any "preinternship" or "participation" experience. In this section list any other teaching experiences, such as summer camps, volunteer work, etc.

The next section could be "**Work Experience**." Any form of employment or volunteer work that demonstrates an interest in working with children or young people is relevant. Unless there is something impressive and relevant to the classroom mention other work experience only briefly, if at all. Having been a waitress will not get you a job as a teacher and any employment unrelated to teaching must be only a small part of the final resume. If you paid your way through college, you can say so.

You can have **other categories** on the resume including "Awards and Honors", "Professional Activities and Memberships," "Coaching Experience/Interests," "Volunteer Work," etc. Under "Professional Activities" list your NCTE and MCTE memberships, and for middle school be sure you are a member of the National Middle School Association. List professional conferences attended, possibly recent professional books read.

Don't forget a category for "**Personal Interests**" especially as they relate to teaching or adolescents (also any international travel or foreign languages are good to include).

At the end of the resume (on the back side of the folding version) list all of your references including their titles, addresses, and-most, important -- email addresses and phone numbers (even though disturbingly few districts actually check references). Be sure that you have permission of your references to list them and send them a copy of your resume so that they have it handy in case they are contacated.
 * References**

If you keep a credential file with WMU it can also be helpful to let potential employers know that by placing it at the bottom of your resume (especially if space is an issue and you are unable to fit your references).

//Third biggest mistake: a spelling error in a resume or cover letter.//

Post your resume on your teaching web site. Burn your site onto a CD-ROM calling card and enclose with your application letter. (For information on creating a teaching web site see Applying.)