Your resume may be the first ‘look’ a district will have at you and what you can bring to a school there, so you want to make sure you represent yourself honestly and in the best light. There are some general tips you should consider when you sit down to write your resume:

before you write your resume, make lists of educational experiences you have had, work experience that is relevant to the position you seek, volunteer activities that are relevant to the position you seek, and skills you have developed that you believe will help you be a good teacher
decide what resume format you are most comfortable using – a ‘chronological’ approach, listing your educational background and work experience chronologically; or a ‘functional’ approach, giving information about your work experience as it pertains to specific skills you have identified that you think will benefit the school and/or district
avoid using too much ‘educational jargon;’ write clearly and distinctly, using language that easily gets your points across to the reader
keep a thesaurus handy, to help you choose words that describe you and your experiences well plan to write a first draft of your resume, give it to someone who knows you to read for feedback, and make revisions
be careful in selecting a font to type your resume in – use something that is easy on the eyes and not ‘frilly’
choose a font size that is easily read, but not so large that it looks as though you’ve chosen it just to take up more space on the paper
print your resume on a light- colored paper, not white, that will help it to stand out among other papers in a pile; light gray, pale blue, and light cream or buff colored are best
try to get envelopes the same color as the paper you print your resume on – it makes it look like a matched set of stationery
be sure to print your resume and cover letter on the same color stationery
avoid anything ‘cutesy’ on your resume, like graphics or printing it on paper with a ‘teacher’ border.

There are two basic styles for writing a resume: the ‘chronological’ resume lists your employment history and experience related to the position you seek, in the order in which you had them; the ‘functional’ resume highlights skills you have developed that will be transferable to the classroom. Click here to view samplechronological and functional resumes.

Most university career offices have print information available to help you create your resume, and many run special sessions that can help you get started. Click on the links below for more information about resume writing.

CCSU Career Services resume resource packet:

http://www.ccsu.edu/career/PDFs/Resume_Packet.pdf

CCSU resume review information for students:

http://www.ccsu.edu/career/review.htm

CCSU resume referral service for students:

http://www.ccsu.edu/career/referral.htm

ECSU Career Services resume writing guide:

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/career/PDF/resume_writing_handout_edited.pdf

Quinnipiac University Career Services information for students:

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x8534.xml

SCSU Career Services information for education majors:

http://www.southernct.edu/services