ESL Teaching Resume – How to Compose a Quality Document

Teaching English as a second language or ESOLfor your experience with that language to be
(English for Speakers of Other Languages) arerelevant.  If you can understand some basic
segments of education that are continually growing inconversational phrases, your skills will likely be helpful in
demand.  Teachers wishing to acquire a job inyour ESL teaching job.
education may be more likely to do so if they look forInclude International Travel
a job in a content area such as ESL or ESOL.  TheMany hiring committees are impressed by ESL
competition for ESL jobs is not as stiff as competitionteachers who have international travel experience. 
for teaching jobs in other disciplines.  Also, teachingRegardless of whether you are applying for an ESL
ESL can be a great way to transition into the schoolposition in your home country or abroad, having
of your dreams, provided you have the knowledgeprevious international travel experience can give you a
and credentials to do the job.  If you answer theleg up.  If you are applying for a domestic ESL job, it
schools call when they are seeking an ESL teacher,allows administration to see that you are worldly and
they will most likely repay the favor at a later date andexperienced.  If you are applying for a job abroad,
transfer you to another position in the school, if desired.travel experience to other countries indicate that you
Individuals who wish to teach ESL will find a myriad ofare not scared to go out on a limb and take chances.
opportunities both internationally and abroad.  In orderLet them know that you are independent and love
to seize these opportunities, you will need a qualityother cultures and are always open to change.
resume that highlights you ESL related skills.  WhenPresent Skills Related to the Position
composing your ESL teaching resume, be sure toWhen creating a concise resume, you don’t have
include the following things:room to mention every skill that you posses.  Make
List Relevant Work Experiencesure that you only list skills that will be directly related
Schools looking to hire ESL teachers will want to seeto your position as an ESL teacher.  While knowing
some previous experience related to the educationhow to write web-content or being an avid fisherman
field.  Make sure to highlight any experience that isare interesting skills to bring up at a dinner party, they
even remotely related to the job for which you aredo not belong on an ESL teacher resume.
applying.  While you obviously don’t want to lie andDepending on the student population in the school
invent experiences that you never had, there is nodistrict, some areas may have only one ESL teacher. 
harm in pushing unrelated work experience to theWhile ESL jobs are traditionally easier to find than jobs
background and bringing related work experience toin other content areas, it is still important to present a
the forefront. Make sure you include keywords, suchwell organized, professional document so that you are
as IEP development, formal assessments, classroomthe person the school district wishes to charge with
management, student motivation, differentiatedthe implantation of the ESL program.  Teaching ESL
instruction, and parental relations.is a large responsibility, and schools are not going to be
Mention Language Experienceeager to place that responsibility on your shoulders if
Because it is so directly related to the job for whichyou do not look like someone who can handle the
you are applying, be sure to mention any languageposition or to someone that is not passionate about
skills you possess, regardless of how small they mayteaching ESL.
seem.  You do not have to be fluent in a language