RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS

FOR

EDUCATORS

Career Services Center

Old Main 280
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA 98225-9002
email: careers@wwu.edu
(360) 650-3240
 OUR MISSION
The Mission of the Career Services Center is to provide Western students and alumni comprehensive
services and information enabling them to match their personal attributes, experience and education in
the realization of their career potential.

The Career Services Center is dedicated to serving the needs of all students regardless of gender, ability
differences, sexual orientation or ethnic background. Individuals needing special assistance should
contact one of the staff. Adequate advance notice is necessary.

c-15
revised 7/16/08
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Resume

The Basic Elements 3-4

Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say 5

Action Verbs 6

Putting It All Together 7

Resume FAQ’s for Teacher Candidates 8

Sample Resumes:

Sample #1 – Elementary Teacher/Bachelors Degree 9

Sample #2 -- Middle School Teacher/Post-baccalaureate Cert. 10

Sample #3 -- High School Teacher/Bachelor Degree 11

Sample #4 – High School Teacher/Masters Degree 12

The Letter of Application: 13

Writing an Effective Letter of Application 14

Sample Elementary Position Announcement 15-16

Sample Letter of Application 17

2
 THE RESUME
Basically, a resume presents an outline of your educational
background and work history along with a limited amount of
personal data. It should be short and concise, presenting an
employer with the information pertinent to your career
objectives in a brief, easy-to read format. One page is
usually sufficient for new college graduates with limited work
histories, but experienced individuals may need two pages.

A variety of formats can be used for resumes. However, in

our experience with university students and other job
seekers, we have found that the chronological format
generally works the most effectively. This approach
operates on the assumption that your most recent
experience is the most relevant. Consequently, information concerning your education and
experience is presented in reverse date order. The information which follows details the
elements that are typically included in a chronological resume.

THE BASIC ELEMENTS

There is no one correct way to write a resume. However, there are some basic elements you
need to include in your resume:

1) Identifying Information - The very first information on your resume should be your
name, address and phone number (and/or message phone number, if applicable),
including both zip and area codes. Your prime objective is to get employers to remember
you, so you might want to highlight your name using bolding, caps or a larger font.

2) Career Objective - You may or may not wish to include an objective on your resume. If
used, it should be a very specific statement about the type of position you are seeking. If
you plan to explore a variety of different opportunities, you will probably be better off
using your cover letter to explain the type of position you are seeking so that you can
tailor your statement to the particular organization you are contacting.

3) Certification – This is the area separate from and above the Education section. It details
the type of certificate (ie: Washington State Residency Certificate) and the date issued or
anticipated. Endorsements and Most Highly Qualified designations are also included in
this section.

4) Educational Background - With emphasis on the highest education level attained, list
your college experience including name and location of institutions attended, degrees
earned or to be granted, major, special coursework, and dates of completion. You may
also want to list any outside training you have received (such as special workshops or
seminars) which is pertinent to your career objectives. If you lack relevant work
experience you should place this section before the one on employment. When writing
your resume you always want to “put your best foot forward” by arranging the information
presented in order of importance.

3
5) Teaching Related Experience - List in
reverse chronological order experiences you
have had which directly relate to teaching,
working and/or volunteering with children.
Include such subheadings as Classroom
Teacher, Substitute Teacher, Student
Teacher, Practica, Tutor, Camp Counselor,
etc. The experiences which most directly
relate to the position for which you are
applying should be emphasized. Typically,
those would be student teaching and
substituting for the entry level teacher and
contracted experiences for the veteran
teacher.

In highlighting your experiences, include only the information that would be relevant to
the position you seek. Be sure to use language which indicates you are current with
curricular, instructional and philosophical trends in your field. At the same time, the
resume should not appear verbose or full of clichés. Using brief examples is a way to
build a positive image in the mind of the resume reader.

6) Work Experience - At this point, you will need to make a judgment call on how
specifically you will list your current and former employment. For the candidate,
Teaching Related Experience is often the strongest statement one can make.
However, prospective employers can learn many positive things about a candidate from
other employment as well. If you have been in the work force, you have no doubt gained
a number of transferable skills which will assist you in the classroom. In addition, your
work history before and during college may leave a positive impression of someone who
is energetic, ambitious and willing to work hard to reach his/her goals.

Some feel that listing job title, employer, location and dates of employment is
sufficient. Others will add a brief description of duties, using active verbs where possible.
It is not necessary to include all of your work experience. Unrelated, extremely dated
employment or jobs of brief duration need not be included. Do not discount summer and
part-time positions, however.

7) Qualifications (Alternate titles: Skill Summary, Strengths, Profile) - The idea here is to
highlight your qualifications for the type of position you are seeking. Typically this section
is arranged as a list of 6 to 8 skills, areas of expertise and/or personal characteristics,
each described in just a few words. Every item included should relate in an obvious way
to the type of position you are seeking. The beauty of this section is that you can draw
from the full range of your experiences to date--education, volunteer work, employment,
campus activities, etc. Just be sure that the rest of your resume supports the claims you
make here.

4
8) Activities/Honors/Memberships - Choose the heading that is most appropriate for your
particular background. Under this section list academic honors, extracurricular activities
and memberships, with special emphasis on those things that relate closely to your
career goals. As noted above, if you have gained significant experience from campus or
community activities, they may fit better in your earlier “Experience” section than here.

9) Personal Data - Employers like to learn a little bit about the person behind the resume.
Information about your hobbies and interests will provide some insight into your character
and personality and may include pertinent information (Example: language skills) that
would not appear anywhere else in your resume. Just steer clear of information on things
like age, marital status, height and weight. Under Affirmative Action/EEO guidelines,
employers are not to use this type of information in their hiring procedures.

SAYING WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEANING WHAT YOU SAY

Once you know what information should be included in your resume and how to arrange it, you
are ready to sit down and put the words on paper that will most
effectively communicate to an employer what you have to offer.
No small task! As with any piece of writing, you need to be as
concise as possible and your choice of words is extremely
important. Whenever possible, drop the first person pronoun.
This will put the emphasis on your choice of verbs. Choose
carefully! Where “handled” sounds weak and somewhat vague,
“organized” sounds dynamic and results-oriented. Watch your
use of adjectives and adverbs as well. “Promptly responded to
customer inquiries” sounds better than just “responded.” The
action verbs on the next page will help you make the most
appropriate word selections to put some punch in your resume.
Your mother may have taught you not to brag about yourself, but this is a time when it’s okay to
toot your own horn, so go for it!

5
 ACTION VERBS
MANAGEMENT SKILLS
administered contracted directed organized recommended
analyzed consolidated evaluated oversaw reviewed
assigned coordinated executed planned scheduled
attained delegated Improved prioritized strengthened
chaired developed increased produced supervised

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
addressed developed formulated moderated publicized wrote
arbitrated directed influenced motivated reconciled
arranged drafted interpreted negotiated recruited
authored edited lectured persuaded spoke
corresponded enlisted mediated promoted translated

RESEARCH SKILLS
clarified diagnosed extracted interpreted organized surveyed
collected evaluated identified interviewed reviewed systematized
critiqued examined inspected investigated summarized

TECHNICAL SKILLS
assembled computed engineered operated remodeled trained
built designed fabricated overhauled repaired upgraded
calculated devised maintained programmed solved

TEACHING SKILLS
adapted communicated encouraged guided persuaded
advised coordinated evaluated informed set goals
clarified developed explained initiated stimulated
coached enabled facilitated instructed

FINANCIAL SKILLS
administered appraised budgeted developed marketed researched
allocated audited calculated forecast planned
analyzed balanced computed managed projected

CREATIVE SKILLS
acted developed founded introduced planned
conceptualized directed illustrated invented revitalized
created established instituted originated shaped
designed fashioned integrated performed

HELPING SKILLS
assessed coached diagnosed facilitated referred
assisted counseled educated familiarize rehabilitated
clarified demonstrated expedited guided represented

CLERICAL OR DETAIL SKILLS

approved collected generated operated purchased specified
arranged compiled implemented organized recorded systematized
catalogued dispatched inspected prepared retrieved tabulated
classified executed monitored processed screened validated

C-64

6
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

There are a number of ways to have your

resume put into final form. Most students make
use of word processing packages and do their
resumes on computers. Students may want to
go to the extra trouble and expense to have a
resume type set but for most job seekers this is
not necessary.

Regardless of which production method you choose, the same basic fundamentals apply:

• Balance the material on the page so that the total effect is pleasing to the eye and easy to
read. Leave generous margins (one inch on top and bottom, ¾ to one inch on sides) so the
page doesn’t look crowded and use headings to help organize the information in a
meaningful way.

• Be consistent in the type of headings (i.e., emphasizers) you use. Don’t use caps or bolding
in one section and underlining in another.

• Avoid slang, jargon, acronyms and abbreviations (except for states which can be
abbreviated using the standard two-letter zip designations like WA for Washington).

• Edit your resume several times to improve word choice and eliminate redundancy. A
synonym dictionary or thesaurus can help you here.

Use a dictionary and remember that spell

checkers don’t always catch every error.
Resumes with misspellings and typos are often
tossed out, regardless of the candidate’s
qualifications.

Proofread, proofread, and proofread! In fact,

it’s a good idea to have someone else
proofread your resume for you because it’s
often very hard to see your own mistakes.

• Avoid flashy or odd-size paper. Use 8 1/2” x 11” paper. Unusual colors and size may attract
negative attention. Also, resumes are often scanned for several people to review. Choose a
color that will scan well. Colors other than white, when scanned, are often grayer and harder
to read than white.

7
RESUME FAQ’s for TEACHER CANDIDATES

ƒ Is a one page resume “the rule”?

Teachers new to the profession should make every attempt to limit their resumes to one page. A two
page resume will not disqualify you; however, it is more often employed by veteran teachers.

ƒ Is it true that resumes are often scanned in a minute or less in the initial screening
process?
Yes, thus the need for a good balance of content and form. Your goal is to stand out (for the right
reasons) in a stack of resumes that are only scanned. When your resume survives this experience, it will likely
be read more thoroughly by the reader(s).

ƒ What is the most critical element of a resume?

While the overall appeal is certainly critical, the one component that is most important in marketing you to
an employer is your related experiences. It is the heart of your resume.

ƒ How important is an Objective or Goal Statement?

It is not very important--often they take up space that can be better used. You will see an example of
each on our following resume samples. The one instance you might choose to include an objective or goal
statement is for a career fair, especially if you have more than one endorsement. It is advisable to make it
succinct and specific to the position for which you are applying. In most cases, your objective is stated early in
your letter of application.

ƒ Is it important to include non-education related employment and volunteer experiences

on my resume?
Remembering that none of these experiences will hold as much weight as the related experiences, one
often has to make the decision depending on space.

ƒ Is it wise to use graphics to make my resume stand out?

There is not normally room for graphics and they end up cluttering the resume. The exception might be a
resume for an Art endorsed teacher.

ƒ Should I include a reference section since references are typically required on the school
district application?
No. Reference instructions will be indicated in the job announcement and are normally included in the
application and/or sent in the placement file.

ƒ Should I make use of a commercial resume service?

You really are the best source to develop your own resume. Western’s Career Services Center is available
to assist graduating students at no cost. Some private or commercial resume services are used to business
resume formats more than education focused formats.

ƒ Will a great resume get me a job!

No. But it will critically improve your prospects of getting to the interview stage. Let’s get started!

8
 Maria Montenegro
1776 Gilbert Sullivan Drive, Seattle, WA 98011
(206) 766-2443 Mmonte@hotmail.com

Certification: Washington State Residency Certificate, expected June 2008

Endorsements: Elementary, Spanish,
ESL (expected March 2009)

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Education, Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education,

Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, 2008

Teaching Student Teacher, Stevens Elementary, 2nd grade, inclusion model

Experience Edmonds School District, Lynnwood, WA, Spring 2008
• Implement Essential Academic Learning Requirements and Gardner’s
Multiple Intelligences concepts in all lesson planning
• Developed and taught interdisciplinary units on Thanksgiving, weather and community
themes
• Administer successful proactive classroom management plan to diverse group
• Participated in Character Education curriculum; including facilitating class
meetings and integrating monthly virtues into daily lessons
• Conduct parent conferences and organize parent volunteers
• Collaborate with special educator to enhance learning strategies for three
special needs students; give input for IEP development

Practica, Bellingham and Ferndale, WA districts, 2006-08

• General, Kindergarten, Central Elementary
• Literacy, 3rd grade, Geneva Elementary
• Mathematics, 1st grade, Alderwood Elementary
• Science, 2/3 grade, Happy Valley Elementary

Volunteer Experience,
• Childcare Assistant, Bellingham YMCA After School Program, Fall 2005
• Counselor, Edmonds Park and Recreation summer camp, 2003 and 2004

Other Experience Barista, Starbucks, Bellingham, WA, 2005-2007

• Multitasked to efficiently perform duties while maintaining pleasant atmosphere

Affiliations Early Childhood Education Association

Snohomish County Literacy Council

Multicultural Intermediate level Spanish speaker; Student exchange and home stay in Toledo,
Spain; trav
Experiences Spain; visited 14 countries in Europe and Africa; e-mail pal with Spanish teacher

9
 Margaret Shepherd

1000 Smith Avenue, Everson, WA 98276 (360) 988-8765 mshepherd@aol.com

OBJECTIVE A middle school science position utilizing extensive practical

experience in bio-chemical laboratory setting

CERTIFICATION Washington State Residency Certificate, June 2006

Endorsements: General science, biology & chemistry

EDUCATION Post baccalaureate secondary education program, Western Washington

University, University, Bellingham, WA, June 2006

Bachelor of Science, University of Oregon, Corvallis, OR, June 2001

RELATED Internship, Mt. Vernon Middle School, Mt. Vernon, WA, January-June 2006
th th
TEACHING ‰ Implemented 7 and 8 grade general science curriculum
‰ Developed, taught and assessed invertebrate and weather units
EXPERIENCE ‰ Incorporated WA state’s Essential Learnings in all lesson planning
‰ Took lead in parent conferencing; developed consistent and positive lines of
communication with parents using e-mail, telephone, and interim reports
th
‰ Shared responsibilities for 8 grade field trip to Fred Hutchinson research
facilities; integrated technology, language arts & math into follow-up activity
‰ Assisted with the boys’ soccer team and chaperoned end of year dance

Practica, Bellingham and Mt. Vernon School Districts, WA, 2005-06

th
‰ Developed and implemented lessons for 12 grade Anatomy & Physiology
th
and 9 grade Earth Science classes; students used the internet for research
and PowerPoint technology to report findings (Mt. Vernon H.S.)
th th
‰ Presented 5 daily lessons in 7 and 8 grade general science (Whatcom M.S.)

Teacher Assistant, Adventures in Science summer camp, WWU, Summer 2004

th th
‰ Taught a 2-week marine mammal class for twenty-two 7 and 8 graders
‰ Arranged for guest lectures from regional marine biology experts

RELATED WORK Lab Assistant II, Immunex Corp., Seattle, WA, 2001-04
EXPERIENCE ‰ Conducted pharmaceutical research on melanoma cancers

INTERESTS AND Monitored the Skagit ecosystem from 2002 to present as part of the Skagit River Stewards
ACTIVITIES (volunteer); spent 3 weeks in Chile hiking and fly fishing in remote areas; hiked the
Appalachian Trail for four months in 2003; Big Sister to 9 year old girl

10
 Raymond Bullpen
134 Crater Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 734-0011 rbullpen@msn.com

Goal: Secondary language arts teaching and coaching position

Certification

Washington State Residency Certificate, June 2006

Endorsement: Language Arts; 15 credits toward Social Studies

Education
Bachelor of Arts in Education, Western Washington University, June 2006

Related Teaching Experience

Student Teacher, English, Ferndale High School, Ferndale, WA, Winter/Spring 2006
‹ Developed plans and taught three sophomore and one senior AP English class
‹ Incorporated state essential learning requirements and district language arts objectives,
stressing analytical problem solving, research techniques, and varied writing genre
‹ Participated actively in staff meetings, addressing problems including staff cooperation,
community support, and instructional strategies to meet diverse learning styles
‹ Praised by supervisors for fair and innovative classroom management style

Coach, football and cross country

‹ Linebacker coach (volunteer), Ferndale H.S., Fall 2004 and 2005
‹ Head Football Coach, Bellingham Parks & Recreation, B division, 13-15 year olds, 2002-03
‹ Assisted varsity head cross country coach, Western Washington University, 2001-02

Tutor, Native American Mentor Program, Horizon M.S., Ferndale, WA, Fall/Winter 2004-05
‹ Volunteered 6 hours a week assisting individuals in 7th and 8th grade study skills classes
‹ Stressed critical thinking and writing outcomes

Camp Counselor, Camp Orkila YMCA Camp, Orcas Island, WA, Summer 2005
‹ Facilitated recreational and social skills among a cabin of 12-15 year old males
‹ Initiated Cabin Fever Award for good citizenship; practice was adopted by YMCA Staff

Work Experience
Cashier/Shelver, Costco, Inc., Bellingham, WA, 2004-06
‹ Selected Employee of the Month 4 times; promoted to head weekend cashier

Recognition
Awarded the Arthur J. Petersen Scholarship for aspiring educators, WWU, 2004-05

11
 LILA FOSTER
173 Rayburn Drive, Ferndale, WA 98248 (360) 758-7123 lilaf@aol.com

“O, this CERTIFICATION:

learning, Washington State Residency Certificate, 2006
what a Endorsements: Language Arts; ESL
thing
it is!” EDUCATION:
Master in Teaching, Western Washington University, June 2006
William Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, English, Whitworth College, June 2004
Shakespeare

The Taming of TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

The Shrew Student Teacher, Bothell Senior High, Northshore S.D., January-June 2006
ƒ Taught 11th and 12th grade English; Intro to Speech, 9-12 grades;
incorporated EALR’s in all lesson planning and instruction
ƒ Developed, taught, and assessed units on Great Books and Authors,
Writing Skills for Life, and Save the Drama for Your Mama integrated
speech and drama performance
ƒ Adapted curriculum and instruction for students with special needs, including
four on IEPs, two ESL, and fifteen advanced placement students; coordinated
planning with special education, ESL and advanced placement instructors
ƒ Invited to be a guest lecturer on Shakespeare’s England in the English
classes of two department colleagues
ƒ Chaperoned Junior Class Trip and Senior Prom, Salmon Chanted Evening
ƒ Assisted language arts department in revision of 10th grade curriculum
“(Lila Foster)
…has brought Teaching Assistant, Dr. Ray Wolpow, Secondary Education Department,
creativity, Western Washington University, Fall 2005 and Winter 2006
ƒ Monitored and graded mid-term and final exams in two 400-level courses
high energy, and
ƒ Coordinated MIT practicum placements in Bellingham School District
superior
beginning Tutor, Academic Advising Tutorial Center, Western Washington University, 2005
teaching skills ƒ Assisted undergraduates identified as struggling in writing intensive courses
to her ƒ Taught study skills to individuals and small groups
internship
RELATED EXPERIENCE:
experience.”
ƒ Big Sister, Whatcom County; 11 year old girl whose mother is incarcerated
Marc Bradley,
ƒ Assistant Coach (volunteer), 13-14 year old girls, Assumption Church league
Cooperating ƒ Judge, forensic competition, Sehome High School, Bellingham, WA, April 2005
Teacher
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
Bothell Sr. High ƒ National Council of Teachers of English-Student Member
English Department ƒ Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development-Student Member
ƒ Whatcom County Literacy Council

12
 The Letter of Application
A cover letter is your chance to make a good first impression. Because it accompanies your
resume and application to the school district or educational institution, it is often the first
opportunity to introduce yourself as well as an indication of your written communication skills.

Having put a lot of hard work into a resume you want to make sure that the prospective
employer reads it carefully. A cover letter is a marketing tool that you develop to encourage
employers to study your resume and give you serious consideration as a candidate. Together,
they should stimulate the employer to want to know more about you through an interview.

Although the typical job hunter in education can usually make do with one well constructed
resume, the cover letter should be tailored to the specific position about which you are
inquiring or for which you are applying. Never send a form letter. Certainly there will be
some common things you mention in each letter, but the wise cover letter writer will personalize
it as much as possible.

In general, a professional cover letter is:

1. Formal and businesslike

2. Neat

3. Short (3 or 4 paragraphs on one page)

4. Typed or computer generated

5. Errorless (spelling, grammar, punctuation)

6. On good quality bond paper

7. Addressed to a specific person, when possible

Two basic uses for cover letters:

1. Letter of Inquiry - when you have an interest in a school district but are not
aware whether an opening exists for which you are qualified. Many districts
and educational institutions will then note your interest and place your letter
(and resume and application) in their systems for future consideration when
openings arise.

2. Letter of Application - when there is a specific opening for which you are
qualified and wish to apply.

13
 WRITING AN EFFECTIVE
LETTER OF APPLICATION You only get
one chance to
make a first
impression!

A few simple rules to follow:

ƒ Make it professional looking.

ƒ It should be computer generated/typed.
ƒ Make it one page maximum (unless you are specifically
instructed to respond to items requiring extra information).
ƒ Address letter to a specific person.
ƒ First sentence should contain your reason for writing
(objective?).
ƒ Middle paragraph(s) market your qualifications as they
relate to the district needs.
ƒ For district needs, refer to the job posting for clues.
ƒ Closing paragraph advises that:
(1) you have included your resume,
(2) your placement file is being forwarded, and
(3) you are willing to meet to discuss how you fit
the district’s needs
ƒ Don’t reiterate everything from your resumè – highlight
strengths they need.
ƒ Let your personality and passion for teaching come
through!
14
15
TURN TO THE NEXT
PAGE TO SEE SAMPLE
LETTER FOR THIS 16
TEACHING POSITION…
1724 Smith Road
Seattle, WA 98101

July 15, 2005

Dr. Molly Ringo

Executive Director Human Resources
Everett School District
3714 Oakes Avenue
Everett, WA 98201

Dear Dr. Ringo:

Please consider this an application for job #05-4000, a continuing contract Grade 3 teaching position at Silver Firs
Elementary School that is currently posted for the Everett School District. Having recently completed a strong
student teaching experience at Madison Elementary School, I have been encouraged by a number of faculty and
parents to apply for the third grade position in our district.

The second paragraph is your chance to match your experience with the district’s listed qualifications:

1) Review Position Announcement for key words

2) Stress your related training and experience
3) Be positive, enthusiastic, and creative

This paragraph or a possible third paragraph is also your opportunity to explain any information that may be
questioned or not be apparent on the resume: for instance a break in employment or additional qualifications that
set you apart.

My resume is enclosed with my application forms. All of my transcripts are in my placement file which is being
forwarded by Western Washington University. I look forward to the opportunity to meet with you at your
convenience.

Sincerely,

Neda Jobquik

Enclosures: Resume
References

17