Ghalia Al Khoudari is an English/Arabic translator and content writer from Syria. She holds a degree in English Literature from Damascus University.
Your resume is a critical document to convey how well-suited you are for your next job in an industry where administrative leaders demand specific skills and qualifications for their roles.
Knowing how to highlight these qualities will help your resume stand out from others.
In this article, we provide tips for best presenting your most hirable skills to a recruiter.
When crafting a winning resume, you need to showcase your work features in a clean and uncluttered manner. There are a specific features you need to mention it and a simple steps to put together a well-organized resume that will help you catch any recruiter's attention
Contact details
Make it easy for a recruiter by ensuring your contact details can be spotted at the top of your resume. You can include your name, city and state, phone number and email address.
Your contact information, also called a resume header, can also include details that describe who you are and how a hiring manager can reach you such as your name, phone number and email, as well as a portfolio, website or links to professional social media platforms, if relevant to the role you're applying for.
Here are five essential pieces of information to include on your resume for it to be complete:
Include your full name in bold font at the top of your resume. Consider using a larger font size to distinguish it from other headers. It is expected from you to use your legal name during the hiring process and remember your resume is usually an employer's first encounter with you, so it's important to present yourself in the way you want to be seen.
If your current job title is relevant, you can list that under your name. For example, if you are applying for an editor position at a newspaper, you may list "Section Editor" under your name to let the reader know you are qualified upon first glance.
Most job postings are now online, so it's a good idea to include your email address as part of your contact information. Use an email that appears professional and doesn't include nicknames, slang or unnecessary characters. If you're unsure whether your current email is professional, it may be a good idea to create a new one to include on resumes. It's also wise to avoid adding anything too personal, including your birth year or an indication that you're a parent as, unfortunately, in some cases this may prejudice employers against you.
While you may want to avoid listing your entire address on your resume, which can make your resume look cluttered, be sure to include the city and state where you live. If an employer wants to hire a local employee, they may want to have this information. It can also help inform an employer if you plan to relocate for the role and if you require their financial support to move, as this can be an important aspect of the hiring process. Even if the job you're applying for is remote, some companies have location requirements based on where their company is licensed as an employer.
Your current phone number is another important part of your contact information because it allows your employer to talk to you directly. Sometimes employers want to contact a potential candidate over the phone to conduct a phone interview or to clarify some information throughout the hiring process, so having your number on your resume makes it easier for them to call you. The format of your number also matters. Include your area code and the proper spacing, such as "123-456-7891."
You may want to turn your voicemail services on and create a personalized and professional voicemail. This tells the employer they've reached the right person and makes it easier for you to respond to any missed calls. Check your voicemail frequently to clear out previous messages in your inbox so it's open for other recruiters to leave messages.
Including a link to an online professional profile or portfolio gives your potential employer more information about you and is a good addition to your contact information if this is common or required in your industry or role. Reread the job description to understand whether the employer requires proof of your work in this way. Avoid adding personal websites or social media handles, and only include links that are relevant to the position you're applying for.
Resume objective
This is an optional section, but if you include it, your objective should be no more than one or two sentences that sum up your most relevant attributes to highlight how you are suitable for the role. You may adapt this to suit each role you are applying for as it is your opening statement to impress a recruiter. You'll want to make sure you are showcasing your most relevant skills.
Experience
Start at your current work or most recent job which is relevant to the hiring manager. You can leave off jobs you may have had at the beginning of your career that bear no relation to the role you seek, but list anything where the skills and experience might be relevant and show your accomplishments.
Skills
Recruiters want to see what you can bring to a role, so include a section that covers your education-related skills. For some roles, it might be first aid training or sign language. For others, it may be bringing innovative teaching methods to the classroom. Review the job description for the kind of skills a hiring manager seeks. Mention class sizes and your strongest subject areas.
The following are some key education skills that hiring managers may look for:
Communication skills
Learning support
Emotional intelligence
Technological integration
Curriculum development
Teaching principles
Education administration
Lesson planning
Classroom management
Subject expertise
We will examine four of these skills in further detail:
Communication skills are abilities you use when giving and receiving different kinds of information, and are divided into verbal, non-verbal and written skills. These form part of your day-to-day work life, where communicating in a clear, effective and efficient way is an extremely critical and useful skill.
It benefits you to learn from great communicators around you and practising definitely improves your communication skills over time and, in doing so, supports your efforts to achieve various personal and professional goals.
Learning support skills are strategies and values which help providide an effective education to students. In addition, it includes working with students who have varying levels of physical or cognitive handicaps. There are a range of soft skills and technical knowledge that allow professionals to provide education, information and ideas while also meeting the varying physical, emotional and mental needs of students. Here are some of the most important skills for professionals who work as learning support teachers:
Lesson planning: Learning support teachers create regular lesson plans that include information and outlines for content, assignments, communications and student progress. This includes the ability to write a lesson plan that meets the needs of students from various backgrounds, education levels and capabilities, which in turn allows you to ensure everyone in the classroom receives and understands the information and concepts. Effective lesson planning also can prevent miscommunications and delays.
Classroom management: This refers to the ability to regulate the behaviors and interactions of students in a classroom environment. A learning support teacher requires additional experience with classroom management planning to ensure students remain calm and focused while providing them with the ability to complete their work and grasp concepts. Classroom management skills include promoting proper communication, behavior and engagement from students.
Communication: Many teaching positions require the use and knowledge of advanced verbal and written communication. The primary goal of a teacher is to communicate knowledge clearly and accurately to ensure student understanding. As a learning support teacher, communication serves a vital role in managing students' abilities, behaviors, accommodations and understanding of ideas.
Leadership: Learning support teachers often act as leaders for students in a classroom environment. Leadership skills include verbal and practical leading through directions, communication and guidance. Teachers also lead through nonverbal cues, such as attitude and behaviors, and serve as role models for students and others in the class.
Teamwork: Learning support teachers often work in close collaboration with other teachers, administrators, parents and specialists to develop plans, lessons and methods for students with specific needs. The ability to work as part of a team and collaborate with others helps ensure the best care and education for all students. Teamwork skills include the ability to compromise, communicate and contribute when working with others.
Flexibility: While learning support teachers often make and follow lesson plans, their role also requires a large amount of flexibility to accommodate the needs and pace of students with various learning abilities. You can practice flexibility by learning to adapt the speed, methods and requirements of lessons or assignments to present students with solutions and new ideas. The ability to evaluate and respond to students' needs and abilities helps ensure they remain engaged and encouraged to learn.
The third skill is emotional intelligence, which is the ability to recognize, understand and manage your own emotions as well as being able to understand and influence the emotions of others. It involves being aware that emotions drive behaviors and impact people either positively or negatively. While emotional intelligence can seem like a vague or complex concept, there are specific ways you can develop this skill. Taking time to hone and build on these skills can help you become better at building relationships and accomplishing shared tasks.
Why is emotional intelligence important?
Emotions can lead you to act without thinking. Having emotional intelligence can help you avoid those situations when you might act on impulse rather than fact. Understanding and managing your emotions and those of others can help you be more successful in your personal and professional life.
Emotional intelligence can play a huge role in:
Having difficult conversations without hurting others’ feelings
Managing your emotions when feeling stressed or overwhelmed
Improving relationships with others
Resolving conflict
Coaching and motivating others
Creating a collaborative environment
Technological integration in education is the use of technology to deepen learning and achieve pedagogical goals. Teachers can incorporate computers, smartphones, virtual reality tools and other innovative devices to help students learn. Effective technological integration supports the existing curriculum and is one part of the educational experience, along with traditional teaching methods and group work. Classrooms that use technology effectively typically have a low ratio of students to devices, so every student gets ample opportunities to use the technology.
Qualifications and Education
If you are applying for roles with qualification requirements, show that you have them by listing the relevant qualifications. This includes education, certification or continuing education. Be sure to include the institution where you studied, the awarding body and details of when you studied.
Advice from a Recruiter
According to Ms. Hala Al-Matary, Academic Director at 4Skillz Academy, there are three critical aspects she bears in mind whenever hiring EFL teachers:
"Their traits, skills, and knowledge; these factors are essential in selecting the best candidate for the job ... When it comes to traits, I look for teachers who possess confidence, charisma, and creativity. It's also essential that they can build rapport with their students, are friendly and sympathetic, and have strong language proficiency."
Ms. Al-Matary explained:
"Knowledge and skills go hand in hand. It's essential that teachers are knowledgeable and aware of the latest and most effective teaching techniques and methods. From covering a lexis lesson properly to teaching grammar in context and the four skills in learning English, a teacher's knowledge is crucial to their success".
Hobbies, Interests or Volunteer Experience
Finally, if you spend your free time doing something that shows your commitment to education, or to developing relevant skills, then include it on your resume. Whether it's volunteering with a children's literacy program or writing a book about learning styles, demonstrating a broader passion for your subject always looks great on your resume.
In conclusion, your CV mirrors the achievements and experiences in one's career, gathering together and highlighting all relevant skills to catch the recruiters attention.
Therefore, a strong resume is one which allows you to communicate your skills, qualities and qualifications, as well as using the chance to express interests and passions which further demonstrate that you are the right candidate for the job.
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