When applying for a job teaching English as a foreign language, you need to put your best foot forward. This means making sure your CV and cover letter are top-notch.
Top tips for writing a TEFL CV
1. Don’t forget – you are a TEFL teacher. Make sure that your written English is of a high standard.
2. Make sure your CV includes all the information that is relevant to the TEFL post that you are applying for. TEFL employers will often ignore CVs which do not contain the information that was specifically asked for in the job advertisement.
3. You can design your own CV or use our CV template, but bear in mind it must not be excessively ornate, and you should never submit a handwritten CV.
4. Your CV should have a recent photograph of you somewhere near the top of the first page. The following personal information must then appear somewhere near your photograph: name, date of birth, nationality, gender, home address, telephone number, e-mail.
5. As a suggestion, your CV could be structured in the following order: photograph and personal details; education and TEFL qualifications; skills summary; language skills; work experience; hobbies and interests; foreign travel.
6. The cover letter will give you the opportunity to showcase what is in your CV and provide you with the opportunity to make a strong argument in support of your application. Some TEFL employers place considerable emphasis on the cover letter.
7. Avoid the use of cliched words and expressions such as ‘team player’, ‘excellent communications skills’, etc.
8. If you are applying to more than one TEFL employer, don’t send your CV and cover letter to all the employers in the same email.
Top tips for writing a cover letter:
1. As you are applying for work, your cover letter will have to be written in a formal register. Don’t make it sound too stiff, however; you aren’t living in the nineteenth century.
2. Ensure that your grammar, punctuation, and syntax are perfect, and avoid flowery language and hackneyed phrases. Don’t forget – you are applying for an job teaching English!
3. Make sure that your cover letter is formatted as a business letter.
4. All well-written letters (including email letters) should be clear, concise, and polite.
5. Don’t forget to use the correct salutations and subscriptions: the salutation Dear Sir or Dear Madam has Yours faithfully as a subscription; the salutation Dear Mr. / Mrs. has Yours sincerely.
6. Don’t make your cover letter sound like a summary of your CV; this is a guaranteed recipe for rejection.
7. Make sure that you write a title underneath your salutation, e.g. ‘Letter of application for the post of TEFL teacher at the ABC school’. You should also underline the title, and ensure that the title clearly states the teaching post that you are applying for. The school administration will no doubt have to sift through a lot of mail; the title will quickly help to direct your correspondence to the correct department.
8. In the first paragraph, you should briefly explain the nature of your correspondence and introduce yourself and your current situation as it concerns TEFL teaching.
9. The next two or three paragraphs should be concerned with advertising yourself as the best TEFL teacher for the post: you should highlight your strong points and what you can bring to the job and the school. Your cover letter should show you to be motivated, enthusiastic and confident.
10. The last paragraph should contain an expression of gratitude for the employer’s consideration of your application.
Read more: Tips to Write a Sensational CV For Getting Hired to Teach English Abroad