Your resume format is the first thing recruiters will notice and is your opportunity to make a good first impression. It helps to send a clear message as to who you are as a candidate.
There are several resume layouts, but the best choice for your elementary teacher resume is a reverse chronological layout.
As the name suggests, this layout lists your work history in reverse chronological order.
Elementary teaching typically follows a linear career path that begins with student teaching and leads to teaching your own class.
Reverse chronological is the optimal design to showcase your career growth.
What design elements should I use on my elementary teacher resume?
Creativity is an important skill for elementary teachers. Think back on some of the best classrooms you’ve seen and notice all the bright colors, fun activities, and innovative lessons.
Showing recruiters your creative side begins the moment they lay their eyes on your resume.
For elementary school teachers, it’s a good idea to make use of different colors, sections, and fonts. Show administrators what they can expect from your colorful classroom activities and fun lesson plans!
However, don’t get too carried away. The design should be organized, professional, and pleasant to look at. Remember your resume is for the staff, not the students.
Choose from the selection of colors, fonts, and other design elements in our resume builder to help you create a resume that will be appealing to hiring managers.
How many pages should my elementary teacher resume be?
A common question in resume writing is how many pages should a resume be. For elementary school teachers, one page is sufficient.
Resumes longer than one page are more common in higher-level school administrative roles by candidates with more than a decade of experience in education.
If by chance your target school does want to see a more detailed history or teaching portfolio, that will come later in the hiring process.
Should I use a PDF or doc file format for my elementary teacher resume?
Another common resume question is what is the best format to use - PDF or doc. Unless the job description explicitly requests a particular format, go with PDF.
Using a PDF provides more security and eliminates the risk of any unwanted formatting changes or compatibility issues.
School administrators are dealing with digital files and documents all day long. If they have difficulty opening yours, they won’t waste time on it.
You also want to ensure that your format is clear, concise, and ATS-friendly. Both our double-column and single-column layouts in Echocv’s resume builder are ATS optimized.
Think about the market’s preferences – a Canadian resume, for instance, could have a different layout.