You’ve finally secured that TEFL certificate and are ready to hit the job market to teach abroad. There are so many jobs and recruiters floating around the internet that finding that perfect match for your ESL job seems a bit overwhelming. “How do I emphasize my skills even if I have no experience?” “How do I stand out in comparison with all the other applicants?” “How do I not sound desperate on my resume!?”
Here’s our best advice to make your TEFL resume shine bright AF.
It’s rare to show up to a foreign country without the proper credentials and snag a job on the spot. If you’ve got a TEFL and a degree, you’re already a step ahead of the game. What other key points can you add in to make your TEFL resume stand out among the rest? We're here to teach you how to write a kick ass resume for teaching abroad. (And P.S. If you don't have that certificate yet—check out International TEFL Academy. They offer job placement too!)
How to put a TEFL on a resume and really sell it
“I really, really want this job ‘cause I am awesome and speak English reallllll goooood.” Yeah, no. Be professional, don’t use lame adjectives, have a clear cut TEFL resume objective, and make sure you edit! The following 17 tips will tell you how to make your TEFL resume stand out.
1. Have a focused TEFL resume objective.
“I really want to teach abroad because I like to travel and see new cultures” vs. “Seeking a position teaching business English while utilizing my TEFL certificate and business degree to help adults looking to expand their careers.” You can easily see which person threw in a bit more pizzazz on their TEFL resume objective to better fit their employment goals. Although you may find it easier and more convenient to be vague about your objective, a little bit of extra effort could make you much more likely to be called in for that job interview.
2. Focus on your top skills.
Are you a grammar whiz? Do you have a creative side when it comes to lesson planning? How do you do with administrative paperwork, group projects, and public speaking? Write a list of your hard and soft skills and add the ones that have any kind of relevance into your TEFL resume.
Don’t include skills that aren’t relevant to your teaching position.
3. Add in education and certifications.
Many countries require either a Bachelor’s degree, a TEFL certificate, or both. Make sure that you add your education and certifications. If you have any special rewards from your degree that could be found relevant, add those in too! Having your TEFL on a resume should be emphasized near the top so that it is easily seen by employers.
4. Emphasize experience as an ESL teacher.
If you have past ESL teaching experience, make sure that is highlighted on your resume. What ages did you teach? Where did you teach? How long? What were your main duties?
5. Share your formal teaching experience.
If you have your teaching certification at home and have set your career as a teacher, make sure that is laid out in detail in your TEFL resume. You’ve already made your life goal to teach and adding as many details about your formal classroom experience back home will be eye-catching for employers.
Pro tip: If you have a teaching license check out international schools abroad for higher pay and more job opportunities.
6. Emphasize informal teaching experience.
You might have more informal teaching experience than you think!
Many people who teach ESL abroad have no experience as teachers in their home country. If you don’t have “formal” classroom experience, make a list of experience you have that is relevant. Have you coached sports, nannied, tutored, worked at summer camps, or organized student groups? Those are all relevant teaching experience that can give you a better chance at getting an ESL job.
7. Use keywords from the job description.
Many resumes are scanned through a computer before any “real person” gets ahold of them. Because of this, it’s important to read the job description for where you are applying. This is so that the “scanner” can see if the focus of your resume matches the job. Use words throughout your resume such as “teaching, students, education, classroom, ESL.” When you look through job descriptions, you’ll find a better idea of what it is exactly that the school is looking for and that will give you an idea on how to make your resume more focused with proper keywords.
8. Don’t add in every. single. job. since. high. school.
Yawwwwn. As stated, keywords and reading job descriptions is important. Employers will not care that you served burgers at McD’s when you were 16 years old. Keep your past experience RELEVANT. Even if you have no experience teaching, you can tweak your resume to stand out to the employer. Did you work as an administrator in an office? Great! You are organized and can deal with loads of paperwork. Did you coach soccer to a group of kids at a summer camp? Awesome! You can work with groups of kiddos. If you are going to add in former experience, see how you can creatively describe how it is relevant to the ESL position you are applying for.
9. Add in language skills.
Are you bilingual? If you can speak multiple languages, add that into your resume for teaching abroad. Although this is not usually a requirement, it shows employers that you may have some understanding on the wonderful world of linguistics and studying a language that is not your native tongue. Being a student of languages yourself will showcase an ability to empathize with your future classroom.
Do you speak a foreign language? Slap it on your TEFL resume!
10. Emphasize international experience.
Have you lived abroad before? Did you ever study abroad or intern abroad? Have you been an au pair? International experience is important to employers because they know you’ve seen a different culture before. Employers will be impressed by learning about your international experience. And NO, that is not by describing that time you had too many buckets of rum at the full moon party in Phuket.
11. Add in volunteer experience.
Whether you’ve volunteered internationally or locally, long-term or short-term, you should highlight any relevant volunteer experience to your TEFL resume. Volunteer experience on a resume always looks good. Describe your duties and how they can be used when you teach abroad.
12. Be honest.
Maybe you never volunteered abroad; but how would the employer really know that? Hmmmm let me just add in a few little fibs to make me sounds “employable-er.” BAD IDEA. Don’t lie. Don’t even make up little white lies about duties you’ve never done. Be honest because you want to go into this new ESL job knowing you secured it because of the wonderful human you are, not the lie you wrote down to make you feel better about yourself.
13. Stay positive.
Don’t write down information on your resume about past mistakes at prior jobs, negative feelings towards past employers, or reasons you may have gotten fired. Keep everything positive. There’s no reason to make your resume a confession of why things didn’t go well in prior jobs.
Tools like Google and GoAbroad can help you spice up your CV.
14. Use the wonderful world of Google.
If you’re applying for an ESL job through a specific agency or to a specific school—Google them! Having an understanding of the mission statement and the way the school is run will help you prepare for your future job as an ESL teacher. Although not all schools abroad have websites that are easy to access, you may find a ton of info that is at your fingertips. If applying through an agency, do your research. By having an understanding of these jobs, you can tweak your resume to fit what they want to see.
15. Keep it professional.
Resumes should not be written in the first person. Also, check your adjectives and read it out loud. You are not a “rad teacher” who is “totally excited” about the idea of extending your trip to Thailand by “teaching adorbs little kids.” Professional. Professional. PROFESSIONAL.
16. Looks matter.
Check the resume requirements before you hit send. Some employers ask for a photo and references. Others do not want a photo or references. Make sure you read carefully what is required so that you can have a better shot at getting that interview.
- Keep your resume between one and two pages. One page is typically preferred.
- Keep the colors neutral. Don’t add flowery colors that are distracting. Microsoft word templates have many easy ideas for professional templates. You can also find tons of free downloadable resume templates online.
- Make sure it’s readable. Fonts should be very basic and easy to read. The margins should be reasonable and the text shouldn’t be too small that you need to squint to read.
17. Have a friend or family member edit your resume.
Your family and friends might catch some errors you overlooked!
When you look at your resume as you add the finishing touches, you can easily make mistakes when rereading it dozens of times. This can be a curse when you are tediously perfecting your last thoughts. Make sure to have an outsider’s perspective as fresh eyes are always the best editing tool for your resume. With someone else’s help, you can be assured that you did a great job making your resume and feel confident that you are ready to send it out to your future employers.
Bonus: How to prepare your TEFL resume objective for teaching ESL online
Although a resume to teach in a classroom or online can be very similar, there are some extra key points that can be highlighted if you are applying to teach English online.
- Emphasize keywords EVEN MORE. Wasn’t this already stated? YES. But it’s even more important if you apply for a teaching job online because it is very likely that the company in China that has over 60,000 teachers will be completely robotic before you even get an interview. You more than likely will be scanned into a system first before getting the “okay” to pass your resume along to a real person.
- Emphasize your outgoing energy. Teaching online can be exhausting because you always have to be “on.” You aren’t only a teacher, but a star actor for the live version of “Dora the Explorer.” Because of this you need to prove that you have the ability to engage students who are thousands of miles away by using TPR, props, songs, and playfulness.
- Emphasize your promptness. Teaching online usually comes with wacky time zone differences. You may have to work odd hours. Show your employer that you are always on time and ready to go. If you ever worked a swing shift, highlight this in your resume!
- Emphasize tech skills. You are tech savvy. You’ve got proper equipment, internet speeds, headphones, etc. You can easily function through Skype, Zoom, multiple platforms, and are always online checking emails and staying organized.
- Show off your classroom. If possible, add a photo of your online classroom with you at the center. Do you have a colorful background? Are you dressed professionally with good lighting? Are you smiling a big and happy smile? Add your classroom photo to your resume to show that you are prepared to teach online.
Check out these TEFL resume examples
It’s always nice to browse online to find stellar TEFL resume examples, courtesy of all-star TEFL program provider, Premier TEFL. Check out some of these for a little bit of inspiration.
Other TEFL resume and career resources
These additional resources will help put smiles on your ESL students’ faces
We know a LOT about what it takes to write a TEFL resume and get hired, but our friends from other TEFL companies have their fair share of knowledge, too. Here are some additional articles and tips to check out as you craft your winning CV:
- Preparing a Winning TEFL Resume from PremierTEFL
- How to Create a Killer Resume from ITA
- Example TEFL Resumes from Teaching House
- 5 Steps to the Perfect ESL Teacher Resume on GoAbroad
- 11 Tips to Update Your Resume After Teaching English Abroad
Get hired ASAP thanks to your stellar TEFL resume
Become a TEFL teacher abroad and make a difference in the world!
Easy peasy! Download one of your favorite templates and start plugging away your experience. Whether you’ve been teaching for years or consider yourself to have minimal experience, you can make a great TEFL resume. Teaching ESL abroad is at your fingertips and you just need to get that resume perfected. Remember to not overthink it, be honest, and stay positive. With people teaching English across the globe both online and in person, there are no shortages of jobs. You just need to create a focused resume that shows you are ready to conquer the classroom.
Besides creating the perfect TEFL resume, make sure that you are applying for jobs that you really want. You’ve got to take into account the country, ages, and types of schools that you are applying for when you edit your resume to cater to those details. ESL jobs around the world—or from the comfort of your home office—are calling your name!
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