So you’ve created a stellar teaching CV and now it’s time to pen a stand-out cover letter. But where to start? Cover letters are your opportunity to put your personality across to the school you are applying to and to persuade them that you are the best candidate for the job. Before putting pen to paper, be sure to read our top tips for how to write a teaching cover letter that stands out.
Make it Personal
There’s no point being a cut-and-paster. It will show. With school retention problems on the rise, school heads want to know that you’re committed to stick around for the future. So do your research and customise your cover letter so that it’s relevant to the specific school and role you’re applying for. What are the school’s strengths and what attracts you to them? What are their weaknesses and how could you add to and improve their school community?
Keep it Relevant
Unlike your CV, your cover letter is not a chronological run-through of your employment history. Yes you should big yourself up but don’t go on a rant about your many, wide-ranging qualities; only highlight experience that is related to the role you are applying for. On the flip side, if you don’t have much direct teaching experience, it can feel like your cover letter is feeling a little bare. But there are many things that count as teaching experience, including TA work, running a guide group and your work placement experiences.
Highlight Your Teaching Achievements
Use your cover letter as an opportunity to cherry-pick your best moments and showcase your biggest achievements. So really big up those proud moments that would look good to your employer- that class that achieved above their target grades or that extra-curricular club you organised and ran singlehandedly.
Mention Training and Qualifications
Your qualifications should be on your CV, but it’s also a good idea to mention your education background in your cover letter as well as any courses and CPD you have undertaken to add to your credibility.
Show Your Passion
More than anything, your personality and passion needs to shine through your cover letter. Even if you lack some of the experience that another candidate possesses, your passion for what you do can put you in good stead for getting to the interview stage.
Trim it Down
Don’t ramble. Try your best to keep your cover letter concise and ideally no more than three to four paragraphs. Try to cut down on unnecessary words and sentences. Re-read your letter and delete repeated phrases or risk sounding like a broken record. The hiring manager will have lots of cover letters to get through so don’t bore them before they get to the end!
Take Your Time
Lastly, try not to rush through your teaching cover letter and really take the time to make it good. This can be difficult when you’re actively applying for jobs and are writing a number of cover letters in a week but if it is a role you really want or a school you would really love to be part of, then it’s worth putting in the extra time. And of course, always proofread a teaching cover letter as teachers can spot a spelling mistake from a mile off!
Looking for your next teaching career move? Check out RealiseMe! RealiseMe offers plenty of permanent teaching and TA jobs, as well as a platform that allows supply teachers to book supply work directly with schools, free of agencies. With no agency margins, schools pay less and supply teachers can earn up to 15% more!