English Teacher Resume Examples & Writing Tips for 2025

You’re a pro at deciphering Shakespeare's sonnets, understand iambic pentameter, and know the difference between a simile and a metaphor, but can you write an interview-winning resume? Chances are, you still have a thing or two to learn.

Impressing a recruiter with your teaching prowess takes research, precision, and skill. It’s about proving that you have the writing experience and the teaching know-how to inspire the next generation. But it doesn’t end there. In the age of EdTech, you’ll also want to highlight your digital literacy and name-check the tools and software you confidently use.

Your English teacher resume needs to tick all the boxes while also speaking the recruiter’s language. That means tailoring your resume for the school or academy, too.

If you’re ready to get started, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll share all the advice you need plus tangible examples. Let class begin.

How to use this English teacher resume guide

You wouldn’t deliver a lesson without a detailed plan. Writing a resume is no different. We’ve created an in-depth guide to help you write a persuasive English teacher resume. However, If you want to get the most out of it, you need some action points.

Let’s take a look at some tips you need to keep in mind:

What to focus on when writing your English teacher resume

Teaching is a competitive field. To nab that top job, you need to show you’re a cut above the rest. When writing your English teacher resume, consider what makes you unique.

While there are plenty of things you could cover, it always pays to be as specific as you can. We recommend focusing on any curriculum development experience, advanced degrees or qualifications, digital literacy, and written communication.

Let’s break each of those down:

Curriculum development experience

From lesson planning to instructional design, English teachers must do it all. Look for ways to highlight your curriculum development experience on your resume.

You might want to talk about how you approach adapting the curriculum for different learning needs or how you’ve used technology to kick things up a notch.

Advanced degrees or qualifications

Education matters when you work in this field. If you’re looking to win over the hiring manager, don’t be afraid to brag about your educational feats.

Mention your college degree when listing education on your resume. However, you also want to display any advanced degrees you have under your belt.

Digital literacy

Technology plays a core role in any classroom. EdTech—or the use of software, hardware, and digital resources—is central to any modern-day teaching role. If you want to win over the recruiter, it’s important that you weave digital literacy into the body of your resume.

Written communication

As an English teacher, your writing is going to be closely scrutinized. The recruiter will expect you to be a real wordsmith. For that reason, the phrases you use on your resume need to have ​​an impact. Use clear, concise language to get your message across.

Next up, let’s break down which format you should use.

How to choose the right resume format

Now that you understand what to include in your application, it’s time to consider the resume format.

There are three main options:

• Reverse-chronological order
• Functional format
• Combination format

If you’ve been teaching for years and have experience, choose the reverse-chronological format. The format details your career history, starting with your most recent accolades at the top of the page and working back in time.

If you’ve transitioned to teaching from another career, this structure may not work. In that situation, going for either the functional resume format or a combination is the answer. These options emphasize your skills over your experience.

Using the right format is just one part of the puzzle. Let’s move on to how to write a good header.

What to include in your resume header

At the top of the page, you’ll find the resume header. This section is a lot like a business card—it has your basic details and contact information. If you manage to wow the hiring manager with your resume, they’ll look at this section to contact you.

Let’s take a look at what you should include:

• Your name: Start with your first and last name.
• Job title: List the job title—i.e. “English Teacher.”
• Contact details: Next, add your phone number and email address.
• Location: Finally, give just your city and state (rather than your full address).

How to write a resume summary

Imagine you could look the hiring manager in the eye and tell them why you’re perfect for the job. What words would you use to persuade them that you’re the ideal candidate?

That’s the passion you want to bring to your resume summary. This short paragraph is often the first thing that a hiring manager reads. To grab their attention, include impressive accomplishments, stand-out talents, and other attributes that make you unique.

Looking for some inspiration? Why not focus on how long you’ve been teaching, the teaching approach you use, and your student grade stats? These features are bound to impress.

Always refer back to the job announcement before writing. Check out the core criteria and make sure you’re hitting the mark with the points you choose to include.

The above example talks about the teacher’s approach and the results they get. By including statistics in the mix, it provides evidence of the candidate’s track record.

How to write a quantifiable resume experience section

Now it’s time to put some work experience on your resume. This section is the meatiest of your resume—you have a fair bit of room to play with here. List out your relevant experience and use bullet points to detail your accomplishments in that position.

Get the formatting right. Start by including the name of the company, location, your job role, and the years you were employed. Below that, add your biggest achievements in the job.

Let’s take a look at an example:

Test pass rates and improvements in student performance are front and center in this example. Including statistics and evidence in most points, is a surefire way to impress the reader.

English teacher resume work experience samples

How you position your English teacher resume depends largely on your professional strengths. Think about what makes you an impressive and valuable candidate.

To help you decide which angle to use, we’ve looked at three approaches:

Creativity focused

English teachers have the power to shape young minds. To do just that, many teachers use their innate creative flair. If you take a hands-on approach, include that in this section.

Results focused

Can you help any student pass the test? If you’re a pro at getting cold, hard results, that’s certain to help you stand out. Use tangible metrics in your work experience section.

EdTech focused

Have you fully embraced technology in the classroom? If the answer is yes, that could be your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Include the tools you use by name and add context, explaining how they’ve supercharged your teaching approach.

How to write a resume if you have little to no experience

If you have no work experience in the education field, don’t panic. Everyone has to start somewhere. Focus on your education and any transferable skills you bring to the table.

Write a resume objective rather than a summary. This statement should include why you want to be a teacher, what has led you to this point, and what you hope to do in this career.

If you have volunteer experience in a school or educational setting, that’s a real bonus. Provide a volunteer section on your resume to draw attention to this experience.

Listing your skills on your resume

Ready to talk about what skills to put on a resume? Successful English teachers need a selection of hard and soft skills to captivate their students and get real results.

Your first port of call should be the job advert. Look at the core criteria and see what the recruiter expects. See how many of their boxes you can automatically tick there.

Use the same words as the job description when filling out your skills section. That’s a simple way to hook the recruiter and get past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Here’s a good skills section example:

Best hard skills to feature on your English teacher resume

Hard skills—also known as technical skills—are at the core of your teaching practice.

Whether it’s using software or planning lessons, you need to have a good range of talents to get this job done. Make sure you’re specific when it comes to your resume.

Think about what the most in-demand resume competencies are for teaching.

Here are some examples:

Check out an example skills section focusing on hard skills:

Best soft skills to feature on your English teacher resume

It’s not simply about your technical skills. You have to communicate clearly, engage students, and inspire them to work hard. That takes a load of soft skills.

These are often innate traits that help you do your job well. For example, you might be an ace at public speaking, have great interpersonal skills, or excel at time management. Whatever the case, throwing some of these into your skills section could make a huge difference.

Let’s see a good example:

Education on resume

If you’ve done all of the above, the next step is writing about your education on your resume. Use the reverse chronological order when creating this resume section.

English teachers are typically well-educated.

Let’s take a look at possible education:

Bachelor’s degree

Start with your college degree, especially if it’s in English or a related field. Note down your GPA as long as it’s above 3.5.

State certification

It’s a legal requirement to have state certification if you want to work in a US public school. Examples include the California Teaching Credential and New York State Teaching Certification. Check which you need according to the state you intend to work in.

Master’s degrees or PhDs

Of course, if you have any master’s degrees or even a PhD, add that to your education section. This additional education will elevate you above the competition.

Professional certificates

Finally, you may have some professional certifications, such as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certification or an ESL Endorsement. These are less important than your degrees, but still list them in this section.

Here’s an example of an education section:

Extra sections to include in your English teacher resume

Do you have some extra space to use up? There are some additional sections you can include on your English teacher resume to help you grab some attention.

Language section

While English is your main subject, you may speak a second language. Add details of this in your language section. List your proficiency level for each new language.

Hobbies and interests section

When you’re not in the classroom, what do you like doing? Displaying some hobbies on your resume isn’t always necessary but it can help to strengthen your application.

Include interests that align well with teaching. For example, you should list any sports teams you play for, whether you’re writing a book, or if you host a reading group.

Volunteer work section

Many newbie English teachers get some volunteer work first. If you’ve been helping out at a local school, you can create a volunteer work resume section to share this.

Conclusion

Hooking a recruiter’s attention is the first step toward success. To help you land your next English teacher job, you’ll need a well-thought-out resume. Use our resume builder now—the drag-and-drop tool means it’s easier than ever to create a winning design.