Change from corporate world to teaching

by Emily
(Mauritius)

I have a degree in English and initially wanted to start my career in teaching English in high school.

Instead I ended up as a newscaster doing the local televised English news, then moved on to customer services and then became a Project manager, managing grant-funded global school partnerships.

Due to restructuring, I have to leave my current job, and would like to move to teaching English.

How do I write a cover letter and CV that will convince a school that my experience is relevant to teaching, and that explains this shift in career?


Reply by Peter Fisher

I think that first you must answer the question:

Why do you want to be a teacher?

This question is very important and you must address it in both your CV and your cover letter. Your CV's career objective should have a well-developed statement about your passion for teaching, while your cover letter should elaborate on your goals and your teaching style.

Your career objective should be longer than that of an objective found on a corporate-driven CV; it should provide more of a summary of your passion for teaching and your qualifications.

Your commitment to students and their education, no matter their level of school, has to be clearly communicated as it is one of the most critical aspects of being a teacher and it can set you apart from other applicants.

Unlike corporate-focused CVs, where jobs are outlined in chronological order, teachers have to focus on not only their experience teaching (if applicable) but on any professional achievements that make them a great candidate for the job. If you have prior teaching experience, use a chronological list to showcase your work history.

If you are new to teaching, you will need to list any experience you have that helps make you a great teacher and I would say your newscaster experience certainly counts. Don’t get discouraged – if you consider your experience, you will find that you have the qualifications to be a teacher, you just need to focus on those meeting your career objective. Use a functional CV format.

Do some research and find examples of teaching CVs that you can model your own after. If you are entering the teaching field with corporate experience, list any training you have developed and thought at your company, for example.

If you have recently graduated, list any Teaching Assistantship positions you may have had, or any practical coursework you took part in. You can reference any volunteer work, or community involvement that supports your goal of becoming a teacher.

For example, if you have volunteered your time to an organization like Big Brother big Sister, and you mentored a child, note that on your CV.

Utilize any experience you may have that demonstrates your leadership, your passion for education, and your ability to motivate and pass on knowledge to others.

I have a couple of webpages on this site that might also help:

Teacher Interview

Teaching English