From the flexibility it offers to the opportunity to positively impact the lives of children, supply teaching is a rewarding career. And with the numerous benefits it offers, it's no surprise the competition for supply teaching jobs in the UK is increasing.

If you’re keen to get your foot in the door of supply teaching in the UK in 2023, it is more important than ever to ensure that your supply teaching CV stands out from the crowd.

In this article, we’ll share tips for perfecting your supply teaching CV, helping you ace your next supply teaching job search and land your ideal supply teacher roles.

Let’s get started!

Tips for Perfecting Your Supply Teaching CV

A well-crafted supply teaching CV can make the difference between landing your next supply teaching job in the UK or being overlooked. Check out the following tips to learn how to perfect your supply teaching CV.

1. Write a Powerful Statement/Professional Profile

To grab employers' attention right away, begin your supply teaching CV with a few quick introductory sentences summarising your expertise and knowledge. This should present you as the best applicant for the job and entice recruiters to keep reading. For example, if you're applying for SEN roles, a good example would be:

"Passionate and devoted Special Education Needs teacher with 2 years' experience. I am comfortable and capable when working with children with wide range of learning abilities and impairments including autism. A specialist in sensory needs, I am committed to providing a friendly and inclusive learning environment, developing great relationships with parents and fellow educators, and making a positive difference in the lives of children."

Here you can see reference to specific words and phrases to demonstrate knowledge of autism and sensory needs – as well as references to their personality and how they interact with children, colleagues and parents.

2. Tailor Your CV to the Job

Just as you wouldn’t submit Physics answers for a Chemistry test, your supply teaching CV must be tailored to match the supply teaching role you’re applying for. An excellent way to tailor your CV to the job is by highlighting relevant skills and experiences that relate to the job description. Another way is to include keywords and phrases from the job description to help your CV stand out to recruiters.

For example, if you’re applying for the role of a supply teacher in a Special Education Needs (SEN) School, highlighting your experience with special needs children or knowledge of Makaton or British Sign Language in your CV will help you stand out.

3. Highlight Your Qualifications

When perfecting your CV for your next supply teaching job, highlighting your qualifications is one of the many ways to make your CV stand out.

For example, most supply teaching jobs in the UK will require qualifications like BEd, BA/BSc or PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Including any of these qualifications in addition to interpersonal skill certifications is likely to increase your chances of getting hired.

Remember to include achievements and qualifications which demonstrate your broad range of interests and talents – Grade 7 Flute? Duke of Edinburgh Silver? Modern Foreign Language Skills? Don't sell yourself short by leaving these out!

4. Highlight Your Achievements

Highlighting your achievements in your supply teaching CV can make you stand out to potential employers and demonstrate your expertise in the field. When highlighting your achievements in your CV, give specific examples, quantify, use action verbs, and focus on the outcomes.

For example, instead of writing:

“I managed a large class and helped the students grow,” you could write:

“By successfully managing a classroom of 20 students (quantify), I maintained (action verb) a positive and inclusive learning environment that fostered creativity, resulting in predicted Maths GCSE grades increasing by 2 levels (outcome)."

5. Keep it Concise and Appealing

When applying for a supply teaching role, keep your supply teaching CV short by limiting it to one or two pages at maximum.

Your aim should be to present your experiences and qualifications in a brief and straightforward way. Use bullet points, clear language, and keywords for easy perusal.

6. Proofread Your CV

If your goal is to perfect your supply teaching CV, reading your CV aloud is the best way to guarantee it is catchy and concise. Doing this will help you identify any grammar or spelling mistakes. You can also observe how well you worded the key points. Make sure everything flows well and that your CV is easy to read. And if you discover that you made a mistake on your CV, go back and figure out how to rewrite it so that it sounds professional and concise.

Conclusion

The first step to getting your dream supply teaching job in the UK is by submitting the best version of your supply teaching CV. Working with tips listed above can help you create a strong and effective supply teaching CV, increasing your chances of landing your desired job.