Professionalism and written and verbal communication are the most frequently mentioned skills in recent teaching job posts, a LiveCareer analysis of job ads and resumes found. The research also revealed that job seeker resumes are falling far short on both counts. This could hinder the job search for millions of Americans.
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As school districts face dire budget deficits, job seekers must do whatever they can to meet employer needs. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively to students and teachers as they return to the classroom while maintaining a professional demeanor will be key in the coming months. Emphasizing these skills could make the difference in landing a job.
LiveCareer pinpointed the skills listed most often in job ads, including the precise wording of each skill. This data-based approach reveals the terminology employers expect to see on teaching applications, and can help guide job seekers in refreshing their resumes.
Top hard, soft and remote work skills that will help you land a teaching job
LiveCareer analyzed job ads for a wide range of teaching positions, including preschool teachers, elementary teachers, middle school teachers, high school teachers and teacher's aides. Here are the skills that rose to the top:
Soft skills
- Communication
Found in 55.53% of Education job ads
Look for words like communicate, articulate and talk through. - Professionalism
Found in 42.21% of job ads
Look for words like professional, experienced and qualified. - Verbal communication
Found in 37.94% of job ads
Look for words like speak, state and say. - Written communication
Found in 35.68% of job ads
Look for words like write, draft and compose. - Productive
Found in 29.15% of job ads
Look for a word like produce, affect and generate. - Sociable
Found in 22.86% of job ads
Look for words like social and friendly.
Hard skills
- Training
Found in 23.62% of job ads
Look for words like instruct, teach and training. - Counseling
Found in 10.32% of job ads
Look for words like teach, instruct and guide. - Bilingual
Found in 10.05% of job ads
Look for words like fluent and languages like Spanish.
Remote work skills
- Project management tools like Monday (found in 3.02% of job ads) and Teamwork (found in 1.92%).
- Zoom, which is found in 1.67% of job ads.
An experienced high school teacher resume example
How to add skills to your resume
Read the job description, understand what the employer is seeking and use the exact wording of the skills listed in the job posting.
1. Weave a few important critical soft skills into your summary statement.
Example one: Preschool teacher
Creative and dedicated preschool teacher committed to dynamic instruction and innovative learning resources to foster child development. In-depth knowledge of early childhood education communication techniques with focus on cultivating a safe and welcoming learning environment.
Example two: Teacher's aide
Teacher's aide with excellent critical-thinking skills and ability to build safe learning environments for K-12 student groups. Excels at written and verbal communications coupled with in-depth knowledge of classroom activities and teaching methods. Outstanding skills preparing lessons, providing materials, supervising students and finding creative solutions.
2. Create a separate skills section. Make sure to include both hard and soft skills.
Example one: Elementary teacher
- Basic clerical knowledge
- Head Start programs
- Student records management
- Child development
- Communication
- Creative solutions
Example two: Tutor
- Student assessments
- Student safety
- Lesson planning
- One-to-one instruction
- Communication
- Behavior management
3. Lace skills throughout top achievements in your work experience section.
Example one: Middle school teacher
- Educated students in foundational concepts such as shapes, numbers and letters.
- Addressed behavioral and learning issues with parents and daycare management.
- Communicated with parents to build and maintain positive support networks and support continuing education strategies.
Example two: Teacher
- Supported student learning objectives through personalized and small group assistance.
- Found creative solutions for classroom activities, including tutoring, grading homework and reviewing exams.
- Delivered personalized educational and behavioral support to individual students to improve communication.
How to grow this skill set
Employers are going to want to see you are continuing your education to enhance your skills. There are many options available to you, including:
- Enrolling in online education courses you can find on Udemy, Coursera, edX and many others.
- Looking at professional organizations like the National Education Association to see if there are any certifications or other means of furthering your career.
- Getting actively involved in LinkedIn Groups and other online forums (such as TES Community and A to Z Teacher Stuff) where educators are talking about key issues in the profession and sharing job opportunities.
