Resume Writing Tips for Teaching Faculty

Introduction

For teaching faculty, a strong resume is more than just a document listing jobs—it’s a professional narrative demonstrating your qualifications, pedagogical approach, and contributions to student success and institutional goals. Recruiters and hiring committees often sift through hundreds of applications, making it essential that your resume quickly communicates your value and aligns with the role’s requirements. This blog dives into key strategies that elevate your resume, including crafting impactful summaries, highlighting measurable achievements, selecting relevant skills and technologies, and optimizing for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

1. Resume Summary

Your resume summary is your elevator pitch: a 3–4 sentence snapshot of your teaching philosophy, experience, and unique qualities. It should immediately communicate your professional identity and your value proposition to the hiring institution.

Example: “Innovative Biology professor with over 8 years of university-level teaching, experienced in curriculum development and interdisciplinary research. Adept at integrating technology to enhance student engagement and improve learning outcomes, with a proven record of increasing student course completion rates by 20%. Passionate about fostering inclusive learning environments and mentoring diverse student populations.”

2. Key Skills

Highlighting key skills relevant to teaching and academia is critical. These skills help ATS software flag your resume and give hiring committees a quick insight into your expertise. Focus on a mix of pedagogical, technical, and interpersonal skills.

• Curriculum Development
• Student Assessment & Evaluation
• Instructional Design
• Educational Technology Integration
• Research Methodology
• Classroom Management
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Academic Writing & Publication
• Student Mentorship
• Collaborative Teamwork

3. Achievements vs. Responsibilities

Don’t just list your job duties—focus on your achievements and the impact you made. Quantify results wherever possible to demonstrate effectiveness.

For example, instead of “Taught undergraduate chemistry courses,” write: “Developed and delivered innovative organic chemistry curriculum resulting in a 15% increase in average student exam scores and a 10% rise in course retention rates over two years.”

4. Tailor to Job

Customize your resume for each job application by aligning your skills and achievements with the specific requirements and keywords in the job description. This increases chances of passing ATS scans and resonates better with hiring committees.

5. Tools

• Learning Management Systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle)
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Classroom)
• Statistical Software (SPSS, R, SAS)
• Video Conferencing Tools (Zoom, Microsoft Teams)
• Plagiarism Detection Tools (Turnitin)
• Educational Content Creation (Camtasia, Adobe Captivate)
• Reference Management Software (EndNote, Zotero)
• Online Assessment Platforms (Kahoot, Socrative)
• Data Visualization Tools (Tableau, Power BI)

6. Metrics

• Student success rates (e.g., improved pass rates by 20%)
• Course enrollment growth (e.g., increased enrollment by 30%)
• Publication count or citations (e.g., authored 5 peer-reviewed articles)
• Grant acquisition (e.g., secured $50,000 research funding)
• Student satisfaction scores (e.g., achieved average rating of 4.8/5 on course evaluations)

7. Education

• List academic degrees in reverse chronological order (PhD, Master’s, Bachelor’s)
• Include relevant certifications like teaching licenses or specialized training (e.g., TESOL, CPR)

8. Format

• Use clean, professional fonts (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman)
• Keep consistent spacing and alignment with clear section headings

9. Concise

Ensure each bullet and sentence is meaningful and free of jargon. Aim for a two-page resume maximum, focusing on information that demonstrates suitability for the role.

10. Bonus

• Include leadership roles such as committee memberships, curriculum committees, or faculty senate participation
• Showcase analytical skills by highlighting involvement in accreditation processes, curriculum assessment, or educational research projects

Examples

• “Led a cross-departmental effort to redesign the introductory physics course, increasing student engagement and reducing failure rates by 18% within one academic year.”
• “Supervised graduate student research leading to three published journal articles and two conference presentations.”

Conclusion

In summary, a teaching faculty resume must go beyond listing qualifications; it should showcase your measurable impact on student outcomes, leadership within academic communities, and analytical skills in curriculum development and assessment. By emphasizing achievements backed by metrics, integrating relevant skills and technologies, and tailoring your resume to each role, you position yourself as a dynamic educator ready to contribute meaningfully to any institution.