Why is my Standard Application Form or CV not getting me interviews?

This is a common complaint amongst job seekers. And the thing is… If you don’t know… you don’t know. From working 1-1 with teachers and from speaking to principals about what they are looking for in teachers to their school some common trends arise amongst in-effective job applications.

Your document will be overlooked if:

• you do not tailor it to the individual school (happens very frequently, I’m hearing from principals) 

• you spell PRINCIPAL wrong and if you have poor spelling in general 

• your syntax and grammar are poor 

• you do not have the necessary qualifications

• you do not show how your qualifications and skills are a close match to what the school needs (whether you have restricted qualifications or not)

• you have restricted qualifications and do not explain your qualification and unique insight into the education system, and why that insight is a huge advantage to that school 

• your referees give you a poor reference (post-interview stage) 

• you do not follow the instructions as per the job advertisement (principals assure me this happens a lot!)

• your attention to detail is poor (this is also common)

• there is too much information on your application 

• your CV is full of dates and names -  but very little information about you and who you are as a teacher in the classroom, and what kind of personality you bring to the staff

• the school is looking for someone from the locality (a principal’s prerogative)

The benefits of reaching out to a friend or professional

Sometimes we don’t know what we are doing wrong. Perhaps there is nobody who you feel can give effective feedback to you. The important thing is not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again… because those are most likely opportunities lost. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts, have you ever benefited from having a friend or professional review your CV or SAF? What did you learn? Let us know in the comments.