How to impress a principal with your SAF.

Your SAF is so much more than just a Standard Application Form! This document is your opportunity to show who you are and what you can offer your future employer.

Here are a few tips to make sure that you are making the most of your SAF and how to make it stand out from the rest.

1. The header must be tailored to each school you are applying to.

2. If your referee gives you a poor reference it can throw your interview into doubt.

3. Teachers who've worked or trained abroad should ask referees if they are happy to be contacted via WhatsApp (it will be cheaper for the school to use this instead of calling international numbers)

4. Professional email addresses are a must when applying for jobs. What you may think of as a cute and funny email address, may be a hoot for friends and family but may appear childish or unprofessional to a potential employer.

5. Always save your documents using your NAME for easy references for the employer. He or she will have a lot of applications to read through. Make it easy for them to find your application among the rest. You may think that saving your application as St.Michael’sPrimary.doc, for example, is a good name for your file, but it should read OrlaDempseySAF.doc or something similar to make it easier to find you when they want to call you for interview!

If you need help with creating a winning CV and SAF, send me an email at hello@orladempseycoaching.ie or if you are an NQT check out my guide here.