How to Write a Personal Statement for a Teaching Job

A personal statement is a great opportunity for you to highlight your strengths to a prospective employer, and for you to tell them why you are the right person for the job. Your statement should state what you would bring to the school and why your presence would be an asset. An employer needs to be sure that they are making the right choice of candidate for a new member of their staff, and it is your job to convince them that you are the right person to hire. As you know, there is a lot of competition out there for teaching jobs, and you will be making a good first impression by presenting a school leader with a strong personal statement of just a few sentences at the start of your CV.

Tips for writing a good personal statement

1. It is a good idea to take some time to think about how what you want to include in your statement. Take a few minutes to write down your strengths, personal attributes and capabilities. If you find it difficult to do this, ask friends and family to give you a list of your good points.

2. The personal statement should outline your talents, achievements and education to date. Be sure just to give an outline only, as your CV and SAF are not the right places for a detailed description.

3. It is a good idea to start with a brief introduction where you tell the reader who you are as a person and why you wish to be considered for a position in the school you are applying for.

4. It is also a good idea to show that you have done your research by mentioning something specific about the school and how you can be of benefit in relation to this aspect. Perhaps they have a volunteering programme, a strong sports team or an after-school activity that you can help with. As I have said in another blog post, employers think ‘What’s in it for me?’ when they are looking at applications. They want to know what they have to gain by hiring you instead of another candidate. You should use your personal statement to tell them why! If you are a team player, say so. A potential employer will be glad to hear that you are willing to work well with others and that you will bring a positive energy to the team and the staffroom.

It is also extremely important to be succinct. A potential employer wants to read a relatively brief description, and they are likely to be put off if you submit an essay! If you have written a personal statement of fewer than 120 words that makes you shine, you have already improved your chances of landing your dream teaching job.

> Read ‘How to write a letter of application/cover letter for teaching jobs’ here.

If you need help with writing a winning CV, check out my free template here.