Written applications - CV, Statements - Letter

The factual information: application form or CV is the easy bit, but the supporting statement or letter is a much more difficult task. You need to know what the selection panel want to read.

Whilst schools tend to look for different attributes in applicants depending on the school and the job, the following are likely to be important to most –

 What s the difference between a Job Description and a Person Specification?  

All schools or LEAs will provide you with a job description that details the tasks and responsibilities of the post and they should give you a Person Specification as well. A Person Specification should list the qualifications, skills, knowledge, experience and abilities required. This will tell you what they are looking for and you should use this to help you write your application. The school (or LEA) will be selecting candidates on the basis of whether or not you meet the criteria that are set. It is therefore crucial that you address the skills listed and provide evidence that you have those skills, especially those identified as key or essential.

 Written applications

There are two types:

The LEA or School Application Form and your own CV

 Both will require more information about you in the form of a supporting statement or letter. In most cases you will post your application, but some schools and agencies use E-mail.

Factual information

The sub headings of most application forms and a conventional CV are as follows:

 What s the difference between an Application Form and a CV?

An application form has been designed by someone else, but YOU control the design and content of your own CV. A CV gives you the opportunity to play to your strengths and pass over your weaknesses.

 SUPPORTING STATEMENT or LETTER

 What s the difference between a statement and a letter?

Most application forms will have a section that will invite you to write A statement in support of your application or simply ask for Further Information This may be on the form itself or you may be encouraged to attach/continue on a separate sheet as an appendix to the application form.

A letter in support of your application is the same information as a statement in support of your application, but topped and tailed with the normal details of a business letter ("Dear ... and Yours sincerely etc.)

 What are they for?

 This is your opportunity to sell yourself. Do not leave it to your reader to make the connection between the person specification -that they constructed-, and the contents of the application form boxes or your CV. Take the opportunity to expand on the brief information in the application form or CV, and explain why you are the ideal person to do the job. And you must include topics that are not included in either the CV or application form (see the aide-memoire, below).

it is unlikely that you will be able to do yourself justice in much less than a side of A4 but be guided by the space on the form and only continue on a separate sheet if the instructions say you may. Remember that what you write may set the agenda for the interview.

The following can be considered as an aide-memoire if you are not provided with any guidelines whatsoever. These headings are frequently used in published guidelines.

Paragraph 1

The reason why you are applying for this particular post including any links with or knowledge of, the LEA or the area which the school is located. Also any special circumstances eg religion, which you think the school should know about. Refer to any visits you have made to the school.

Paragraph 2

A brief overview of your training course including age/phase, the range of subjects covered and any special features.

Paragraph 3

An account of your formal school experiences and observations, with evidence (examples) of how you plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate learning outcomes; your class management and behaviour management strategies: how you employed assistants in your class: how you differentiated lessons: how you worked with parents.

Make sure you include:

Paragraph 4 (Optional)

A brief description of any other classroom experience which you may have had either as part of your course or prior to it.

Paragraph 5

Any particular professional interests or strengths. A brief account of any classroom based research projects or written assignments you have done as part of your course might help.

Paragraph 6

Write about some of your visions and beliefs about primary/secondary education and of any principles that might inform your practice. This paragraph tells employers about the kind of teacher you would like to become. Most schools will realise that it is unlikely that you will have formulated you philosophy of education in any final sense, but will expect you to have thought about your beliefs for the future. You could touch on areas like how children learn, classroom management, teaching styles and strategies.

Paragraph 7 (Optional)

Any other aspect of your education and/or experience which is relevant to your professional future in the classroom, including information on previous work experience. Remember to include any training activities you may have carried out and ways in which your subject knowledge has been developed.

Paragraph 8 (Optional)

Details of any particular competencies, experiences or leisure interests which help the school to know more about you as a person. Any involvement with children (brownies, clubs, youth work, summer camps) is particularly useful to note.

The Finishing Touch

The Finishing Touch to this sales brochure is to summarise in 30 words or so the key points that distinguish you from other applicants.

Such a summary could be in response to the example Person Specification included earlier

 Useful Tips

• Remember to be positive and use active words such as organise, initiated, enjoyed to give the impression that you have bags of energy, commitment and initiative. Use a Thesaurus to find alternatives to get did etc.
• Don t write an essay on the skills and virtues of the perfect teacher. The reader knows them already and wants to read about you. Work from your past experience to give concrete examples of how you learnt or exercised these necessary skills.
• Provide evidence to back up your claims: here s some advice offered in TES Get your first job I have a clear understanding of the literacy and numeracy strategies, says little; show how you have gained the skills and knowledge through a practical example, I have prepared term, half-term and weekly plans for both the literacy and numeracy hours alongside teaching colleagues and independently. I have worked in both years four and six; this has broadened my understanding of the importance of thorough planning for effective differentiation and the need to actively involve all children when teaching the whole class.
• Most students shy away from blowing their own trumpet. If you are proud of some particularly successful classroom or other experience, is there any way you could include praise or comments from others on the successful outcomes of your initiative

 COVERING LETTERS

 These are short notes that should include details concerning the job title, when and where you saw the advert (if applicable), when you are free to be interviewed and start work. If the advert requires a CV and covering letter, you will not go far wrong by including a full letter in support of your application instead of a brief covering letter.

Some general points that may seem obvious but are worth remembering when writing letters. If you know the name of the person to whom you are writing begin the letter with Dear (name) and end Yours sincerely, if not, then begin Dear Sir/Madam and end with Yours faithfully.

Always quote any reference number and source of job advertisement.

Photocopies are not acceptable.

 Here are two examples of how you might start a covering letter

  (i) Dear Mrs

I wish to apply for the post of Main Scale 1 Teacher of advertised in the Times Educational Supplement on.. (date). As you will see from my application form

and end

(ii)   I would be glad to expand on this at an interview and could attend at any time, given a few days notice.* I look forward to hearing from you

Yours sincerely

.

*Note that if your course involves you in exams or any assessment that would be impossible to change if it clashed with a job interview, you may want to give the school dates so that, hopefully, any interview will be arranged for a suitable day.

The importance of presenting yourself effectively on paper should never be underestimated as extensive pre-selection is done on the basis of written applications. First impressions are all-important as many applications are eliminated before being subjected to more detailed examination, for the following very basic reasons:

Poor or illegible handwriting and typing errors

Untidy layout and general presentation

Bad spelling, grammar and punctuation

Gaps in dates, inconsistencies, vagueness

Inadequately answered or unanswered questions