Teaching Assistant (TA) CV Example & Writing Guide

Teacher workloads are at an all-time high, pressure on the education system is increasing and that means even more challenges for support staff like you.

With such a heavy workload and so many responsibilities it’s hard to even start writing a teaching assistant CV let alone decide what to include in it. But it’s actually simple when you know how, much simpler than an average day for a TA that’s for sure!

Read on and you’ll see a professional teaching assistant CV example you can adjust and make your own. Plus, you’ll learn an easy formula for writing a CV for teaching assistant jobs that will land you 10x more interviews than any other CV you’ve written in the past.

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• 20+ Free CV Templates to Download

Sample Teaching Assistant CV Template

Now, here’s the job-winning teaching assistant CV formula:

1. Use the Best Format for Your Teaching Assistant CV

A teaching assistant supports teachers by helping with supervising classroom activities. Your teacher assistant CV has to show you can work with students in one-on-one, small group and whole classroom settings. It may also need to show your ability to give individual support to children with special educational needs.

That’s just a small fraction of what a TA does, but to put it another way, the purpose of your teaching assistant CV is to showcase your skills in a way that’ll impress employers. And you’re about to learn how to do it. Let’s start the lesson. 

• Choose the right CV format. The best option for a TA CV is chronological format. It’s the format employers are most familiar with and it puts your experience front and centre.
• Use a neat and tidy CV layout. Set the page margins to one inch on each side, left-align the text (don’t justify) and insert a double space between each section. This creates lots of white space and that makes your CV easier to read.
• Go for a clear, readable CV font set to 11–12 point. Calibri, Garamond and Arial are three of the best.
• Your list of duties is long but your CV shouldn’t be. The maximum CV length is two pages.
• And when you’re all done, save your CV as a PDF. That makes sure your layout stays intact.

Read more about CV Layout: How to Layout a Professional CV

2. Write a Teaching Assistant Personal Statement for Your CV

Your TA personal statement or personal profile is the introduction to your CV. You’ve only got 3–4 sentences to persuade the hiring manager to keep reading. Luckily, you just need to answer these three questions to get it right. 

1. Who are you? 
2. What can you offer to the employer? 
3. What are your career goals? 

The way you answer those questions is different depending on how much experience you have. More experienced TAs should follow this approach.

• Spend some time preparing. List all of the points that make you a good teaching assistant. Take into account all the experience, skills and abilities you’ve obtained in your career.
• Then check the job advert, read the job description and match up 3–4 points from your list to the skills and experience it requires.
• Finally, use the matching points to write a personal statement targeted to the teaching assistant job you’re applying for. 

Are you writing a teaching assistant CV with no experience? Do this.

• Write a list of the skills and experience you already have. Think of your education and any other work experience you have under your belt. Then underline anything that’s transferable to a TA role.
• Now combine those points with knowledge about the school you’ve applied to and passion for becoming a teaching assistant to demonstrate you’re a good fit.

Quick tip, this section is easier to write if you leave it until last. It’s better to have your experience, skills and education sections already written so you can refer to them.

See this guide for even more tips on how to write your personal profile: How to Write a CV Personal Statement [20+ Examples]

3. Create an Impressive TA CV Work Experience Section

Your work experience section is crucial. It’s like Ofsted inspection day for your CV, it’s make or break. Schools want teaching assistants who can be the backbone of the classroom and ensure every student has their support needs met. Here’s how to prove you’ve got the experience to do it.

• Put your most recent job first then go back in time listing any preceding roles in order. 
• Include each job title, the name of the employer, your dates of employment (use “present” as the end date if you currently work there) and then write up to six bullet points describing the job.
• Start each bullet point with a snappy CV action word, such as accomplished, supported or facilitated.
• Show off measurable achievements, not just a list of duties. Don’t make it all about what you’ve done, you also have to show how well you did it.
• Use the PAR (Problem Action Result) formula and accomplishment statements to structure your bullet points.
• Write your work experience section so it’s targeted to the job description. Note the skills and experience listed and match your own professional experience to what’s required.

Need some more hacks to create the perfect CV? Check out our guide: 20+ CV Tips and Advice for Job Application Success

4. Include an Education Section 

You work in the education sector so you already know how important this is. But you do have to follow a standard set of rules for presenting your education section. Here they are.

• If you went to university, name the institution you studied at, the years you attended, and the name of your degree. If you’re still studying, include your expected graduation date. Only include honours if they’re a 2:1 or a first.
• For school leavers, include the name of the school, its location, and the dates you attended. Mention individual subjects for your A-levels. But for GCSEs you only need to mention Maths and English, many employers look for passes in these subjects as a minimum requirement.
• Include any specialist college qualifications you have here too.
• If you’ve only just left school or graduated from university then you can change the order of your CV sections and put your education before your work experience.

5. Show Off Your Teaching Assistant CV Skills

Being a good teaching assistant demands a long roll call of skills. So how can you narrow that list down and choose which skills are best to put on your CV? Just do this.

• Carefully read the job advert to list what skills are required. The job description is your cheat sheet for what the hiring manager wants. 
• Next, list your own skills. Refer to your work experience and education sections if you need any reminders.
• Then put your two lists side by side, see what matches, and choose 5–10 of them to put on your CV.
• Aim for a mix of soft skills, hard skills and technical skills. 
• For each skill listed, add a short sentence showing how you demonstrate it. Don’t just show, tell. E.g. Communication. Translated and created new layout for school publications in Punjabi.

These skills would make a great addition to a teaching assistant CV.

Teaching Assistant Skills for a CV

• Compassion
• Time management
• Classroom management
• Conflict resolution
• Patience
• Empathy
• Leadership skills
• Good literacy and numeracy skills
• Creativity
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Problem solving
• Microsoft Office skills

Read More: Best List of Skills to Put on a CV [Top Skills & Examples]

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

6. Add Additional Sections to Your Teaching Assistant CV

The sections we’ve just covered are the essentials. But if you want to be the star pupil you’ll need extra sections. Here are some ideas.

• Add a languages section. 21% of primary school students have English as an additional language so speaking a foreign language is a highly sought after skill for teaching assistants.
• Volunteering also makes a great addition. And volunteering in schools is the ideal way to demonstrate valuable experience if you’ve never had a paid TA job.
• You can also include projects, achievements, awards or hobbies. Just keep it relevant and make sure it helps you stand out as a candidate.

7. Attach a Teaching Assistant Cover Letter

Cover letters are still important. In fact, almost half of employers will reject job applications that don’t include one. Think of it this way. Teachers need the support of a good teaching assistant and CVs need to be supported by a good cover letter.

Here’s how to write a cover letter.

• Get your cover letter format right.
• Put a ‘hook’ in your cover letter opening. Show energy and passion, and include a compelling professional achievement.
• Demonstrate that your experience and skills will enable you to excel as a teaching assistant.
• Include a call to action in your cover letter ending by asking to discuss the role further.
• Ensure you have the right cover letter length.

One last thing. Always follow up. If you have no reply to your application after a week, check back with the employer about the status of your application. It’s an easy way of improving your chances of success. 22% of hiring managers are actually less likely to hire candidates who don’t follow-up their application.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

And that’s it. What did you think of our CV for teaching assistant? Are you looking for something more specific like an SEN teaching assistant cv example? If you’ve got any questions at all about how to write a cv for a teaching assistant, please use the comments section below. I’d love to see what you can teach me.

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Sources

• https://www.sessions.edu/notes-on-design/less-is-more-utilizing-white-space/
• https://www.nova.edu/prehealthadvising/forms/par_statements_-_updated_2016.pdf
• https://www.ubalt.edu/campus-life/career-center/career-services-online/career-cycle/documents/Writing%20Accomplishment%20Statements.pdf