Teacher Cover Letter Tips - THREE Tips For Getting Immediate Attention For Teaching Jobs

If you want to write a cover letter for an open teaching position that catapults you to the front of the crowd, get ready to take some notes. I'm going to reveal three tips you must implement to create an attention-grabbing "killer" cover letter.

Positions for teaching are competitive. Not only are there thousands of teachers already employed, but all school systems hire on the same schedule, for the most part. That means dozens, even hundreds of applicants, are applying for jobs at any given time, usually in the spring, for teaching positions that start the following August or September.

Yes, there are exceptions. There are times when positions open up after the first semester, after winter break, but typically in the educational system, hiring is done at certain times of the year.

What does this mean for you? It means your cover letter and resume will hit the desk of an administrator along with many others during the same hiring period. So you've got to do all you can to grab attention and make a positive impression.

Tip #1: Be Accurate!
Make sure you send your cover letter and resume to the correct person, by name. Don't address it to a generic job title like "Principal." Also, double, triple, and quadruple check your resume for any spelling and grammatical errors. This is even more important for teachers than for any other professional in the marketplace.

Tip #2: Embed Some "Attention Grabbing Ingredients" Into Your Letter
You have only a split second to get the reader's attention. So your letter must have some powerful attention grabbing writing "above the fold," including simple formatting and salutation tricks. The bottom line is to put your feet in the shoes of a principal or superintendent with dozens of cover letters and resumes to review. What simple things can you say in order to stand out the moment someone looks at your cover letter?

Tip #3: ASK In Order To Receive––Absolutely
This is huge. At the end of your cover letter, you must come right out and ASK for the interview. It doesn't do any good to make a great impression, and NOT get the interview in the end. Remember the goal of your cover letter and resume: to get the interview, no matter what. Don't be shy. Come right out and ask for what you want. Here's an example sentence that does just this: "May we set up a time to talk in person? Please call me at 543-543-5435 to schedule an interview so I can share my enthusiasm for teaching and how I can contribute to students and fellow teachers."

Some Final Words On Your Teacher Cover Letter:

Do NOT use the cover letter templates you find online or in a book without some serious tweaking. Everybody uses them, and most of the time, they're pretty much the same. If you do what everyone else is doing, you will not get the attention you need or deserve. Get familiar with the unique tricks you can use to get attention, get interest, and get the interview.