If you’re heading towards the end of your undergraduate degree, or working on a Masters, DPhil or PhD, a summer teaching job is a great way to earn money whilst doing something worthwhile! However, the best-paid jobs and the best organisations can be competitive, and it can be difficult to know where to start to make your CV stand out to a summer employer. Follow our five rules below to make sure that your CV ends up on the top of the ‘Yes Pile’!
There’s no doubt about it – summer school jobs are different from regular, year-round jobs.
Oxford’s leading summer employers are looking for a particular combination of skills – a combination that will ensure their students, many of whom will have flown around the world to learn, receive an enjoyable, educational experience.
And they’re looking for people who can thrive in the fast-paced, busy and sometimes intense environment of a large international summer school.
All the CV blogs will tell you to tailor your CV to the position you’re applying for… but what adaptations do you need in order to make the best first impression and get yourself an interview?
Read our five easy steps below to find out how to take a fantastic first step on the road to landing one of the best Oxford summer teaching jobs.
1. Highlight your recent academic achievements and research interests
One of the most important things to attendees at the leading Oxford summer schools is the quality of the teaching.
But what they’re looking for in a summer school teacher is different from what they want to see from a year-round teacher.
Many of the overseas students who are able to travel to, and afford, an Oxford summer school go to top fee-paying schools anyway. In many cases, they already have access to the best year-round teachers available.
What they, and their parents, want from a summer school teacher is altogether quite different. They want to spend the summer being taught by someone who is pushing the boundaries in their field – and whose passion for and achievements in their discipline can inspire the students.
For that reason, your academic history is something that’s definitely worth emphasising. Highlight what research you’re doing at the moment – and don’t be too worried about using language that’s too technical, as if the hiring managers don’t understand it, they’ll probably be impressed by it! Mention any and all scholarships or grants you’ve been awarded, give the name of your thesis and provide details of any research teams you’ve been on.
All of this will demonstrate that you’re seriously committed to the subject you want to teach, and have some fantastic experience (and stories!) to pass on to your students.
2. Highlight any recent teaching experience
Although not completely essential for a summer teaching role, any teaching experience you already have will certainly pique the interest of the hiring manager.
The best summer schools will provide their own, condensed training programme to ensure that you’re as prepared as possible for the classroom. But if you can show that you’ve been in charge of a class – however small – before, it will certainly count in your favour.
Examples could include having taught English as part of a gap year, mentoring undergraduate students, work experience you did as a teenager, or even helping younger siblings with their homework – it’s all relevant and will give you something to build a conversation around at interview.
3. Give a sense of when you’ve been adaptable, and when you’ve worked in a busy environment
A CV is, of course, meant to be a precis of your experience and qualifications, and there isn’t space for long descriptions and stories (that’s what an interview is for!).
However, we would suggest using a few precious words to give a sense of when you’ve worked in fast-paced environments before.
By their very nature, summer schools can be busy, with things changing very quickly. Any experience of how you’ve responded under pressure – whether from other jobs or academic life, would encourage the hiring manager to know that you’d be able to cope with the pressure that comes with a summer teaching role in Oxford.
4. Use your introductory paragraph to show your knowledge of, and passion for, your subject
As mentioned above, a passion for the subject is one of the most important things the summer school hiring managers are looking for in a potential teacher.
With that in mind, we would recommend you lead with something that shows your qualifications, expertise and passion for your subject.
You might be tempted to focus on some transferable skills in this first paragraph (possibly basing it on a general template that you’ve used for other roles or things in the past). However, your subject is the most important thing here – so put that best foot forward.
And don’t be modest, either – as others who are potentially applying for the same role might not be!
5. Make sure your human side comes across
Finally, don’t forget that summer school teaching jobs in Oxford will require you to be in front of the same small class of students for a minimum of two weeks.
In this guide, we’ve focused a lot on making sure your qualifications and passion for the subject comes across.
However, make sure that your human side comes across too. Give a small section of your CV over to your interests outside of academia, to make sure the hiring manager knows that you’re a person, and not a robot!
In summary
As you search for an Oxford summer school teaching job, there are certain things you can do to make your CV as attractive as possible to potential hiring managers.
With subject knowledge, experience and passion top of the summer schools’ shopping list, ensuring that those come across is an absolute must.
And in addition to that, be sure to mention any teaching (or similar) that you’ve had the chance to do, give a sense of when you’ve worked in a busy environment, and finally make sure that you give a sense of who you are as a person!
At Oxford Summer Jobs, we’d be delighted to help you find an Oxford summer school teaching job – founded by a former teacher, we know exactly what the summer schools are looking for, and would be glad to look out for roles that suit you on your behalf. To get started, complete the form on our Oxford Summer Teaching Jobs page – or you can book a free 15-minute Zoom/Teams meeting with us at a time to suit you.
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