Your first step to networking for International Teaching
*Please note that with their continuous updates, some of these recommendations are now out of date but the core recommendations and approach stands.
Contents
- Why is a LinkedIn profile important?
- What do I need to create an awesome LinkedIn profile?
- How will I know that my LinkedIn profile is working?
1. Why is a LinkedIn profile important?
Your LinkedIn profile is important for so many reasons – here are 10 important actions you can do with your profile:
- Be present as part of the growing body of diverse teachers visibly seeking international opportunities
- Use your LinkedIn profile to “easy apply” to jobs on LinkedIn – a facility being increasingly used by smaller international schools
- Passively appear in recruiter’s searches and people who may wish to network with you
- Demonstrate your approach and personality – putting in the effort to network via your LinkedIn profile shows that you care about how you represent yourself as a professional
- Receive permanent references – get recommendations from colleagues as proof of your skills
- Display links to your website or portfolio of learning resources, journal articles etc
- Maintain a record of your work and contributions which can be downloaded and shared
- Feature articles or posts that you’re proud of (a type of free portfolio)
- Build connections with school leaders and prominent organisations
- Utilise keywords related to your teaching philosophy and curriculum experiences to help recruiters and employers find you
2. What do I need to create an awesome LinkedIn profile?
Have a look at profiles that you find impressive for inspiration. It’s always good to be original and stand out from the crowd but there is no need to reinvent the wheel.
The key ideas, just like with a CV, are to ensure that it is clear, easy to read, and has consistent messaging.
Here are 10 things to focus your attention on:
1. The first impression is critical and this comes in the form of your name and photo. Ensure your photo is professional, perhaps even a headshot from one of your teaching jobs. Remember to smile!
Your name should be your real name and you can include your credentials, such as PGCE, MSc, PhD. Unlike other social media platforms, your real name is key. If you have a second name that you use in day-to-day life, I advise putting this in inverted commas after your ‘real’ name i.e Tolulope ‘Tolu’ Godwin.
If you are concerned about photo visibility, there is an option to limit your profile picture to people you are connected with.
Optional extras: Use the mobile app to record how to say your name or include an introductory video clip of yourself. This adds the “human element” to your profile and you can show your personality. It might feel a little cringe but when searching for a job this can help you stand out from the crowd.
2. Include a banner at the top, and you can use Canva to make it online for free. A LinkedIn banner is 2000 x 600 pixels, which is a huge space to state your philosophy and key skills.
Here’s an example of a clear photo, and a banner used for teaching. To view the video, you click on the profile picture.
3. Make sure the words and hashtags under your name are the most relevant to your profile. For example, I have put my current role and “Geography IBDP teacher” as my primary keywords. I’ve also put #decolonisation and #internationalteacingjobs underneath. To get hashtags, you need to “switch on” creator mode on your LinkedIn profile.
You can find creator mode under resources on your LinkedIn profile.
4. You have 2,600 characters that you can use to fill in your “About” section. Be sure to include as much detail and as many keywords as possible to help people find your LinkedIn profile. Use emojis from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/add-emoji-your-linkedin-profile-simple-copy-paste-brynne-tillman/ to make it more visually engaging.
5. Keep your experience section up to date, with at least 2 to 5 years’ worth of relevant work experience or details of your experiences at your last two schools, whichever is longer. If you freelance or provide other services, create a section for it here, so it’s visible.
6. Include relevant education, especially any degrees that you have achieved. Within international teaching, the degrees may indicate to a recruiter if you are able to apply confidently for jobs in specific countries based on national requirements.
7. Add skills which are reflected in your experience and would attract the type of schools where you would like to work in your “Skills” section. Though it may be tempting to put things like PowerPoint on there, try to focus on general skills which others can endorse you for. The ability to adapt to the platforms used by your target school is a basal assumption.
8. Include the languages you can speak in the “Languages” section. You are encouraged to include languages you may have spoken proficiently in the past as long as you are honest about your current level. Engagement with different languages can reflect many characteristics which are found in successful international teachers.
9. Fill in the causes you care about at the very bottom of your profile. Though it is tempting to click them all, try to pick a maximum of four which you could deeply justify with reference to your experiences in an interview.
10. When you post on LinkedIn, you can feature your posts on your profile. It’s a good idea to post about your achievements or pieces of work from your portfolio. Maybe even books or an article you’ve read recently, and a short review.
How will I know that my LinkedIn profile is working?
Firstly, ensure that you have clicked ‘Open to’ and indicated you are open to new opportunities. You can make this visible to ‘recruiters only’ if you have not yet notified your school or are just having a look at the market.
You’ll know your LinkedIn profile is working when:
- You start to get recruiters reaching out to you through direct messages.
- You start to get a lot of profile views, which means the keywords you are using are helping you turn up on search results.
- People who have similar jobs to you start to send you connection requests
On your profile, LinkedIn shows a summary of how many profile views you’ve had, and how many times you’ve appeared in search.
If you click on search appearances, you can see more information such as the companies people searching for you come from. This might give you some early insight into schools that may be more open to connecting with you.
In conclusion…
Hopefully, the information above has supported you in creating your LinkedIn profile and strengthening your foray into international teaching.
The information above is not exhaustive and LinkedIn is continuously updating and adding new functionality. Managing your account need not be a full-time job but taking the time to check it at least once a week, even daily when job hunting, can greatly support your efforts.
I wish you the best of luck on your journey and feel free to connect with me to get started!
About Daryl Sinclair
Daryl Sinclair is an educator, geographer, and DEIJ specialist who believes in a systems approach to educational success. He champions Systemic Equity™, taking a non-ideological approach to DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice) that focuses on practical actions and indicators of impact that create learning environments that realise the learning community’s mission. Through his writing and consultancy work with exam boards, schools, and publishers, he champions the idea that the success of leadership and DEIJ initiatives is in what we DO, not simply what we believe. Daryl’s work focuses on your journey towards consistently equitable outcomes for all members of your learning community.
Take your next step with DEIJ at www.Dsinclairwriting.com/consultancy
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darylsinclairgeography/
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