What’s The One Thing Missing From My CV?
You’ve listed your degrees, previous roles, achievements, and maybe even added a *sparkle* of personality. But there’s one thing we’ve noticed that some international teachers will forget to include on their CVs, and this detail could be the game changer if a school is deciding between extending an interview invite to you, or to another candidate.
The one, most important missing piece from many international teaching CVs is:
curriculum experience!
Particularly if it’s an internationally recognised curriculum such as:
IB (International Baccalaureate)
British (IPC, IGCSE, A-Level, National Curriculum of England)
American (AP, Common Core)
or another recognised international framework.
Generally, schools will be looking for experienced teachers who can step into their classrooms with minimal adjustment time. If you’ve already taught IB Diploma English, IGCSE Maths, or AP Chemistry, for example, they know you’ll be ready to hit the ground running. Even partial experience - like teaching IB MYP but not DP - still shows you’re familiar with the philosophy, assessment style, and expectations. This is why curriculum experience can be a deciding factor between two strong candidates, and is seriously essential to not miss off of your CV.
How to Highlight Your Curriculum Experience
When listing your employment history on your CV, you’ll usually start with the role title, school name, and employment dates. Your curriculum experience is equally important! You can include it alongside these details or highlight it as one of the first bullet points to summarise the key aspects of your role.
If bulletpointing, don’t just put “experience with IB”. “Taught IB Diploma English Literature, including guiding students through extended essays and internal assessments.”
If you’ve attended official curriculum workshops or training, include it on your CV. You can add it to your ‘Professional Development’ or ‘Certificates’ section.
If You Don’t Have Internationally Recognised Curriculum Experience
If you haven’t taught a major international curriculum yet, don’t panic. Highlight transferable skills - differentiation, inquiry-based learning, adaptability - and emphasise your willingness to train.
Although schools value those with specific curriculum experience, many schools will consider candidates who show strong teaching fundamentals and a genuine interest in learning their system.
So, if you’re wondering what’s missing from your CV, make sure you check that your curriculum experience is on there, and clearly displayed. It’s one of the things that will really set you apart in the international education world. Making sure it’s front and center means you’ll instantly show schools that you’re a good match and ready to go from day one.