Early years practitioner CV example

How to add contact details to your early years practitioner CV

You’d be surprised how many candidates miss out on interview invites because they forget to add their most up-to-date contact details at the top of the page – you might have the best CV in the world, but it doesn’t matter if the employer can’t reach you. We suggest highlighting information in a slightly larger or bolder font for maximum readability. Remember to include:

• Full name – first name and surname
• Location – mention if you’re willing to relocate
• Phone number – the best one to reach you on
• Email address – keep it work-appropriate

Example of contact section for an early years practitioner CV

How to write a personal statement for your early years practitioner CV

Use the personal statement section of your CV to show a bit of personality and share your passion for childcare. This short, usually three to four sentence paragraph is one of the first things recruiters look at. As such, spotlight your most valuable skills, experience, and qualifications to encourage the employer to read more.

If you’re not sure how to get started, our CV maker has a collection of sample personal statements for early years practitioners for you to be inspired by. Essentially, it’s good to refer here to what experience you bring with you and what your key achievements or goals are for the position. Otherwise, use our handy formula below to cover the most important points.

Sentence one introduces who you are, including years of experience and career focus, e.g. Montessori nurseries. Sentence two explains what you can achieve using showstopping statistics. For example, you might have “introduced a new child-led system of play that helped 87% of children meet their milestones”. Finally, sentences three and four underline your unique skills and specialisms, such as “paediatric first aid” and ” knowledge of the EYFS”.

Still confused? Here are some extra tips for a punchy personal statement:

• Stick to the word count – between 50 and 00 words is ideal
• Use the third person to sound more professional
• Avoid clichés – think about what makes YOU special
• Reveal more of your personality through positive descriptors
• Evidence your experience with facts and figures

Example of personal statement for an early years practitioner CV

OR

How to present your work history on an early years practitioner CV

The work experience section is arguably the most important part of any CV, offering employers an insight into your professional capabilities. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase what you can achieve, the personality traits that make you the best candidate, and any promotions or awards.

As you complete this section, think “recent” and “relevant” – all information must meet these criteria to earn a spot on the page. For example, there’s no point discussing an early years practitioner role from thirty years ago because safeguarding practices are always updating. Similarly, only mention recent positions if they have something to do with the job you’re applying for – look for transferable skills such as “communication” and “leadership”.

How should you structure this section? Start from your current or most recent role and list three to six duties for each. Include:

• Job title
• Company name
• Company location
• Employment start and end dates
• List of responsibilities
• Achievements, awards, and promotions

Like the personal statement, sprinkle in plenty of facts and figures. Tangible results supercharge your application and reassure employers you have the tools to succeed. Let’s say you “acted as a superb role model” – can you elaborate? You might have achieved this by “delivering a training course to 20 employees”. Or, you could talk about the impact you had on company culture. Whatever the achievement, be as specific as possible to remove any doubt in the reader’s mind.

Lastly, convey confidence through positive adjectives and action verbs. The former emphasise your most desirable character traits – you might be “patient”, “kind”, and “helpful”. Action verbs preface your accomplishments and responsibilities. Some of our favourites for early years practitioners include “guided”, “shaped”, and “taught”.

Example of work experience for an early years practitioner CV

Top skills for your early years practitioner CV

When hiring managers are short on time, they often flock straight to the CV skills section to assess whether you meet the job requirements. Here, they’ll find a collection of technical hard skills and personality-based soft skills, such as “assertiveness” and “analytical thinking.” We suggest including around 12 in total, split equally between the two.

So, what’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills? The former are learnt on the job or through education and tend to be more specialised. Examples include “knowledge of the early years foundation stage”, “understanding of safeguarding and child protection practices”, and “planning engaging activities”. In contrast, soft skills reveal more of your character – think “organised”, “motivated”, and “trustworthy”.

Our best advice? You need both to succeed. All the technical skills in the world mean nothing without warmth and compassion. Similarly, even the nicest people don’t get far without real-world, practical tools.

The duties and responsibilities of an early years practitioner include many administrative and organisational tasks, but above all, caring for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. And this, as you know, can be the most unpredictable job. For this reason, a good early years practitioner should have the following qualities:

How to add education to your practitioner CV

When employers are stuck between two equally experienced and skilled candidates, they use qualifications to determine who has the competitive edge. Consequently, you should never skip over the education section – despite coming towards the end of a CV, it holds a lot of sway. What can you talk about? School, college, and university courses, extracurricular training, special licences, and memberships to governing bodies.

While pretty self-explanatory, there are a few simple rules to keep in mind. Like work experience, you only need to mention your most recent and relevant credentials. Hiring managers won’t care about your GCSEs if you’ve completed an undergraduate degree. Plus, omit poor grades and incomplete courses – or, at the very least, have a good reason for them!

What does it take to become an early years practitioner? Most organisations prefer candidates with a relevant qualification, such as a Level 2 Certificate in Childcare or a Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Education and Care. However, some settings hire unqualified staff and offer to train them on the job. It’s always worth checking if this is an option beforehand because it’s a fantastic opportunity to enhance your knowledge while getting paid.

Run through the below details:

• Name of school, college, university, or other awarding body
• Study start and end dates
• Subject title
• Qualification level – e.g. GCSE or Level 3 Diploma
• Qualification results – not essential but desirable

Example of education for an early years practitioner CV