The Puzzle: Blog

We're often asked how often is too often to make changes to your candidate file. And the answer is that there's no exact answer. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your file is as fresh as possible, so if an unexpected dream referral pops up, your materials are accurate, relevant, and recent.

Here are the top three updates to make to your CS&A file.

1. Resume

This is a no-brainer: you should constantly be updating your resume to reflect your recent accomplishments and interests. Regularly check that much-opened document and add bullets when you teach a new class, learn a new skill, or attend a new professional development workshop.

Equally important? Ensuring that your contact information is up-to-date, and reflective of the contact information you’ve entered into CandidateConnect. Excited to apply to a school in Connecticut, because it’s right down the road from where you recently moved? Make sure your resume and CandidateConnect account doesn’t still indicate that you live in Arizona.

2. Reference Letters

If you’ve been a candidate with us for a while, you might have several letters of reference in your file—from several years past. Once you added them to your file, you may have forgotten about them, but schools still read your reference letters, even if they’re four or five years out of date.

It’s never a bad thing to have a letter recommending your skills, but it’s preferable to have more recent letters that can reflect what you’ve done more recently. Additionally, it’s helpful to demonstrate that you have your current Head or other administrator’s vote of confidence. Take a look at the dates of your letters; if they’re more than a year or two old, consider adding some new ones.

3. Personal Statement

This is a bit of a trick question, because your personal statement, which is a reflection of your general teaching goals and philosophy, may stay the same year after year. But read it periodically and make sure you still agree with what you originally wrote. Your personal statement should be a living document, just as your pedagogy is. You can update it with new information and experiences, while remaining true to the core of the document. Read it regularly, and ensure it reflects who you are and what you want to say.

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