Researching and applying to EdTech roles can be laborious and exhausting. You may experience feelings of panic, urgency, and desperation as you send in job applications and don’t get the results you want. These are natural feelings in the process, but they don’t need to dominate your experience.
I spoke with our Talent Acquisition team members, Purva and Veronica, to get expert advice on applying to EdTech jobs. We’re sharing these essentials to help you feel more confident and encouraged when applying to EdTech jobs.
Essential #1: Be Organized with Your Application Materials
Are you keeping track of which companies and roles you applied to? When you receive an email from a recruiter or hiring manager about a position, have you applied to so many that you don’t even remember what position they’re talking about?
Veronica suggests one way to organize your search: “Make a spreadsheet to track information for each application you’ve submitted.” Consider columns for each of the following:
- Company name
- Job title with a link to the job posting
- What you submitted (cover letter and resume, resume only, portfolio, or specific resume file, etc.)
- Date you submitted your application
- Date you last connected with the company
- Name of the person at the company you connected with
“When your application materials are organized, you will be better prepared to speak knowledgeably about a position when a recruiter or hiring manager reaches out to schedule an interview,” says Veronica.
Essential #2: Sharpen Your Focus on the Job You Want
Clarity before strategy is an important factor that a lot of job seekers overlook. It is important to sharpen your focus and clarify a specific role you want before you prepare your application materials.
“If you are trying to optimize your resume and LinkedIn profile for multiple roles, you may not stand out for any of them,” says Veronica. “If there are a lot of different words and terms on your LinkedIn profile because you’re trying to customize for too many companies, you may be showing that you are not focused on what you want to do in a role.”
Instead, Veronica suggests focusing the information on your LinkedIn profile and resume to reflect that you know who you are and what you want to do in your next role.
Check out our post “How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for EdTech Jobs — Tips from an EdTech Recruiter” for more ideas on updating your profile to show you understand who you are and what your focus is in a role.
Essential #3: Research and Apply to a Small Number of Companies at a Time
Avoid sending a high volume of applications to a high volume of companies all at once. Purva says, “When you do this, you’re aiming at everything and hoping that one thing sticks. But there are a couple of problems with this: 1) you’re exerting a lot of time and energy, which can lead to burnout, and 2) in trying to be all things to all companies, you lose focus on what skills you bring to the table.”
Instead of sending in a high volume of applications, Purva recommends applying in batches of 2–3 applications at a time after researching each of the companies to ensure they’re a good fit for you. Taking the time to do research on a small number of companies will allow you to get to know them better. Spend a few minutes on each of the following questions:
- What does the company do?
- What is the company’s mission?
- What is the work culture like at the company?
- What are the company’s strengths?
- What opportunities exist within the company?
- What value can you bring to the company?
“By taking the time to get to know a company, you start to figure out which companies would benefit from your unique skills, experience, and personality,” says Purva. “You will also have more time to spend on creating customized application materials that show you have a true understanding of the company, its needs, and how you will be a good fit.”
Essential #4: Revise and Refine Your Resume
If you’re feeling desperate to find a job, it may cause a false sense of urgency to submit a resume that you haven’t closely reviewed or customized to the position you’re applying to. Veronica suggests you carefully update and focus your LinkedIn profile, and Purva recommends ensuring you revise and refine your resume.
“It’s a good idea to have someone else look at your resume before you send it,” Purva says. Another good practice she suggests is to read your resume out loud — read it line by line to make sure you are consistent and clear in your points.
As you’re refining your resume, Purva says to keep these tips in mind:
- Do not include graphics or pictures. Some Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are unable to read your resume if it includes graphics, so it’s better not to include them.
- Consolidate your experience. If you’re an educator or former educator: whether you’ve been teaching for five years or 15 years, consolidate your experience to highlight your accomplishments more clearly. It is okay if your resume looks small or short.
- Use metrics and numerical data points. Explain what you did in measurable terms and with measurable results. For example: “Taught 3 sections of Algebra I. Helped students meet or exceed expectations on state tests at 85% pass rate.”
- Leave out the personal interest section. Your summary, professional experience, education, and skills sections should be prioritized. Including this section may detract from the other sections.
Think of your resume as a marketing tool — you’re marketing yourself to companies to show why you are a good fit for their company. Purva explains further: “Customizing your resume to demonstrate how your skills can transfer over to a specific role can show you’re focused and have an understanding of the role and company.” Be sure to keep a copy of your customized resume for each company so you can refer to it when you’re preparing for interviews.
In addition to a customized resume, Purva and Veronica suggest creating a personalized cover letter to help build effective application materials.
Essential #5: Customize Your Cover Letter
When a company asks you to submit a cover letter with your resume, it means they are going to read it, so take the time to write a good cover letter.
“If you have a generic cover letter that you believe will fit broadly to any EdTech company and that isn’t specific to the role you are applying for, it may show that you don’t know what the role really is or that you don’t know what you’re applying to,” Veronica says.
Don’t address your cover letter to the generic “To whom it may concern.” Instead, find the hiring manager’s name and address the letter to that person. This shows extra effort on your part and is another way to stand out. If you’re unable to find the exact hiring manager’s name, include someone’s name in the interview process, such as the person who listed the job (or if you can’t find that person’s name, you can address the CEO of the company). This shows you’re doing your research and separates you from the crowd.
When it comes time to submit your resume and cover letter, Purva recommends saving and uploading them as a PDF to maintain your desired layout and format.
Essential #6: Take Care of Yourself
You’re going to get rejections. Sometimes, you won’t hear back from companies and recruiters. You will feel deflated. As hard as that reality is to read, both Purva and Veronica encourage you to take care of yourself. Be sure to do something for yourself daily, whether it’s a walk at the end of the day, making a cup of tea, or anything else that you enjoy.
“Continue to focus on you,” Purva states. “Applying for jobs is hard and takes time, but the more you make sure to take care of yourself during the process, the more you are going to be prepared for the transition to your new role, when that time comes.”
Applying for jobs can be overwhelming. However, when you pay attention to the essentials, you can be more focused and efficient in your job search, which may leave you feeling less overwhelmed and more in control.
To help you narrow down which roles in EdTech may suit you best, check out our post “What Roles Exist in EdTech?”
Article updated on June 11, 2025
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