How to Write an Application Letter in Nigeria for a Teaching Job

How to Write an Application Letter in Nigeria for a Teaching Job

Teaching Jobs in Nigeria happens to be one of the most popular jobs in Nigeria. Teaching as a career field is usually many people's choice in Nigeria because it gives room for different people at different levels in their careers.

Whether you are a secondary school graduate, an OND holder, a BSC holder, etc. you can easily start a career in teaching in Nigeria, especially in rural areas. Teaching is one of the desired jobs for fresh graduates that are just leaving the University.

This is because it allows them to make some money for themselves while they try to discover their career path, and build their work experience.

Although, many people say that a teachers’ reward is in heaven. While I acknowledge that, employers and school owners are still looking to hire skilled teachers.

Teaching jobs have become competitive, and with competition comes effort. That means that you have to put in more effort to convince the employer/the recruiter that you are the best person for the job.

The best way for you to tell the employer that you are the best person for the job is through your application letter. Your application letter allows you to sell yourself, especially for a teaching job.

It may be difficult for you to sell yourself through your application letter if you don’t know how to write one. In this article, we are going to walk you through all you need to know to write an application letter.

Before we go into the details, let us take a look at what an application letter is.

What is an application letter?

An application letter is a formal document that summarizes your strongest and most relevant skills and abilities. The skills, abilities, and experience that you talk about in your application letter are what the recruiter or employer will expend on during the interview.

The application letter allows you to convince the recruiter that you are the best person for the job right before they meet with you.

Since you understand what an application letter is, we will go ahead to talk about tips that will help you write a good application letter for a teaching job in Nigeria.

How to write an application letter for a teaching job in Nigeria

When it comes to writing an application letter for a teaching job in Nigeria, it is quite different from other professions and roles. This is because teaching is a field that requires great communication skills to impact students and inspire them to learn more.

These tips for writing a good application letter for a teaching job will help you to explain yourself to your potential employers and relate your unique skills and experience to the job description of the job that you are looking to get.

If you want to write a good application letter for a teaching job, then you should follow this format:

  1. Start by including your address, contact information, and date. Address the letter to the right person.
  2. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph and talk about where you saw the job vacancy.
  3. Talk about your education and other certifications that make you the best person for the job.
  4. Talk about your experience in teaching and the achievements that you have gotten so far.
  5. You can conclude with a positive closing.

1. Start by including your address, contact information, and date.

When you start writing your application letter for a teaching job, you must add your address and contact information. It would be easy for employers to reach out to you when you include your contact details and address in your application letter.

Your contact details and your address should look like this in your application letter:

23 Rogers Lane,

Williams Estates,

26th January 2022.

You should also include the school’s address after yours. It should also appear like this in your application letter:

Susan Peters,

Head Teacher/School Administrator,

Great Height International School.

Ikeja, Lagos.

2. Address the letter to the right person

You need to address your application letter to the right person when you are applying for a teaching job in Nigeria. It is better for you to directly address the right person in your application letter instead of saying; “Hiring manager” or “to whom it may concern”.

You should do some research to find out the right person to address your application letter. You can visit the school’s website to find out the right person to address. You can also contact the school to find out the person in charge of recruitment.

3. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph and talk about where you saw the job vacancy.

Start your application letter by introducing yourself. You can start by talking about where you saw the job advert, then go ahead to talk about why you are interested in the position. Also, talk about what makes you the best candidate for the position.

You can also include information about yourself that would give the recruiter a better understanding of who you are and how you fit into the organization.

4. Talk about your education and other certifications that make you the best person for the job.

Teaching is a profession, and as such your educational qualifications and certifications goes a long way to determine if you would get the job. Every employer wants to hire a qualified teacher, and also someone that is certified to teach.

It is smart for you to talk about your education in your application letter to give the employer a background of your qualification. You can also state your grades or the name of the institution that you graduated from especially if it is of high repute.

You can also talk about how you became interested in teaching. This will give the employer a glimpse of who you are and how you fit into the role.

5. Talk about your experience in teaching and the achievements that you have gotten so far.

When it comes to getting a teaching job in Nigeria, your experience is extremely important. Including your teaching experience in your application letter gives the employer an idea of your expertise in teaching.

You can talk about your experience in a way that the employer can see how you have progressed in your career. If you don’t have teaching experience, you can still talk about the experience that you have that is related to teaching.

For instance, if you have worked with the learning and development department in a corporate organization, you can talk about your experience in the company.

Always talk about your teaching experience that focuses on the accomplishments that you are most proud of.

6. You can include your teaching techniques and values.

It is good that you outline how you like to teach, and the values you follow as a teacher shows more about who you are as an educator. You should include details about how you have built the value that you follow when you teach students.

You can also mention some of the skills that you have that makes you a great teacher. You can also make the employer understand the style of teaching that is most appropriate for the kind of students that you are looking to teach.

7. You can conclude with a positive closing.

It is good that you close your letter politely and positively by showing your appreciation to the reader for considering you for a role. You can include information about how you plan to follow up, indicate whether you want to call the hiring manager or send an email.

The final paragraph of your application letter should leave an impression on the recruiter or employer.

Application Letter for a Teaching Job in Nigeria

This application letter example for a teaching job in Nigeria will guide you to write yours. You can take a clue from this example while trying to write your application letter.

23 Rogers Lane,

Williams Estates,

26th January 2022.

Susan Peters,

Head Teacher/School Administrator,

Great Height International School.

Ikeja, Lagos.

APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF A CLASS TEACHER

I am writing this application letter in response to the open position for a class teacher at Great Height International School. I am a second-class graduate of the College of Education Lagos, and I have over 2 years of teachings experience at both the primary and secondary school’s levels. I believe that my passion for literacy in rural communities makes me an ideal candidate for a teaching position at your school.

I have experience in teaching secondary school students both professionally and in training. I have worked as a student teacher and a teaching assistant in the beginning part of my career. As a former education coordinator during my National Youth Service Corps. I also have experience in teaching primary school students. From the job description, I can see that your school caters for both children in local communities and children in urban areas. I think that my experience with local communities will make me a great candidate.

From my research, one advantage that your school has over other schools is how it inspires students to be a part of community development programs. I am passionate about building a safer environment so I try to incorporate it into my learning plans. In my previous job, I led a team of secondary school students to plant trees around the school’s compound. I would love to look for ways to integrate community development into my lessons.

I look forward to combining my years of experience with my ability to be a compassionate, passionate, and enthusiastic teacher who will make a positive contribution to your school and the community at large.

I appreciate your consideration for the role, and I look forward to speaking with you further regarding the position. I am happy to answer any additional questions you may have.

Sincerely,

John Adams.

Application Letter Template for a Teaching Job in Nigeria

If you are still not clear about how you can write a good application letter for a teaching job in Nigeria, then this template will guide you.

[Your phone number]

[Your email address]

[Recipient's institution name]

Dear [Recipient's name],

[In the first paragraph, talk about where you found the job vacancy, explain the job you're applying for and why you're interested in it. Summarize why you are the best person for the job]

[In the second paragraph, describe your educational background and how it relates to the role.]

[In the third paragraph, detail any relevant work experience you have.]

[In the fourth paragraph, describe your teaching style to show how it could fit in with the school, the show a bit of your personality].

I appreciate your consideration for the role, and I look forward to speaking with you further regarding the position. I am happy to answer any additional questions you may have.

[Your email address]

[Your phone number]

Writing an application letter for a competitive job like teaching can be challenging especially if the school is sought after by job candidates. If you have never written an application letter for a teaching job in Nigeria, then you may be a little bit confused.

If you are not sure about where to start from, you can use the teaching job application letter example or the teaching job application letter template to write an attention-getting application letter.

Do you have any questions? Let us know in the comment box below.