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Writing a pastoral resume can be a little daunting since it’s a different field than the rest of the workforce. However, the ultimate goal is the same: Get an interview. Keeping that in mind, you only have a few moments and sentences to make your resume rise above everyone else’s and catch your potential employer’s attention. Your education or experience may not always be relevant to the church or pastoral position you’re applying to. Although every church is different and looking for different things, there are some common aspects of a resume that every church will want to see to decide whether they’ll want to move forward with an interview and ultimately hire you for the position.
Here is how you write a pastor resume that gets you hired:
It’s important to customize your resume to fit the specific job and role you’re applying for. Do some research on the church. What’s their mission statement? What’s their vision? What are their values? What kind of language do they use on their website? Take some of those keywords and insert them into parts of your resume. For example, if their mission statement is “We exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ,” you can include a sentence in your resume that says “Passionate about making disciples of Jesus Christ.” Use this same strategy with that specific job posting. What kind of character traits are they looking for regarding this role? What jobs and tasks does the job entail? What kind of experience are they looking for? Intentionally include some of those keywords and characteristics throughout your resume. For example, if a task in the job posting is “Create a discipleship strategy that includes building small groups,” you can include something like “Experience in creating discipleship strategies revolved around small groups.” That being said, it’s important to be honest and sincere with whatever you include. This process may be tedious and takes some time, but it lets the potential employer know that you are what they are looking for. Some may even notice that you took the time to do your research and value your proactivity. It’s significant to make sure your resume matches the specific job and role they are looking for.
Potential employers want to see results. They want to know that you can move things forward and cause growth. As much as you are able to, quantify what you’ve done and accomplished in the past with real numbers. For example: “Grew student ministry from 50 students to over 100 students” or “Expanded small group offering from 20 small groups to 35 small groups”. This will demonstrate that you know how to advance the area you’re leading. Another way to quantify your experience is to show the level of responsibility you’ve had in the past. For example, “Managed volunteer team of over 80 volunteers” or “Developed weekly programming for 150 kids”. Not everything on your resume can be quantified with numbers and data. However, using real data and numbers will help the potential employer know that you can produce results and will help you stick out above everyone else.
Pastoral Positions will always require you to lead others. In order to make your resume appealing to potential employers, you will want to showcase your ability to lead people. Include anything that will demonstrate your ability to lead teams, care for people’s needs, and work with all types of people. You can do this in your resume’s “Skill” section and/or under the “Experience” section. Under the “Skill” section, you can include Sentences like “People-oriented and proficient at building relationships, both internal and external to an organization, based on trust” or “Five years of experience developing leaders and managing teams, both large and small.” Under the “Experience” section of your resume, you can include sentences like “Managed volunteer leaders and teams of over 75” or “Created personal growth strategies for adults by establishing 20 new small groups”. The critical thing to keep in mind is to demonstrate your ability to lead others. Potential employers will want to know you can lead others well.
This may seem obvious, but a lot of pastors, in the name of transparency, include reasons for leaving former jobs and churches on their resumes. Don’t make this mistake. Although this may come from good intentions, this will not help you get hired. In fact, they may not even want to interview you based on this alone. Explaining former job transitions, reasons you’ve been let go, or why you quit former positions are best kept for the interview process. This gives you more time and space to provide context and details regarding any transition or gap in your resume. The goal of your resume is to stick out from the others and ultimately get an interview. Keeping reasons for leaving past jobs out of your resume gives you a much greater chance of getting an interview.
You should always include a summary in your resume. The summary gives potential employers a quick look into what you bring to the table and why you’re applying to their specific church and role. A good Summary can help you rise above the rest if executed well. First, make sure to include the type of position you’re seeking, whether it’s part-time or full-time. Second, include the number of years of experience you have with pastoral ministry. Third, include important and relevant aspects of your experience. For example: “Developing leaders,” “Creating and executing systems and processes,” or “Implementing new strategies to help grow the organization.” This quick snapshot will help employers want to take a deeper dive into your resume to see why you’re the best candidate for that particular position.
This seems obvious, but this point is here because many people make this mistake. Misspellings and grammatical errors in your resume demonstrate to potential employers that you may not be detail-oriented or even care. Take the time to ensure every word and sentence has proper spelling and grammar. Everyone makes typos from time to time. However, there is no excuse for sending a resume with misspelled words or grammar mistakes. After writing your resume, give yourself a day before reviewing it again in detail. Having fresh eyes may help you catch any errors. It’s also a good idea to have a second pair of eyes review your resume before sending it off to potential employers. Ask someone proficient in writing to read it over and give you feedback on anything that may be missing, confusing, or misspelled. Don’t let little mistakes take you out of the running for a potentially great opportunity. Take the time to ensure every word and sentence is intentional and well crafted.
In order for your resume to stick out, it’s essential to take the time to thoughtfully put in the right information. It’s tedious, requires intentionality and paying attention to the details, but, in the end, it’ll be worth it. So follow the tips above to get hired for the pastoral job you’re applying for!
