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The EdTech job market is crowded right now. More candidates, more applications, more noise. But here is the good news. Most of the noise is irrelevant. The majority of applications are generic, rushed, AI generated CVs that look great to an Applicant Tracking System and fall apart the moment a human reads them.
If you want to stand out, you need to play both games.
You need to get through the AI filter and you need to make the humans remember you.
Here is how to do that properly.
Most CVs are now screened by ATS tools that behave like search engines. They pick up keywords, job titles, tools, metrics, and industry terms.
This does not mean you need an AI generated CV. It means you need a searchable one.
Add the keywords that matter in EdTech.
Think:
• Learning and development
• Higher education
• SaaS
• Implementation
• Onboarding
• Customer success
• Sales enablement
• Training
• LMS
• Digital transformation
• Student engagement
• Adoption
• K12
• Higher ed
• Teacher training
If the ATS cannot find those words, it will never serve your CV to a human.
And please, list the tools that you've used i.e. SFDC, HubSpot, Totara, Canvas, Moodle, Teams, Zoom, Asana. Even if they feel obvious to you, include them.
Most candidates talk only about their tasks. Few talk about their relationships.
In EdTech, your network is gold. It shows reach, influence, and relevance.
If you worked as Head of Implementation and partnered with King’s, UCL, Manchester, or any other major institution, say it.
Name the universities or school groups. Name the districts. Name the multi academy trusts. Name the countries.
If you worked with customers who later expanded, renewed, or referred you, include that too.
Your network is a differentiator. Do not assume the employer will magically know you have it.
If you are thinking about or actually job hunting, talk to your network.
You are not bothering them. People actually like helping when it costs them nothing.
Ask for referrals.
Ask for warm introductions.
Ask for LinkedIn recommendations.
Ask if they know who is hiring.
Referrals still outperform cold applications every time.
It feels efficient but it sends your CV into a void with a thousand irrelevant applications.
Instead:
Apply directly on the company website
Fill in the proper application form
Follow the instructions
Add a note to the hiring manager if possible
Show you can follow a process
Ninety five percent of applicants will not do this. That alone puts you ahead of most of the pool.
And do not worry about the “312 applicants” line.
Most of them have nothing to do with EdTech. They are spraying CVs everywhere. The actual competition is usually five to ten people max.
This market is built on relationships. You need to show up.
Attend EdTech events
Join the online sessions
Comment on posts
Introduce yourself to people working at your target companies
Engage with hiring managers, founders, and talent teams
People hire people they know.
If they keep seeing your name and your experience, you are already halfway in the door.
Make a shortlist of the top ten companies you actually want.
Then:
• Follow them
• Read their posts
• Comment thoughtfully
• Send connection requests to the hiring manager and founder
• Pay attention to the language they use
• Mirror it in your CV and cover letter
• Become familiar, not random
You are not stalking them. You are doing your research properly, which already makes you more professional than most candidates.
Did you work for an EdTech assessment platform?
Did you work for a learning platform, content provider, LMS, skills tool, or wellbeing solution?
Great.
Contact their competitors.
Reach out directly to the founder or head of sales or head of customer success.
Say something along the lines of:
“I worked with the same customer base. I know the landscape. I know the buyer. I know the objections. I can bring relationships and insights from day one.”
Unless you are under a non compete, this is one of the fastest ways to land a role.
Everyone can learn a new CRM or a new tool in a week.
You cannot replace five years of relationships with universities, schools, MATs, or ministries.
You cannot fake sector trust.
You cannot shortcut real experience with customers.
This is why you need to position it clearly, confidently, and visibly.
A lot of EdTech professionals hit the market with solid experience but outdated skills. Not because they are lazy. Because many companies simply never invest in CPD or proper upskilling.
Do not wait for an employer to train you. Train yourself.
Look at what the market values right now:
• AI literacy
• Prompting skills
• Data storytelling
• Product thinking
• Customer journey mapping
• CRM mastery
• Onboarding and enablement design
• AI powered content creation
• EdTech specific tool stacks
• Learning design principles
Even one or two new skills can change how a hiring manager sees you. It signals initiative, curiosity, and adaptability — three things companies will always pay for.
Upskilling also helps when your experience feels “stuck”. New skills show you are not just repeating tasks. You are growing beyond them.
The market is busy but not impossible.
The candidates who stand out are the ones who know how to be visible, relevant, and remembered.
Get through the ATS.
Show your network.
Speak to the right people.
Stop hiding behind applications.
Show up in the places where the industry actually lives.
And if you need help tightening your CV or positioning yourself better for EdTech roles, just ask. Book a free 30-mins consultation.
