Key Elements of a Successful Leadership Resume
Mandatory Elements
These elements need to appear on every teaching resume.
Identification
Needs to include your first and last name (should be the largest font size, but not too oversized to look out of place), contact
information : phone number and professional email address, and your street address, city, state & zip code
Licensure
List Professional Educator License and endorsements you expect to receive with regard to specific area and grade levels:
Example: Professional Educator License (PEL)
General Administrative, kindergarten through grade 12
Elementary Education (Self Contained General Education), Kindergarten through grade 9
General Science, middle—grade 5 through grade 8
Education
Institution, City, State (Expected) Graduation Month Year
Write out the full name of your (expected) degree; also list Minors and Concentrations
*Please note that all degrees are written in singular; for example: Master of Education in Educational Leadership.
Experience
Experience is mandatory and the heart of any leadership resume. As a seasoned educator, it is also important to note all of
the extended experiences you have had beyond the classroom in professional committees, professional development, commu-
nity outreach, etc. Keep in mind that after each experience, there will be bullet points (accomplishment statements) detailing
your experience more fully. Results, notable benchmarks, and objectives will be important to highlight when appropriate in
your accomplishment statements. Refer to page 9 for more advice on creating an accomplishment statement. All experiences
in each section should be in reverse chronological order on your resume (new to older experiences).
Summary of Qualifications
It can be helpful to the reader to gather a snapshot of your key competencies or areas of expertise. This section can be a bul-
leted list of overarching areas that demonstrate your leadership experience. Such as: curriculum development, advanced teach-
ing and training, instructional leadership and coaching, strategic planning, community engagement, grant writing, etc.
Leadership Experience
This section can be useful to highlight your leadership practicum, committees you have led or participated in, department
chair, dean, specialist positions, school wide coordinator roles, district planning roles, etc. Think about key areas such as: in-
structional leadership, school improvement plans, strategic planning, budgeting, accountability, curriculum development, poli-
cy implementation, assessment, recruitment and training, cultivation of school culture, community outreach, partnerships with
stakeholders, etc. Remain consistent with format and flush out key experiences in the form of achievement statements and
specific content.
Example: Education Leadership Practicum, Mather High School, Chicago, IL. June 2013-September 2013
Chair, Instructional Leadership Team, Mather High School, Chicago, IL. August 2010-Present
Teaching Experience
Focus on key initiatives, strategies you implemented, projects, collaborations, participation in grade and content level teams,
technology introduced in instruction, date driven instruction, support of specialized populations, other relevant accomplish-
ments as an educator. As a seasoned teacher, you can omit your years as a student teacher and observation hours.
Example: Math Teacher, Washington Elementary School, Chicago, IL September 2006– October 2013
Professional Development and Memberships
Highlight specific professional development or trainings you have led, conferences/workshops you have attended with regard-
ing to best practices in key areas, professional affiliations, etc.
Optional Elements
Community Service, Professional Experience (non-teaching), Research, Publications, Awards, Skills