Ideas for Writing a Resume for the Superintendent of Schools
You have the credentials and the experience for one of the top jobs in education--superintendent of schools. You began your career as a teacher and moved up the educational career ladder. You may have moved directly into a principal's job. Alternatively, you may have held a series of positions--department head, curriculum specialist, subject matter adviser or assistant principal--before moving into administration. In any event, you are ready to take the next step in your career and apply for the position of school superintendent.
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Resume Format
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Use a reverse chronological format, which lists all your employment and eduction beginning with the most recent and working backward. Hiring officers prefer this format, especially for top executive positions. Most chronological resumes list a progression of increasingly responsible positions and demonstrate that you are qualified to take the next step in your career.
Performance Profile
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Lead with a powerful performance profile. Located directly below the header, this short paragraph contains three to five of your greatest skills and achievements. In their book "Expert Resumes for Managers and Executives," Wendy S.Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark provide the following example: "Accomplished professional with a track record of improving educational and operational performance through vision, leadership and team-building. Experience spans urban and rural school districts and includes six years of administrative experience complemented by seven years of classroom teaching and extensive coaching experience."
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Accomplishment Statements--Leadership Skills
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Demonstrate your ability to design and lead initiatives to improve academic performance. Enelow and Kursmark provide the following example of an accomplishment statement: "Led a performance turnaround of 550-student high school, recording substantial improvements in both measurable and intangible areas of evaluation: student attendance, test scores, state evaluations, morale, student participation and teacher engagement." Whenever possible, specify and quantify your job accomplishments. For example, "Graduation rate improved form 75 percent to 86 percent;" "Athletic participation increased by one-third."
Accomplishment Statements--Collaborative Skills
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Provide specific examples of your collaborative skills. A superintendent's job involves interacting with others in the educational system and outside community. In his book "Gallery of Best Resumes," David F. Noble provides the following examples: "Partnered with the Technology Director to equip each classroom with state-of-the-art computer and multimedia technology;" "Improved standardized test scores through a joint mathematics summer school program with a local college."
Education
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Highlight your post-graduate education. Although educational background will vary, most applicants for superintendent positions have completed a master's degree in education administration or educational leadership. You have an edge if you have also completed a doctorate or specialized degree in education administration.
Additional Information
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Include any relevant awards, honors or experiences that will distinguish you from the other applicants. As superintendent of schools, you will assume a high-profile position. Demonstrate your willingness and ability to be a visible member of the community. If you belong to professional affiliations, describe leadership roles, committees, task forces or special assignments within those associations.
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References
- Photo Credit apple for teacher image by max blain from Fotolia.com
