Principal Resume Example & Writing Guide

What is a principal’s job?

School principals are education professionals that oversee teachers and other educational staff. They guide student performance, and school activities, and ensure that all school facilities are well-maintained and safe for students and faculty.

Why use this principal resume example?

The opening line on your resume can set the tone. Our example resume starts with one line that lists the candidate’s top capabilities. This is a great way to begin because it puts the most important skills right up front to grab the potential new employer’s attention.

The visual format of this example resume is great because it is very clean, simple, and easy to read. It makes good use of single-column and two-column formatted sections to display information in a pleasing and easy-to-look-at layout. The coloring is in shades of gray because this is easier to print and is more subtle. Just make sure you use formatting elements like columns, shading, and lines sparingly. It is easy to go overboard and make your resume too busy and more difficult to read. On a resume, less is more.

The career experience section is also well done because each role has a section with a paragraph explaining the key responsibilities and tasks. More importantly, there is a separate section that explicitly calls out accomplishments. Showing your potential employer how you were able to be successful in your previous roles is critical. Achievements show how you have been able to apply your skills and be productive in the organization.

Make sure your job experience and skills sections include plenty of keywords related to the job or profession. Look at the job description that you’re applying for and find the keywords in it. Use the ones that match your background. This is important because most places use ATS (applicant tracking systems) to automatically scan resumes and cull those that do not have the right terms and keywords.

How to write a great principal resume

As a principal, your education plays a major part in whether you get your next role. Place your degrees in a separate educational background section. List them in reverse chronological order. You don’t need a lot of details. It is okay to just list the degree type and name of the school. But, it is also acceptable to list more details like your majors, GPA, and location. This is more applicable to people with more recent degrees or less experience. If your education is especially exceptional, then you may want to move this section up toward the top of your resume.

People in the academic world can also have a lot of certifications. Include all of your certifications and licenses that are relevant. This can be in a separate section or, if you don’t have too many, at the end of your education section. 

As with many technical and scientific careers, educational professionals tend to have a lot of training and expertise that use complex terminology and acronyms. Avoid using too much of this in your job descriptions because the first person to review your resume may be a recruiter or HR person. They may or may not be experts in education, and you want your resume to be understandable to anyone that reads it. However, it is okay and expected to have some industry terms and acronyms on your resume. Use them judiciously and where they will match up with the role you’re applying for.

Which key skills are relevant for a principal resume?

An education professional must have a variety of skills. For your principal’s resume, make sure that you include your best abilities that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. Your soft skills are paramount because your job revolves around teaching people. Don’t forget to include some hard skills too. Technology skills can be as important as being up-to-date on your teaching certifications.

Below is a good list of example skills to have on a principal’s resume:

• Communication

• Critical thinking

• Problem-solving

• Decision-making

• Leadership

• E-Learning

• Curriculum development

• Lesson planning

• Teacher training

• Strategic thinking