Pick a clean, professional layout that highlights leadership and school outcomes. Use a reverse-chronological format so your most recent leadership work appears first. This layout reads well and works with most applicant tracking systems.
Keep length tight. One page fits entry to mid-career vice principals. If you have over 10 years of relevant leadership, use two pages and cut nonessential roles.
Use simple, ATS-friendly fonts like Calibri, Arial, Georgia, or Garamond. Set body text to 10–12pt and headers to 14–16pt. Keep line spacing at 1.0–1.15 and add clear margins so the page breathes.
Structure sections with standard headings: Contact, Summary, Experience, Education, Certifications, Skills, and References. Use bullet points under each job to list leadership actions and measurable outcomes.
Avoid creative layouts that use many columns, images, or decorative icons. Those elements confuse ATS and distract hiring teams. Stick to bold and italics for emphasis, not colors or graphics.
Watch for common mistakes. Don’t cram text into small fonts to fit more. Don’t use odd fonts or heavy color. Don’t mix too many date formats or job titles without consistency.
Use active statements that start with strong verbs. Quantify results where you can, like improved attendance or reduced incidents. Keep each bullet under two lines so readers can scan quickly.