Ed Leadership Job Application Template Bundle
Get More Interviews
With These Tips & Templates
Want more interviews?
Experience matters, but how you're presenting your experience on paper matters even more.
Every day, leaders with less experience are landing interviews because they know how to catch the screener's eye and convey their most important qualifications...
...while leaders with more experience are getting passed over—because they don't know how to make their applications stand out.
A bland, rambling résumé or cover letter that makes the reader hunt for essential information will go in the "NO" pile, while an attractive, well-organized application can get you in the "YES" pile, even if you have less experience.
It's not just about using a beautiful template—it's about presenting evidence that you deserve an interview.
Accomplishments, Not Duties
IMPORTANT: describing your work history in terms of duties doesn't make you stand out. Everyone who's held similar roles has performed similar duties.
What makes you stand out is your unique accomplishments—the specific work you've done to fulfill your responsibilities as a professional educator.
This one simple change—shifting from duties to accomplishments—will make a huge difference.
But there's so much more—and you can start implementing it in the next 15 minutes using our templates, tools, and strategies.
One of our clients revised her résumé and cover letter using our templates and strategies, and soon landed five interviews in the same week:
Start with Elegant, Easy-To-Edit Microsoft Word .docx Templates
Great design makes your job easier as you craft your résumé and cover letter, and it makes the reader's job easier as they skim for important details.
A boring template implies boring content. But too many "exciting" résumé and cover letter templates are fussy and hard to edit.
We've designed our elegant Microsoft Word templates—named after some of Earth's most stunning mountains—for ease of editing, so you can craft your application documents in a fraction of the time.
You'll get 10 matching sets of templates—20 files in all.
Not only will your résumé and cover letter match perfectly, but they'll also have precisely the right sections in the right order.
10 sets of résumé + cover letter templates—each a $17 value
Mont Blanc
Olympus
Rainier
Fuji
Kilimanjaro
Denali
Everest
Whitney
Grand Teton
Fitz Roy
Use the Experience Matrix™ to Convey Your Qualifications
a $19 value
Each résumé template is built using our proprietary Experience Matrix™ format, with precisely the sections you need—and nothing that will weaken your case that you deserve an interview.
The Résumé Blueprint, our 16-page guide, will walk you through every component, so you can quickly convey the essential details.
But what you leave out is just as important as what you include....
Leave Out Distracting Details
For example, don't include a "Skills" section, because in a list, skills become unsupported claims that trigger the reader's skepticism.
And don't bother listing duties, which don't make you stand out from everyone else with similar experience.
Instead, describe your accomplishments, so the reader sees evidence that you deserve an interview. For example:
Unsupported claim: "Collaborative, student-centered leader"
Accomplishment: "Led climate committee to develop peer mediation process to resolve conflicts between students, reducing out-of-school suspensions by 22%."
You'll see how easy it is to write strong bullets in our 15-minute training, How To Write Accomplishment Bullets For Your Résumé.
a $49 value
You helped me COMPLETELY revamp my cover letter. I beat out three highly qualified internal candidates and might not have gotten a look without that letter.
—Jeff
Assistant Principal, Wisconsin
Craft Your Cover Letter: The Argument That You Deserve An Interview
Your cover letter is NOT a formality—it's far more than a brief note that "covers" your résumé.
It's a 5-paragraph persuasive essay in which you demonstrate that you deserve an interview—even if you're an external applicant, and even if you're not the most experienced.
Phrase by phrase, line by line, you'll convince the reader that you're the perfect fit for the position
a $99 value
187-slide PDF included
In our How To Craft Your "Perfect Fit" Cover Letter To Get More Interviews training, you'll get more than 100 pages of sample phrases you can use to convey your qualifications.
I got my Principal role after your Ascend trainings and reworking my résumé. It was a turnaround situation and my Dream principal job! I should also add that I knew no one in the organization!
—C.
Turnaround Principal
What's Included in the Ed Leadership
Job Application Template Bundle
(a $355 value—72% off)
1. Ten Experience Matrix™ Résumé Templates with Matching "Perfect Fit" Cover Letter Templates
Microsoft Word .docx files
10 stylish, professional templates in editable Microsoft Word .docx format—prefilled with only the sections you should include for educational leadership job applications. (10 x $17 = $170 value)
2. Experience Matrix™ Résumé Blueprint
16-page PDF Guide
($19 value)
- Sections to include—and what to omit
- How to format headers + each page
- Tips for dealing with gaps in your work history
- How to make it easy for the reader to put your application in the "YES" pile
3. How To Write Accomplishment Bullets For Your Résumé
15-minute step-by-step training
($29 value)
4. How To Craft Your "Perfect Fit" Cover Letter To Get More Interviews
71-minute in-depth training + 187 slides with sample text to use in your cover letter
($99 value)
BONUS: Video Interview Practice Rubric
It's never too soon to begin practicing for interviews. Simply record yourself with your laptop or smartphone, then rate your answers on our 10-point self-assessment checklist, so you can get better each time you practice on video.
($19 value)
BONUS: 52 Practice Interview Questions
Wondering what to practice? We've compiled 52 of the most common interview questions, covering your qualifications, experience, values, accomplishments, and how you'd work with staff, students, and parents.
($19 value)
Price
The Ed Leadership Job Application Template Bundle is yours for a single payment of
$
355
$
100
I GOT THE JOB. I'm now a first year A.P. and loving my job!
—ROBIN
Assistant Principal
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What file format are the templates in?
A: These templates are provided in fully-customizable Microsoft Word .docx format, which offers the greatest flexibility and control for precise page layout. We recommend always sending your documents in PDF format to ensure that they look the same to the reader.
Q: What pages are included?
A: Each template includes:
- A one-page cover letter template
- A two-page résumé template
- A matching reference list accompanying the résumé
Q: Some districts don't require a cover letter. Should I still include one when I apply?
A: Yes, absolutely—even if a cover letter isn't required, it's your best chance to make the case that you deserve an interview. A good cover letter can help you rise above candidates with more experience or insider connections.
Q: Should I list my references, or just say "available upon request"?
A: Always list your references—they convey credibility, which increases your chances of getting an interview. Plus, if the screener knows someone you've listed as a reference, that'll further increase your chances.
Q: What should I include in my cover letter?
A: The templates contain sample text loaded with advice and tips for writing a strong, compelling cover letter.
You'll also get the 187-page slide deck from the "Perfect Fit" Cover Letter training, which has more than 100 pages of example language to use in your cover letter.
Q: How long do I have to watch the trainings? Do they expire?
A: You get lifetime access with no expiration—you can watch the trainings as many times as you'd like as you prepare your application materials.
Q: How should I organize my résumé?
A: It's done for you in these templates, using our proprietary Experience Matrix™ Résumé format. Specifically, you'll want to include a header, professional objective, professional experience, education & certifications, and references, in that order. See the included Résumé Blueprint PDF for step-by-step guidance.
Q: Should I limit my résumé to one page?
A: No, in most cases it's important to include more detail than will fit on a single page. We recommend 2-3 pages including references for most leaders. The résumé templates include 3 matching pages (including reference list).
Q: What sections should I avoid including in my résumé?
A: These templates are carefully designed without sections that tend to contain unsupported claims, e.g. a "skills" section that paints a rosy picture without evidence.
In general, you'll want to include as much specific evidence of your competitiveness as a candidate as you possibly can—and that's what these templates are designed to highlight.
Q: What jobs will this bundle help me get?
A: The templates could be used for any job application, but the trainings and sample language are geared specifically toward landing your next educational leadership role, e.g. central office, principal, assistant principal, dean, instructional coach, etc.
Q: What is the cost of this bundle?
A: The Ed Leadership Job Application Template Bundle is $355 $100, and includes instant lifetime access.
Q: How quickly will I get access to the materials?
A: You will get access to the bundle immediately upon checkout. You can bookmark the bundle page, but you'll also get an email with all of the links to access everything later.
Q: Can I access the trainings from a mobile device?
A: Yes, you can watch the trainings and read the PDFs on a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone. To edit the Word templates, you'll want to be on a Windows or Mac computer.
Q: How long did it take to design these templates?
A: These templates were handcrafted by The Principal Center's in-house designer, Emily Dill. Each template represents 8+ hours of professional graphic design work. Each template was designed from scratch, and is not available anywhere else.
Q: Can I change the colors?
A: Yes! All templates are fully customizable. Simply double-click an element to change the color.
Q: Will I have full control over the templates? Can I make my own tweaks?
A: Yes, nothing in the templates is "locked," so everything can be edited—colors, fonts, boxes, icons, text—simply double-click on an element to edit it.
Q: What software will I need to edit the templates?
A: Just Microsoft Word. The files are in Word .docx format. We recommend exporting in PDF format.
Q: Do you have a money-back guarantee?
A: Yes, if you're not satisfied with the templates, contact us within 30 days at 1-800-861-5172 or [email protected] for a full refund.
Money-Back Guarantee
If you are not satisfied with the Ed Leadership Job Application Template Bundle for any reason, contact us within 30 days for a full refund.
About The Author
JUSTIN BAEDER, Ph.D.
Director, The principal center
Justin Baeder, PhD is Director of The Principal Center, and has been a full-time author and consultant since 2012.
His trainings and resources on the admin job search have helped thousands of leaders land their current roles—from dean of students to superintendent.
Dr. Baeder is the host of Principal Center Radio, a weekly podcast featuring interviews with leading authors and thinkers such as John Hattie, Charlotte Danielson, Robyn Jackson, Douglas Reeves, Ken Williams, and more than 300 other distinguished guests
Justin served his entire career in public education as a principal and teacher in Seattle Public Schools. He holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from Seattle University and a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy from the University of Washington.
Dr. Baeder is the author of Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership (Solution Tree), the leading book on classroom walkthroughs.
About The Designer
EMILY DILL
pRODUCER/DESIGNER
THE PRINCIPAL CENTER
Emily Dill is the Producer of Principal Center Radio, and designer and publisher of virtually everything at The Principal Center. Fluent in numerous multimedia production technologies, including video, audio, graphics, desktop publishing, and web technology, Emily transforms mere words and ideas into the programs and products that Principal Center clients know and love.
About The Principal Center
At The Principal Center, it's our mission to help instructional leaders:
Founded in 2012, The Principal Center has over 15,000 participants in our free and paid programs, representing more than 50 countries around the world.
