Applications
An application includes a letter of interest, current resume, personal statement, and the names, email addresses, phone numbers and relationship information for five references.
A Few Basics
- Talk with the consultant before submitting any materials. If you decide to pursue the search after talking to the consultant, send us your application a.s.a.p. Waiting until the last minute may result in our inability to know you well enough to present you to a SC.
- Send us your preferred email address and telephone number.
- Please respond to communications from us promptly.
- Please check the search calendar in the position profile and let us know of possible conflicts.
- Please submit all your documents electronically.
- The appearance of your application does matter: use one font type and size throughout your application.
- Proofread… proofread… proofread!!! Search committees are picky about “typos”.
Letter of Interest
The letter of interest should be one to two pages in length. Remember your audience. Few search committee members are educators, and they do not understand educational jargon.
Describe why you are:
- interested in the school
- ready to leave your current position
- prepared to address the challenges and opportunities outlined in the position profile
This is a formal letter and should be dated and addressed to the Head of School Search Committee followed by the name and address of the school. A scanned signature following a formal closing is a nice touch.
Resumé
Search committees prefer uncomplicated resumes. Don’t let your accomplishments get lost in too much fluff and long lists.
Full name and address at top with preferred email address and telephone number followed by career summary with clear chronology
- Schools served should include location and configuration and website for current school
- Consider describing, beneath position titles and in a few sentences, the general responsibilities of the position and highlighting a few accomplishments in the position with bullets
Possible sections for the rest of your resume:
- Professional Development
- Conferences, workshops, travel, professional affiliations
- Presentations
- If you have written and presented a lot, consider “Selected Presentations” rather than listing everything.
- Education
- Personal Interests
Personal Statement
Search committees seem to favor statements describing how you became an educator and your personal beliefs about students, education and leadership.
References
We require the names of five references who are familiar with your current work with their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. We will not contact references without checking with you first.
Please indicate where not obvious your relationship to your references
Should you become a finalist in a search, we will ask you for an additional 7 references, for a total of 12
Written letters of recommendation are optional although some search committees will ask that we obtain written references directly from your references (this will be noted in the position profile)
Final Thought
The school is our client, but we know that a candid relationship with you is beneficial. We are, however, hesitant to advise you too early on your prospects in a particular search. Search committees may develop a specific profile for the ideal candidate, but it is not until committees read candidates’ files and see the semi-finalists that a true consensus develops about the expectations for a new head of school.
