A resume for Australia usually has no photo, runs to 2–3 pages and is printed on A4 paper. The 9 designs below suit school principals and open in the free builder with our sample school principal resume filled in, and the checklist further down shows what to change before you apply in Australia.
An Australian resume is usually two to three pages, longer than the one-page norm in the United States. It opens with contact details and a short career summary, lists employment in reverse-chronological order with achievements under each role, and often ends with two referees. Photos, date of birth and marital status are normally left out, and many employers expect you to state your work rights or visa status near the top.
Each design below opens in the free builder with our sample school principal resume, Joseph Mathew, School Principal, already filled in. The list further down takes that sample section by section and shows what to change before you send it to an employer in Australia.
Why the sample works: Joseph’s current role pairs academic work with budgeting and safety audits, matching the dual expectations management committees place on principals.
9 designs that suit school principals and Australia
Leave it out; most employers prefer no photo, except for acting or modelling roles. None of the designs below has a photo slot.
Length
Two to three pages is usual; graduates and school leavers can keep to one or two.
Paper size
A4 paper size, the standard for printed documents in Australia. Pick A4 in the builder before you download.
Personal details
Name, mobile, email, suburb and state; skip date of birth, marital status and religion.
Dates
Month and year for each role, with the most recent job listed first.
Spelling
Australian English, close to British spelling: organise, colour, centre, licence.
Section names
Call it a resume. The usual order: Contact details and work rights, Career summary, Key skills, Employment history, Education and qualifications, Licences and certifications, Volunteer work, Referees.
File
Word or PDF; follow the job ad, as some portals prefer Word files.
The sample school principal resume, adapted for Australia
Header
Keep Joseph Mathew and “School Principal”, then mobile, email and suburb and state, with a one-line work rights note such as “Permanent resident” or your visa type. No photo, date of birth or full street address.
Career summary
“Principal with nine years of leadership across two ICSE and CBSE schools, currently heading a K–12 campus of about fourteen hundred students and ninety staff. Balances board results, affiliation compliance, budgeting and teacher development with the management committee.” An Australian career summary is three to five lines: your current or target role, years of experience, the sector you know best and one or two strengths the job ad asks for.
Key skills
School leadership, Board affiliation and compliance, Budget planning, Staff recruitment and appraisal, Teacher mentoring, Admissions management, Child safeguarding, Parent communication.
Employment history
Principal, CBSE K–12 school run by an educational trust: “Led a campus of about fourteen hundred students, sixty-five teachers and twenty-five support staff from kindergarten to class XII. Planned the annual budget with the trust’s management committee, including salary revisions, laboratory upgrades and a new library wing.” Earlier: Principal, ICSE secondary school in a semi-urban district. Add a one-line description of the organisation if it is not widely known, then three to six bullets that pair duties with outcomes; two to three pages in total is normal.
Education and qualifications
M.Ed. (Educational Leadership), State university. Give the qualification and institution, then a separate “Licences and certifications” heading for anything the role requires.
Licences and certifications
CBSE principals’ leadership programme; POCSO and child protection policy training; School safety and disaster management course.
Referees
Finish with two referees (name, job title, organisation, phone and email) or “Referees available on request”.
