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Head of Department CV example

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Becoming the head of your chosen department can be a very exciting and rewarding next step in your teaching career.

If you’re ready to make the move, you need to prepare a professional CV that effectively showcases your educational background and skills.

Our comprehensive guide, complete with an example head of department CV,  will help you to carefully craft a strong application.

 

 

Head of Department CV example

Head of Department CV-1

Head of Department CV-2

 

This a good example of a Head of Department CV which contains all of the information that an employer would need to know, and presents it in a well- structured, easy-to-read manner.

Take some time to look at this CV and refer to it throughout the writing of your own CV for best results.

 

Head of Department CV structure and format

If you focus on the written content of your CV but ignore how it actually looks, your efforts could end up wasted.

No matter how suitable you are for the role, no recruiter wants to spend time squinting and trying to navigate a badly designed and disorganised CV.

Instead, make sure to organise your content into a simple structure and spend some time formatting it for ease of reading – it’ll get you in recruiter’s good books from the get-go!

 

CV structure

 

Formatting Tips

  • Length: Think that submitting a five page CV will impress recruiters? You’re wrong! Even if you’ve got tons of experience to brag about, recruiters don’t have time to read through overly detailed CVs. Keep it short, concise and relevant – a CV length of 2 sides of A4 pages or less is perfect.
  • Readability: Make sure your CV is easy to read and looks professional by applying some simple formatting tricks. Bullet points are great for making large paragraphs more digestible, while formatting your headings with bold or coloured text will help the reader to find the information they need, with speed.
  • Design: Your CV needs to look professional, sleek and easy to read. A subtle colour palette, clear font and simple design are generally best for this, as fancy designs are often harder to navigate.
  • Avoid photos: If your CV has photos, images or profile pictures, hit the delete button. They’re not needed and won’t add any value to your applications.

 

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Structuring your CV

Divide your CV into the following major sections when writing it:

  • Name and contact details – Head your CV with your name and contact details, to let the reader know who you are and how to contact you.
  • CV profile – A brief paragraph which summarises your skills and experience and highlights why you’re a good match for the role.
  • Core skills list – A snappy, bullet-pointed list of your most relevant skills.
  • Work experience – A structured list of your work experience in reverse chronological order.
  • Education – A summary of any relevant qualifications or professional training you’ve completed.
  • Hobbies and interests – An optional section, which should only be used if your hobbies are relevant to the jobs you’re applying to.

 

Now I’ll guide you through exactly what you should include in each CV section.

 

CV Contact Details

Contact details

 

Begin by sharing your contact details, so it’s easy for schools or colleges to give you a call.
Keep to the basics, such as:

  • Mobile number
  • Email address – It should sound professional, with no slang or nicknames. Make a new one for your job applications if necessary.
  • Location – Simply share your vague location, for example ‘Manchester’, rather than a full address.
  • LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Remember to update them before you send your application.

 

Head of Department CV Profile

Recruiters and hiring managers are busy, so it’s essential to catch their attention from the get-go.

A strong introductory profile (or personal statement, for junior candidates) at the top of the CV is the first thing they’ll read, so it’s a great chance to make an impression.

It should be a short but punchy summary of your key skills, relevant experience and accomplishments.

Ultimately, it should explain why you’re a great fit for the role you’re applying for and inspire recruiters to read the rest of your CV.

 

CV profile

 

Tips for creating an impactful CV profile:

  • Keep it brief: It might be tempting to submit a page-long CV profile, but recruiters won’t have the time to read it. To ensure every word gets read, it’s best to include high-level information only; sticking to a length of 3-5 lines.
  • Tailor it: Recruiters can spot a generic, mass-produced CV at a glance – and they certainly won’t be impressed! Before you write your profile (and CV as a whole), read through the job advert and make a list of any skills, knowledge and experience required. You should then incorporate your findings throughout your profile and the rest of your CV.
  • Don’t add an objective: Want to talk about your career goals and objectives? While the profile may seem like a good space to do so, they’re actually much better suited to your cover letter.
  • Avoid cliches: If your CV is riddled with clichès like “Dynamic thought-leader”, hit that delete button. Phrases like these are like a broken record to recruiters, who read them countless times per day. Hard facts, skills, knowledge and results are sure to yield far better results.

 

What to include in your Head of Department CV profile?

  • Summary of experience: To give employers an idea of your capabilities, show them your track record by giving an overview of the types of schools you have worked for in the past and the roles you have carried out for previous employers – but keep it high level and save the details for your experience section.
  • Relevant skills: Make your most relevant Head of Department key skills clear in your profile. These should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for – so make sure to check the job description first, and aim to match their requirements as closely as you can.
  • Essential qualifications: Be sure to outline your relevant Head of Department qualifications, so that anyone reading the CV can instantly see you are qualified for the jobs you are applying to.

Quick tip: If spelling and grammar are not a strong point of yours, Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to add pre-written content that has been created by recruitment experts, and proofread by our team.

 

Core skills section

Underneath your profile, create a core skills section to make your most relevant skills jump off the page at readers.

It should be made up of 2-3 columns of bullet points of your relevant skills.

Before you do this, look over the job description and make a list of any specific skills, specialisms or knowledge required.

Then, make sure to use your findings in your list. This will paint you as the perfect match for the role.

 

Core skills section CV

 

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Work experience/Career history

Next up is your work experience section, which is normally the longest part of your CV.

Start with your current (or most recent) job and work your way backwards through your experience.

Can’t fit all your roles? Allow more space for your recent career history and shorten down descriptions for your older roles.

Work experience

Structuring your roles

Recruiters will be keen to gain a better idea of where you’ve worked and how you apply your skill-set in the workplace.

However, if they’re faced with huge, hard-to-read paragraphs, they may just gloss over it and move onto the next application.

To avoid this, use the simple 3-step role structure, as shown below:

Role descriptions
Outline

Start with a 1-2 sentence summary of your role as a whole, detailing what the goal of your position was, who you reported to or managed, and the type of organisation you worked for.

 

Key responsibilities

Using easy-to-read bullet points, note down your day-to-day responsibilities in the role.

Make sure to showcase how you used your hard sector skills and knowledge.

 

Key achievements

Finish off by showcasing 1-3 key achievements made within the role.

This could be anything that had a positive effect on your company, clients or customers, such as saving time or money, receiving exemplary feedback or receiving an award.

 

Education

At the bottom of your CV is your full education section. You can list your formal academic qualifications, such as:

  • Degree
  • GCSE’s
  • A levels

As well as any specific Head of Department qualifications that are essential to the jobs you are applying for.

Note down the name of the qualification, the organisation at which you studied, and the date of completion.

 

Interests and hobbies

The hobbies and interests CV section isn’t mandatory, so don’t worry if you’re out of room by this point.

However, if you have an interesting hobby, or an interest that could make you seem more suitable for the role, then certainly think about adding.

Be careful what you include though… Only consider hobbies that exhibit skills that are required for roles as a Head of Department, or transferable workplace skills.

There is never any need to tell employers that you like to watch TV and eat out.

 

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Essential skills for your Head of Department CV

Tailoring your CV to the roles you are applying for is key to success, so make sure to read through the job descriptions and tailor your skills accordingly.

However, commonly desired Head of Department skills include:

  • Leadership – As head of department you’ll need to be an active member of the faculty and be able to effectively lead your team and other members of your department.
  • Management skills –  You need to ensure all members of your department have the necessary support and resources to enable them to do their jobs effectively.
  • Teaching skills – Though you are the head of department, you’ll still be teaching pupils some of the time, therefore strong teaching skills are a must! For example, subject knowledge and communication.
  • Budgeting – You will be responsible for setting, spending and managing budgets for your department.
  • Delegation and organisation – This is a demanding role and requires you to be organised at all times and have the ability to delegate tasks to ensure all work and teaching is completed to the highest standard.

 

 

Writing your Head of Department CV

A strong, compelling CV is essential to get noticed and land interviews with the best employers.

To ensure your CV stands out from the competition, make sure to tailor it to your target role and pack it with sector-specific skills and results.

Remember to triple-check for spelling and grammar errors before hitting send.

Good luck with the job search!