Academia has its own set of values and expectations. The challenge is that they differ depending on seniority.
The following is not exhaustive, but it should contain the most essential elements for creating a winning CV:
The Fundamental Idea of CVs
An academic CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a comprehensive overview of your educational and professional journey.
Academic CVs can be very basic - there are more colorful or two-column options, but in contrast to a résumé, it is much more common to keep it very simple. However, a little color and strategic white space can be advantageous. Access templates like the one on the left or right.
While a résumé is tailored to demonstrate your fit for a single specific position, an academic CV is more exhaustive (just as we discussed).
Essentially, it highlights your academic achievements and future potential.
What Belongs in Your CV
The main goal of an academic CV is to present a clear and well-structured overview of your professional trajectory.
Your CV should prove that you have the potential for that role. Of course, the factors above should only serve as inspiration, they are not exhaustive; for example, one could add international experience under the “additionally expected” factors. In essence, it’s about attitude for junior scientists, curiosity and skills for mid-career researchers, and impact in the field for senior scientists.
However, whereas a résumé is usually 1–2 pages long, a CV can already be 3 pages for students and extend up to 10 pages for senior scientists:
Contact Information Full name, institutional affiliation, professional email address, phone number (optional), website, LinkedIn profile, ORCID, Google Scholar profile.
Summary/Motivational Statement (Optional but advisable) A brief section outlining your key qualifications, goals, and motivation for your interest in the position.
Education Degree name, institution, dates of study (month and year), grade, thesis or dissertation title, relevant coursework (optional).
Research Positions Academic positions held (e.g., research assistant, postdoctoral researcher, professor), institution and department, dates of employment, and a brief description of responsibilities and research focus.
Publications Peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, preprints. If extensive, publications can be subdivided into first-author publications, co-authored publications, and submitted/under-review papers.
Teaching Experience Courses taught (with institution and role, i.e., lecturer, teaching assistant, guest lecturer), supervision of students.
Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships Funding received, awarding body, dates, and amount.
Awards and Honors Academic awards, travel grants, prizes, distinctions.
Professional Memberships and Affiliations Research societies, professional organizations, editorial board memberships, honorary positions.
Languages Languages spoken and proficiency levels (preferably with certification; otherwise consider distinguishing reading, writing, and speaking).
Interests and Hobbies (Optional) Especially for juniors: personal interests, extracurricular activities, community involvement.
Senior Scientists: Publications, ability to secure funding, impact in the field, possessing a strong network.
This, of course, is a fluid transition.
Especially when moving to a PhD or postdoc position, methodological expertise, expert knowledge in a field, independence, and building a network become increasingly important.
Therefore, add everything that is relevant for assessing your capabilities and contributions to the field.
While you don’t want to include fluff (such as every single conference you attended) ask yourself what truly counts in academia:
Fellowships show that committees believed in your skills.
Memberships demonstrate that you have a network.
Grants prove that you can secure funding.
Personally, I always added a “Methods” section when applying for Master’s and PhD positions, where I outlined which methods and instruments I was able to work with.
And here, once again it’s about finding the right solution for you. Be creative, but double-check whether your idea makes sense. For example, letting your future lab know that you can use and analyze MS (MALDI & ESI) and that you have basic experience using HPLC can be exactly what they want to know. However, highlight and structure your skills properly. Adding skills such as PCR can be useful when applying for Bachelor’s or Master’s positions, but they shouldn’t overshadow more unique skills. Sometimes, channels like Reddit can be a good source of inspiration as well.
Similarly, outlining collaborations you have initiated can be valuable. Again, the more senior you get, the more accomplishments and prestige you will want to be able to show.
How to Phrase Your Contents
While an academic CV is about you as a person, it should still be persuasive.
The Cambridge guide includes a helpful graphic with ideas for phrasing, which they adopted from the Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service. Furthermore, it provides a list of common skills requested in industry and explains how they can be related to academia. You can use this list in reverse or draw inspiration from it if you’d like to include more technical terms in your CV to set yourself apart - but be careful not to overdo it.
Therefore, highlighting key information relevant to the position you are applying for can set you apart.
In your education and work experience sections, add one to three bullet points that provide more information about your topic, the methods you used, and how your work impacted the field or generated new knowledge.
Especially for senior scientists, it is important to clearly show how your work has impacted the field and that you can secure funding.
Beyond that, explicitly list any specialized expertise (e.g., coding skills or contributions to professional societies).
Adding short explanations can also be helpful for memberships, qualifications, and presentations to provide context as to why these achievements are significant.
However, CVs are long, and your reader will not have much time.
I took this example from Zety because it perfectly highlights how a CV can easily feel visually overwhelming. Yes, you can get away with more in a CV than in a résumé, but even basic formatting can help ensure you don’t get overlooked right away.
Therefore, invest in creating a clean layout: Using bold and larger headlines, placing each aspect on a new line, and adding bullet points for explanations can greatly improve scannability.
Some Personal Tips
Don’t overanalyze. There is no single right approach when it comes to academic applications.
Still, writing an academic CV is much easier than writing a résumé.
Overall, there is no need to be overly concise. If in doubt, lean toward being exhaustive, because academia values potential, development, and transferable skills.
If you are uncertain whether to include the three seminars you attended because they demonstrate that you went deep into your research topic, include them. However, how you do it matters - therefore, here’s a helpful YouTube video to give you an idea of how to edit your CV. I recommend it because the presenter provides appropriately nitpicky feedback that helps you become aware of all the relevant details.
Again, it is about proving initiative and establishment in the field.
Remember that expectations vary, both geographically and depending on the specific position.
While more senior positions often require a research statement or plan, in the United States you might also be asked for a teaching philosophy.
If you are not required to provide letters of recommendation, check whether you should include references in your CV.
> PS: My tips if you want to polish your CV: pursue internships to learn new methods, volunteer in professional societies, or take online courses to develop new skills.
In Summary: What's a Good CV?
It features a clear layout and design
Avoids large blocks of text; stick to bullet points (2–3 lines max)
Clearly communicates what you are able to do and your contributions to the field
Still, think beyond education - which memberships or scholarships demonstrate your value?
If you want to stand out, get inspired by industry CVs/résumés (quantify achievements, focus more on relevant items, and include key points from the job advertisement/program description, grant amounts, or key publications in your summary)
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