Need help writing an academic resume? Not to worry; we'll help you find different ways to compose academic resumes that will grab the attention of recruiters. If you're applying to a Ph.D. program, looking to be a research assistant, or planning to teach at the college level, employers may request that you submit a CV instead. There are some key differences between a CV and a resume you'll want to know.
If you're still sure you need to write a resume, stick with us. We've reviewed hundreds of academic resumes and highlighted common mistakes job seekers make. We've used this information to create the perfect resume for applicants in various academic fields and practices.
Whether you're looking for a job as an academic advisor or wanting to advance your research or student career, we'll show you the best resume-writing practices for this profession. Here are five of the best academic resume samples that worked in 2023.
Why this resume works
Why this resume works
Why this resume works
Why this resume works
Why this resume works
No matter where you are in your academic career, we can walk you through in four easy steps how to write your own academic resume. As you work through these steps, you'll find the academic resume samples above will help you stay on track and give you the inspiration you need to make your own.
Use a reverse-chronological format to list experience, volunteer efforts, and personal and academic projects. If you’re between early high school or post-graduate school, we bet you have academic and personal projects, like research, internships, mentoring, volunteering, etc. that you can talk about in reverse-chronological order. Functional and combo formats are tempting, but a reverse timeline will give recruiters the best insight into your skills and what you offer.
Especially if pursuing higher education, list the school, degree, and year you earned the degree in your academic resume. If you’re still studying, set the date to the anticipated graduation year. List relevant courses to your degree plan. For example, if you’re a Biology major wanting a research assistant position, Biology of Mammalian Cells and Tissues would be a relevant course. You can also include a high GPA as well as honors, awards, and affiliations.
Briefly explain how the skills you’ve gained from your academic background (UCLA graduate with 3+ years of assisting and supervising biological research) couple well with the role (collaborate with a multi-disciplinarian team in life-science research) you’re seeking at a specific organization. As you read a company’s job ad, what qualities and traits are important for the role that resonate with you? Let that be your springboard to write a customized career objective.
Share results whether the work you’ve done has been paid work, volunteer work, or even class projects. For example, maybe you volunteered to mentor students at a tutor center. Rather than say you developed lessons or communicated with parents, discuss outcomes that speak to your abilities. “Worked one on one with students to improve math scores by one letter grade” or “increased student enrollment by 8% with new referral program” speaks volumes about your work!
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