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You spend all day writing for academia, then on top of that you have to write an academic CV! Relax. We make it easy with a simple guide to this unique format.
Academia is a world unto itself. This is as true for academic recruitment as it is for every other facet of academic life. Applying for other jobs follows a predictable pattern. Write a CV with a personal statement, work experience, education, skills and you’re done.
But an academic CV is a different beast altogether. It’s longer and more complex for a start, but you’re about to learn everything you need to know about this unique format. And when we’re done you’ll be able to apply for academic posts, research positions, grants, fellowships and conferences with ease.
Read on and you’ll see professional academic CV examples you can adjust and make yours. Plus, you’ll learn an easy formula for writing a CV for academic posts that will land you 10x more interviews than any other CV you’ve written in the past.
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Academic CV made with our builder—See more templates and create your CV here.
Looking for more general CV writing advice or guides for other roles? Read more here:
Now, here’s how to write an academic CV:
An academic CV is a document showcasing your teaching and research experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations, awards and funding. It has to show all the details of your experience that show you’re the best candidate for academic posts and research positions.
An academic CV is based on the standard chronological CV format, with extra academic sections bolted on. The end result looks very different from the standard format though. Your maximum CV length is no longer limited to two pages for example. But that said, you should always be concise and relevant and a 4–5 page limit is often recommended.
There’s no set layout for the order of your academic CV sections. Ultimately you can adapt the order and omit sections to suit your needs and tailor your application to specific jobs. But there is a list of sections that are generally included in a UK academic CV. Here they are.
The following sections are typical for an academic CV:
Feel free to use this section order, but as I mentioned, the academic component is not set in stone. Do however start with contact details, profile and education, and end with languages and referees.
Pro Tip: Struggling to decide what order to put your academic CV sections in? Put your most impressive and prestigious achievements first.
As an academic you uphold rigorous standards in the way your work is presented and expect perfection from what students present to you in turn. Recruiters expect exactly the same when you apply for academic jobs. Here’s what you need to do.
Read more: CV Layout: How to Lay out a Professional CV
This part is simple. You need to include your full contact information in your academic curriculum vitae header.
In the contact information section, enter your:
And you don’t need to write ‘Curriculum Vitae’ in your header. It’s more of an American tradition and let’s be honest, a bit redundant too. Sort of like wearing a t-shirt with the slogan ‘t-shirt’ written on it.
An academic CV personal statement, or personal profile is like a research paper abstract. It’s a short paragraph that sums up your CV and it has to grab the reader’s attention. You’ve got to prove your worth for the role in just 3–4 sentences. Sounds scary I know, but all you need to do is answer 3 questions.
And to answer those questions, do this.
This section should always be left until last, it’s much easier to summarise your achievements and career when it’s all laid out in front of you. And as this can be one of the toughest sections of your academic CV to write, I’ve included two samples to inspire you.
MA student in English Literature at University of Aberystwyth, graduated BA with 1st-class honours and set to receive distinction for master’s thesis. Seeking to extend knowledge gained through MS thesis on the literature of Prussia and a year spent studying at the University of Leipzig. Aim to undertake research for PhD thesis regarding the influence and interplay of 19th century German versus English popular literature.
Now that’s a PhD application that’ll pique interest! Now for a personal statement for a lecturer role.
Passionate researcher and lecturer with 10+ years experience in the field of English literature. Experienced in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students including supervision of MA and PhD theses. Author of two books focussing on the legacy of the Southern Gothic genre on contemporary literature and media. Regular contributor of paper and poster conference presentations in the UK and abroad.
Another eye catching introduction. Now for a personal statement for a masters application.
BSc student in Psychology at University of Exeter, on course to graduate with first-class honours. Aiming to pursue an MSc in Social and Organisational Psychology and benefit from working with Exeter’s world-class team of researchers. Looking to undertake research in the effects of prosocial behaviour on societal cohesion.
Read more: How to Write a CV Personal Statement: Example of CV Profiles
You’re writing a CV for academic jobs, this section is absolutely crucial. Get it wrong and it’s like graduating with a third instead of a first. And let’s face it, we’d all prefer a Geoff to a Vorderman! Here’s what you need to include.
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So far so good, and pretty similar to a garden variety CV for a job application. But now it’s time to include your specialised academic CV sections. As I mentioned before, if a particular section doesn’t apply to you then just omit it and move on to the next.
Use this section to show off your achievements. It’s a hard-fought battle to win awards and funding and this is a great way of showing that your expertise in your field has been recognised.
This section does what it says on the tin. Here’s how to list your all-important teaching experience.
In this section, include post-doctoral, fellowship and research assistant roles that you’ve held. It’s also a great place to include greater detail about research you’ve conducted for your post-graduate degrees. And when writing your CV just follow the same structure as I’ve given for your teaching experience.
Follow the same structure as the preceding experience sections but this time include relevant administration experience. Include conferences, seminars and other academic groups/events that you’ve been responsible for organising. You can also list boards and committees you’ve sat on, anything that’s relevant and admin-based.
This section is incredibly important. Your published work is definitive proof of your prowess as an academic and researcher. Here’s how to get it right.
In this section, include any presentations of research information at conferences, seminars and exhibitions.
Simply list these, e.g. Royal Astronomical Society, British Association for Romantic Studies, Institute of Physics, etc. Also include your dates of membership, e.g. 2012–Present.
Name this section as is appropriate for your circumstances and list relevant skills. For example:
This section can simply be titled ‘Training’ and should list relevant teaching training, research methodology training or other relevant specialist training.
This isn’t a purely academic CV section, it works equally well for standard format CVs too. Regardless of what type of CV you’re writing, being bilingual can improve your job prospects. All you need to do is state the language and your level of proficiency. The best way of doing this is to use the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
References are optional for a standard CV but for an academic CV they’re a must-have. Here’s what you need to include:
And there’s another reason you need this section to be perfect. It’s often said that first impressions last, but research reveals that it’s last impressions that are most powerful. Plus it also functions as social proof of your academic prowess.
Read more: References on a CV
One last thing, there’s every chance you’ll need to write a cover letter to accompany your CV. Yes, cover letters are still important. One study revealed that more than half of employers still say they’re a must-have.
This is how to write a cover letter for academic jobs:
And that’s it. You’ve just completed your academic CV.
Read more: Cover Letter Format & Tips
As you’ve seen, the differences between a standard CV and a CV for academic jobs aren’t purely academic. Here’s a reminder of how to write an academic CV that’ll present you as a leader in your field.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Thanks for reading. Would you like to know more about specific academic situations like an academic CV for a master’s application? Need more help with your own UK academic CV template? Is there another type of example academic CV you want to see? Ask away in the comments section and I’ll be happy to help.
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