How to Write a CV as a Graduate Student
One of the most difficult parts about applying for a job, internship, or research program is actually sitting down to write a CV. You probably haven’t been writing down all of your accomplishments as you have gone through graduate school. So it’s completely understandable that writing a CV can feel overwhelming.
If you are like I was as a graduate student, you probably only have the resume you used to get into graduate school. And now that you are in, all of your undergraduate accomplishments are irrelevant. Great.
But don’t worry, it’s best to start from scratch anyway.
Let’s start with the format and content that you need to create a standout CV for whatever job you are applying for.
Formatting Do’s and Don’ts of an Academic CV
Do’s:
Do use 1 inch margins on all for edges of your CV.
Do use 12 point font for the content of your CV.
Do using single-spacing.
Do write your name at the top of your CV in either 14 or 16 point font.
Don’ts:
Don’t use multiple font styles.
Don’t use italics for anything other than journal and book titles.
Don’t center any lines of your CV, other than the heading.
Don’t use any accomplishments from your undergraduate years. (This one is not a formatting tip, but it needed to be mentioned.)
The Heading of an Academic CV
In the heading of your CV, you should include your first and last name in either 14 or 16 point font. Also, include the words “Curriculum Vitae” right below your name. It’s also best to include either your school or home address, email address, and phone number.
The Categories of an Academic CV
Below, I have listed a few of the most common categories found on a CV. Don’t worry if you don’t have any accomplishments in certain categories yet. You definitely do not need this many. I think I only had 6 or 7 of these on my CV when I was applying for jobs.
Education
Employment
Publications
Awards/Honors
Grants/Fellowships
Invited Talks
Conference Activity
Teaching Experience
Service
Extra-curricular activities
Community Involvement
Professional Memberships
What Search Committees Notice
I thought that it would also be helpful to mention things that I had on my CV that search committees noticed and asked me about during interviews.
If you actually taught classes, make sure that it is clear. As a graduate student, I attended a program called the BFF (Building Future Faculty) Program at North Carolina State University. One of the most helpful experiences during that program was that I was able to get feedback on my CV from a professor in my field. So, we went over each part of my CV and he gave me feedback. One of the things that stood out was my “Teaching Experience” Category.
I had listed that I was a GTA and gave details about the courses that I taught and he asked why I was trying to make it seem like I actually taught those classes that I listed. Of course I was confused. But I didn’t want to be rude about saying that I did teach those classes.
Apparently he thought that I was grader or ran recitation sections for those classes that I taught. He suggested that I use language other than “Graduate Teaching Assistant” and state that I was the Instructor of Record for the course because, apparently, it isn’t that common for graduate students to teach as many classes as I had.
Meeting with this professor was so valuable to me and it really gave me a good idea of what an academic CV should look like as a graduate student. That’s why I offer a service where I provide graduate students with feedback on their CVs. If you’re interested, join The Academic Society and email me about it!
Another thing that stood out was interesting extracurricular/service projects. I was a member of the Graduate Student Association and each year we would put on an event called “Night at the Museum”. During this event, each department would set up a booth to teach children about their areas of study using fun themes like Pirate Night and Safari Night.
I actually got questions about this event (very small part of my CV) from multiple search committees.
The smallest things can help you stand out to a search committee. If you are ready to start writing your CV, I’ll be hosting a workshop that will walk you through the process of writing or updating your CV so that it stands out to a search committee.
