Toggle navigationOpen menu
Career Planning Guide

Career Planning Guide

Academic CVs

Academic CVs have a specialised format. The best place to start to learn about how to write an academic CV is the Vitae website: Creating an effective academic CV. They also have examples of different academic CVs, which can be useful for inspiration and for use as a template for how to structure the CV. The Prospects website also has Academic CV Guidelines and examples, which you might find useful.

There is no set rule for the order that you include the information but, as with any CV, you should tailor it to the position, so highlight your most relevant skills and experience first. For example, if it’s a teaching position, showcase your teaching experience – don’t leave it until the last section, buried under research, funding awards and conferences.

Like a standard CV, you should include information in reverse chronological order: so the most recent stuff goes first. It is not a story and should never read like one!

It is generally expected that you will include:

  • Education – including a brief description of your doctoral research (including the names of your supervisors, your university, and projected submission date)
  • Publications (peer reviewed)
  • Publications (other: for example book reviews and articles)
  • Editorial positions
  • Awards and Research Funding (if you are a funded student, include the full amount here, e.g. ‘South West & Wales Doctoral Training Partnership: approx. £56,244’)
  • Conference papers
  • Teaching in Higher Education
  • Departmental activity/contribution to the wider academic community
  • Professional qualifications and training
  • Public engagement experience
  • Other administrative experience

You can see why an academic CV is longer than a normal CV! That’s why it is particularly important to make your layout and formatting super clear and easy to read.

Once you’ve drafted your academic CV, make sure you haven’t made any of the 10 irritating mistakes in academic CVs listed in this Guardian article!

See also: Why and how you should tailor your CV for a job application and this Academic CV Checklist from the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Sheffield.

 

IconWe value your feedback, and would appreciate it if you could take 2 minutes to give us some feedback on this resource

×