CV/Resume Building

As a PhD student, crafting a strong CV or resume is essential, whether you plan to stay in academia or transition into industry. This guide breaks down the key differences between these documents, how to structure them effectively, and best practices for maximizing impact.

CV vs. Resume: Understanding the Differences

Before diving into structure, it is important to understand the distinctions between a CV and a resume:

Structuring your CV (for Academia)

This is an example of how to structure your CV. While the page count is technically unlimited, keeping it to two pages is best, especially when you are starting out.

Header

  • Full Name

  • Contact Information (Email, Phone)

  • LinkedIn (if applicable)

Research Interests (Optional)

A brief section highlighting your main areas of study.

Education

  • Degree, University, Graduation Year

  • Dissertation Title & Advisor (if applicable)

Research Experience

  • Institution, Role, Dates

  • Description of research, methodologies used, and key findings

Publications

  • Peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, preprints

Conference Presentations

  • Oral and poster presentations at scientific meetings

Teaching & Mentoring

  • Teaching Assistant roles, workshops, student mentorship

Awards & Grants

  • Fellowships, travel grants, research funding

Professional Service

  • Committees, journal reviewing, leadership roles

Skills

  • Technical skills, software expertise, languages

Structuring Your Resume (for Industry)

This is an example of how to structure your resume to keep it clean and easy to read.

Header

  • Full Name

  • Contact Information (Email, Phone)

  • LinkedIn (Highly Recommended)

Professional Summary: A 2-3 sentence summary of your expertise and career goals, tailored to the job description.

Key Skills: A bullet-point list of relevant technical and transferable skills based on the job description.

Experience: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to highlight impact in past roles.

  • Example: "Led a cross-functional team to analyze clinical data, resulting in a 30% improvement in data accuracy."

Education: Concise listing of degrees without excessive detail.

Certifications (if applicable): Relevant training and certifications.

Adapting Your CV & Resume for Industry vs. Academia

  • Industry resumes should emphasize results, collaboration, and business relevance.

  • Academic CVs should focus on research depth, publications, and teaching.

  • Example: A research experience bullet point written for both formats.

Academic CV

Investigated the role of “x” in “y”, resulting “z”.

Industry Resume

Used “x” techniques to analyze “y”, providing key insights for “z”.

Writing Strong Bullet Points with the STAR Method

  • Situation: Context of the task.

  • Task: What needed to be done.

  • Action: Steps taken.

  • Result: Outcome and impact.

Weak Example:

"Worked on a research project about neurovascular coupling."

Strong Example:

"Designed and executed experiments on neurovascular coupling, leading to a high-impact publication and improved understanding of cerebral blood flow regulation."

Tips

    • Use keywords directly from job descriptions.

    • Avoid tables and excessive formatting that may confuse ATS.

    • Save as a PDF unless instructed otherwise.

    • Submitting a CV when a resume is required.

    • Making industry resumes too long (should be 1-2 pages max).

    • Listing responsibilities instead of achievements.

    • Ignoring transferable skills and leadership experience.

    • Free Templates: Websites like Zety and Overleaf for LaTeX CVs.

    • Resume Checkers: Tools like Grammarly, Jobscan, and Enhancv.

    • Formatting Guides: Best fonts, layout strategies, and readability tips.

    • Use professional fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman) in size 10-12.

    • Ensure clear section headings and bullet points.

    • Get feedback from mentors, peers, or career services.

    • Avoid typos by proofreading multiple times.