Writing a CV requires specialized skills because you have to be proficient in writing it accurately, and you need to downplay the weaknesses and instead highlight the strengths. Providing a CV is often necessary, but the most important use of CV is for admission to academic centers, so we only look at CV applications for educational purposes and its use as an academic CV for admission or employment at university. In this article, we show you how to write an academic CV step by step. Here is a quick guide to writing an academic CV.
What is a CV?
To write a good CV, you must know what a CV is. The CV, derived from the words curriculum vitae, literally means “course of life,” refers to your academic and work history from the beginning to the present. A CV is a multi-page document that contains personal information, educational background, work history, scientific and research activities, awards, honors, scientific publications and articles, and so on.
What to include in an academic CV?
The arrangement of information and details you include in your CV is somewhat flexible, and ultimately your choice. But the best CVs will be the ones that show the applicant’s interests and competencies. To prepare an academic CV that positively influences on any member of an admission committee, list the information and details in the following order:
1- Personal details
Enter your full name, residence address, mobile number, and email address. You can even include your Linkedin webpage address in this section, as well. Place all of this information either at the top-center or top-left of the first page. There is no need to include your full address. Just list your city and country. Also, avoid entering information such as date of birth.
2-Personal statement (optional)
Use 1-3 sentences to summarize your personal information, and state your interests, qualifications, and achievements. This section helps the reader to pay more attention to your CV. It is better to express your interests in keywords.
3-Education
The purpose of this section is to state your educational backgrounds in detail separately. In this section, write a list of the institutions in which you have studied in reverse chronological order. Mention the name of the institution, the location, the type of degree you received, your major, and the duration of study at each degree. If you have passed your dissertation, mention the title and the name of your supervisor.
4- Work experiences
Write any professional work experiences relevant to your academic background in reverse chronological order.
5- Academic employment
In this section, mention your academic employment history with details. Academic employment includes any teaching, research, administrative, and advising experiences in academic centers. List the title of the position, name of the academic center, and years you held the position for each academic employment.
6- Publications
Make a list of any books, chapters, reports, patents, articles that you have published in domestic and/or foreign journals, and scientific texts along with your role and the details of the publication in chronological order.
Study suggestion: What is the SOP?
7- Conference attendance
List any conferences, events, and seminars that you have attended or invited, whether as a key-note speaker or presenter. Write the title of the presentation, the name of the conference or event, place, and date.
8- Awards
In this section, you should list all the awards and honors that you have gained in your life and education in chronological order. The awards include scholarships, bursaries, grants, fellowships, funds, etc. Write the name of the awards, the organizations and the awarding institutions, and the date of the award.
9- Skills
Use this section to talk about your skills. Computational, administrative, team-working, time-management, communication, languages, and transferable skills are some attributes and traits worthy of mention in this section.
10- Memberships
You should mention any memberships in scientific associations, professional societies, and research groups in this section. Belonging to formal and professional society shows that you are willing to work outside the university environment to pursue your interests. Mention the name of the group, membership date, and any leadership position or other roles you have held.
11- Research interests
Make a list of your research interests in keywords here.
12- References
It is common to introduce individuals as references at the end of the CV. You can name at last five people who can confirm your competency. It is better to name people who have a university position. Write the name of the references, job title, phone number, and email address.
Tips
- Organize your CV in a way that fits the position.
- The best CVs will be the ones that show the applicant’s interests and competencies.
- After completing your CV, you need to make sure that your CV is error-free. A CV should be reviewed at least three or four times before to be sent. An editor can help to do this.
- Keep your CV up to date.
- Do not use unusual font types and abnormal sizes.
- Write real and accurate information in your CV.
- Avoid colorful backgrounds.
Remember that no matter how compelling your academic CV content is, if its structure is not simple and fluent for committee members, they will probably stop reading it.
Study suggestion: resume writing