Format and Layout of Resumes for Academics

When to Use a Resume?

This resource shows the common headings typically included in resumes for doctoral students who are transitioning into industry roles. If you’re applying for positions in industry for which a Ph.D. isn’t necessarily required, then you’ll likely want to use a resume. For most non-research oriented, non-academic jobs, you will want to use a resume that is one or two pages. When creating your resume put your strengths first as it applies to the role you are applying to. Unlike CVs that are more comprehensive, “resumes give a strategic, targeted and concise overview of the most relevant skills, achievements and experiences that relate to the particular career or position to which you’re applying” (CV vs. Resume Guide, 2023).

What is the Appropriate Format for a Resume?

Two-page resumes are generally accepted in industry for Master’s and Doctoral students, but with a caveat:

• If you have enough relevant content (research, internships, projects, leadership, technical skills), a second page is fine. Many advanced students simply can’t fit their experience on one page without cutting important material.
• If your second page is filler (lists of coursework, very old jobs, redundant details), employers may see it as lack of focus. In that case, stick to a one-page resume.
• If a Ph.D. is a requirement of the role, or you are being recruited because of your Ph.D., than a two-page resume is fine.

*Depending on your intended reader, your resume will likely go into less detail on the specifics of your research, presentations, publications and teaching topics. Instead, it will highlight the transferable and relevant skills you developed through this work.

Stick to a common font like Arial, Cambria or Calibri. Font size should be between 10- and 12-point, and kept consistent throughout the document. There are many formats you may use, but it is important to be comfortable with your final document. For further resume tips visit our Career Guide (pg. 6).

You can find our Downloadable/Editable Resume and CV Templates here.

Typical Sections in a Resume:

Based on the role and industry you are applying to, you may need to include additional sections and re-arrange your headings. List your professional experience or your degree first, depending on which is most important for a specific position.

Tip: If you go to 2 pages, make sure the most relevant and compelling information is on page 1, since hiring managers often skim only the first page.

Contact Information

Be sure to include:
● Your full name.
● Your personal email address.
● Your phone number where you can be reached.
● Optional items: your street or mailing address, link to portfolio/sample work/LinkedIn profile

Professional Summary and Key Skills (Optional)

This is recommended for recent doctoral graduates who don’t have many years of experience in the industry. This summary shows the hiring manager your significant achievements, relevant skills and the value you can offer the company. It may help the hiring professional see why you may be the right fit for the position.

Be sure to include:
● 2 to 3 sentence description of your work experience.
● Use appropriate terminology for the career field.
● A list of 3 to 4 top skills relevant to the position.

Does Work Experience or Education Come First in a Resume?

For industry roles:
Employers typically value experience more than education. That’s why most resumes for industry jobs put Experience first, especially if you have relevant internships, jobs, or projects.

For early-career candidates (new graduates, Ph.D./MA students with little direct industry experience):
You might put Education first, since that may be your strongest asset at the moment. But as soon as you have meaningful work or applied project experience, that section should move up.

Relevant Work Experience

Be sure to include:
● Experiences and projects in reverse chronological order.
● A summary for each position that highlights your responsibilities.
● Keywords and action verbs.
● Bullet points (Impact Statements) to show HOW you applied your skills with
success. These should be specific and highlight a variety of skills.
● Be specific or quantify your achievement when possible.
● Avoid descriptions that repeat

*Remember that teaching and research experience (e.g. academic projects, your thesis, teaching assistantships, etc.) can be included here when you do not have professional work experience. However, these experiences should be presented in a bullet point format answering questions like: Who? What? When? Why? How? How many? How often? Results? Check out our Career Guide (pg. 8).

Education

Be sure to include:
● Education in reverse chronological order.
● School (town), degree, field
● Dates you attended/graduated or expected date of graduation if within the last 5 years.

You can also list your cumulative GPA and honors/awards earned in the education section.

Other Typical Sections

Based on your experience and relevance you can include sections on leadership, research, publications (include only selected publications), honors and awards, volunteer experience, skills, and language.

Works Cited:

CV vs. Resume Guide (2023). Princeton University, Center for Career Development.

Workbook for Finding and Applying to Jobs (2024). Beyond the Professoriate.