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CV for PhD Application: How to Write One Like a True Scholar (+CV Example)

• Klara Cervenanska , 
• Updated March 13, 2024 11 min read

A PhD is the highest level of academic qualification you can achieve. To secure your position, however, you first need an impressive CV for your PhD application.

Earning a PhD degree requires you to produce extensive research in a narrowly defined subject within a certain discipline and to make a considerable original contribution to your field.

Hence why PhD programs are always very selective. The admission rates hover around 10% and only about half of the admitted candidates actually finish the degree, according to a recent psychology research .

As a result, less than 1% of the population attains a PhD.

So, how do you become a part of the 1%?

The process of attaining a PhD starts with a strong application which includes an impressive academic CV .

A CV for PhD application needs to be carefully crafted, well formatted, and contain specific sections.

We'll show you how to craft a stellar PhD application CV, and a sample academic CV from a real person admitted to a PhD program in France.

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

What is an academic CV?

What to include in an academic cv for phd application.

• How to write an academic CV for a PhD application?

Tips on how to write a CV for PhD application

How to tailor your cv for different phd programs, phd cv example.

First, there are two types of career documents job seekers widely use. A resume and a Curriculum Vitae (CV).

These two documents are similar but not identical.

So, let's have a look at the key differences between a CV vs a resume :

• A resume is used when applying for a position in industry, non-profits, or the public sector. It should focus on skills and past experience while being tailored to a specific job position. The length of the document shouldn't be more than 1 or 2 pages.
• A curriculum vitae (CV) is used when applying for positions in academia, science, or medicine. It focuses on education, research background and scholarly accomplishments. Finally, its length depends on the number of references, publications, etc.

There are even more types of CVs. A general CV, an industry (professional) CV, or an academic (research) CV — which is exactly the one you'll need.

In a nutshell, an academic CV is a career document that provides extensive information about your educational and research background. Scholars and researchers use this document when applying for jobs in academia — such as a PhD application.

Lastly, an academic resume is a term you can often come across, too. To avoid any confusion, it's the same as an academic CV. A more appropriate term is, however, the latter.

Rules are important in academia. That's why all academic CVs usually follow pretty strict structures regarding their content and formatting.

First, let's have a look at the resume sections you should include in a CV for PhD application:

• Contact information. Include your full name, email, phone number, and location.
• (Research) objective. A concise, brief paragraph outlining your research plans and strategies.
• Education. It should form the bulk of your CV and detail you educational background.
• (Research) experience. Your research experience can often set you apart from other candidates.
• Publications. Include anything from journal articles, published reports, to your research dissertation.
• Awards. Mention all awards and accomplishments you’ve received in reverse chronological order.
• Skills. These should be relevant to the PhD project or show that you have what it takes to succeed as a researcher.
• References. Finally, try to include at least two references, such as your dissertation supervisor and one other member of staff.

Let's have a closer look at each of the 8 CV sections in the next chapter.

How to write an academic CV for a PhD application ?

Applying for a PhD will be a lot less stressful if you follow this quick guide on how to write a CV for a PhD application:

You should always start your CV or your resume by providing your contact details to form the CV header . Include your full name, your professional email address, and your mobile number. Additionally, you can include your location. However, we don't advise including your full home address for privacy reasons. Entering the country and city you reside in is usually enough. Since a CV is a bit different than a resume, we don't recommend including links to your social media .

Research objective is basically a brief paragraph at the beginning of your CV outlining your research plans, interests, and strategies. It paints a picture of you as a person and will guarantee that the admissions committee will be interested in reading and learning more about your professional background. Your research plans and strategies should align with the PhD project you're applying for. Hence, read the project description carefully and make sure to tailor your objective accordingly. Ideally, without making stuff up.

The education section should form the bulk of an academic CV. No one expects a potential PhD candidate to have 10 years of experience in the field. But what's expected is an appropriate educational background. A common practice is to list your education in a reverse chronological order. This means listing your Master's degree first and then a Bachelor's degree. For each degree, provide the full name of the degree, the type, its duration, the relevant courses and modules, the corresponding (or expected) marks, GPA , and any relevant projects or presentations. Also, include the name and the description of your final year dissertation project.

In this section, introduce all of the research projects you worked on, whether they were a part of your undergraduate degree, your master's degree, or you have undertaken this project elsewhere. You can include any voluntary , part-time , or full-time work experience you deem relevant for the PhD project of your choice. For instance, skip the part-time bartending job and rather include a teaching experience or a voluntary project you undertook.

Of course, it's okay if you don't have any publications yet. If that's the case, simply skip this section. However, if you do have any work published at this stage, list it in this section. The publications can include anything from journal articles, published reports, contributions to peer-reviewed journals, or an adaptation of your dissertation project. Make sure to check the citation style your institution or field prefers and use it consistently in your publications section. The most common ones are APA, MLA, and Chicago.

In this CV section, list relevant honors, achievements, or awards you earned for going beyond average — again in reversed chronological order. It includes scholarships, university fellowships, competitions, work-related awards, or academic awards . For instance, you can mention a very high GPA, subject-specific awards, or any grants you received. However, keep in mind that mentioning how much money was involved is only common in scientific fields.

The skills you mention in your academic CV should be relevant to the PhD project you're applying for or show that you have what it takes to succeed as a researcher. Between the two types of skills , hard and soft, hard skills are more appropriate to include in your CV for PhD application. Examples of hard skills include Python, data analysis, polymer synthesis, C++, Chem Draw, Ahrefs , languages, or other computer skills . However, completing a PhD degree usually also involves demonstrating your teaching abilities. For this reason, listing soft skills such as a good oral communication and presenting is also a good idea.

While a references section in a regular resume is pretty much redundant, in a CV for PhD application it's a must-have . Why? Well, having a person attest to your skills and achievements is a great way to leverage your professional experience. The person you ask should be articulate and in a reputable position. Your best bet is to ask your dissertation supervisor, a professor you had a good relationship with, or one who taught the subject most relevant for the desired PhD program. Finally, don't forget that your references have to agree with having their contact information shared, first. Read our quick guide on how do you ask someone to be your reference .

Apart from making sure the content of your CV is spot on, you should also follow some well-established formatting tips.

A clear layout and composition ensure your CV is professional and easy to read.

Here are a few tips to help you achieve that:

• Keep the formatting consistent. If you choose a certain font type and size, stick to it. The same goes for margins, spacing, and capitalization.
• Less is often more. It might be tempting to use bolding, italics, or underlining in order to make the document "easy" to read. However, an excessive use of these features actually has the exact opposite effect.
• Avoid long paragraphs. A CV is all about providing objective facts regarding your professional background. Hence, no need to provide generic statements or go into too much detail. And if you happen to write more text, you can always divide it using bullet points.
• Use professional language. It goes without saying, but don't use slang. Similarly, use professional jargon and abbreviations within reasonable limits.
• Don't limit yourself to one or two pages. The length of your academic CV depends on the number of publications, awards, references, and experiences. Unlike a resume, a CV is a complete summary of your academic and professional background.
• Convert your CV to PDF. Doing this considerably reduces the risk of compatibility and formatting issues. A PDF file keeps your formatting intact across various devices.

Too much to keep in mind? Kickresume's CV & resume builder can save you the headache and provides useful templates with appropriate formatting designed by career professionals.

When applying for different PhD programs, it's crucial to tailor your academic CV to suit each specific program. 

This doesn't just improve your chances of catching the eye of admissions committees ; it demonstrates your genuine interest and alignment with their goals. 

To effectively tailor your CV for different PhD programs, follow these three tips:

#1 Understand program requirements and values

How do you do that? Start with in-depth research about the PhD program:

• Visit the program's website
• Look at the curriculum
• Attend open days
• If possible, reach out to alumni 

Once you have a clear picture of the program's values and requirements, you can begin to customize your CV. 

For example: If a program emphasizes community outreach, you might highlight your involvement in science education for underprivileged youths or your participation in community-based research projects. 

This demonstrates not only your alignment with their values but also your active contribution to areas they care about.

#2 Emphasize transferable skills for PhD programs

This applies to people switching fields or applying to a program that isn't a direct continuation of your undergraduate degree. 

Let's say you're moving from a background in chemistry to a PhD in molecular biology. 

It's crucial to highlight how your analytical skills, understanding of chemical processes, and any lab work or research experience directly apply to molecular biology. 

For instance: Discuss your experience with techniques that are common in both fields, like chromatography or spectrometry, and how they've prepared you for the research you aim to conduct in molecular biology. 

Tailoring your CV in this manner demonstrates your ability to bridge different disciplines and apply your skills in new contexts.

#3 Adapt your CV for international PhD programs

Adapting your CV for international programs involves more than just translating it into another language. 

Start by researching the academic culture and CV formats preferred in the country you're applying to. This might include:

• the preferred length
• whether to include personal information such as a photo
• emphasis on certain types of experience or qualifications

For instance: in some countries, a detailed list of courses and grades might be important, while in others, a focus on research experience and publications is key. 

Websites of the target universities, country-specific academic career resources, advice from current international students, or even online forums like Reddit are invaluable for this purpose.

Finally, to help you tie everything we talked about together, we thought one picture is worth a thousand words.

Here's a CV sample from a person who managed to get accepted into a PhD program at the university of Lyon in France.

There are several things Herrera included to ensure her CV was successful:

• A complete professional and academic background. We can see that this section forms the bulk of the resume. As it should.
• Plenty of hard skills. Herrera included 7 hard technical skills and multiple languages. All of these skills are very valuable in academia.
• A succinct description of all projects. She includes the full name of the projects, their duration, and theme.
• References, publications, and certifications. All of these sections are included in the full version of this resume and can be found by clicking the button below the sample CV.

Lyon University PhD Student Resume Sample

This resume sample was contributed by a real person who got hired with Kickresume’s help.

Klara graduated from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. After having written resumes for many of her fellow students, she began writing full-time for Kickresume. Klara is our go-to person for all things related to student or 'no experience resumes'. At the same time, she has written some of the most popular resume advice articles on this blog. Her pieces were featured in multiple CNBC articles. When she's not writing, you'll probably find her chasing dogs or people-watching while sipping on a cup of coffee.

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• • 2+ years of experience in how the AI development lifecycle impacts systems, distributed computing, and cloud-native paradigm
• • Main research focused on how blockchain security could be enhanced by 65% within decentralized infrastructure
• • Other research projects (36+), looking at how future trends could impact network security in AI automated systems
• • Had 16+ publications in the Journal of Computer Science and secured +$16M in grant funding over the last two years
• • Assisted 13+ senior researchers and computer science professors in completing various applications by debugging codes
• • Participated in various other aspects of the software development process, including assessing briefs, writing code, and testing systems to ensure 100% accuracy
• • Built 10 full-stack web applications with Java and Ruby
• • Was tasked to help 5 researchers with the development of for-academia software with a focus on security
• • Analyzed the code specifications and transformations to comply with 100% of all security, accuracy, and client-briefed protocols and parameters
• • Met all mandatory schedule dates within the development process - receiving 98% approval in customer satisfaction

9 PhD Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Your PhD resume must highlight your extensive research and expertise in your field of study. Tailor it to showcase how your unique skills are transferable to the job you're applying for. Demonstrate your proficiency in critical thinking and problem-solving through concrete examples of your work. Articulate your ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, as this is key to standing out.

All resume examples in this guide

Traditional

Resume Guide

Guide Overview

Additional Resumes

Extra Reads

Writing Your Ph.D. Resume

Resume Header Tips

Ph.D. Resume Summary

Resume Experience Section

Systematizing Your Experience

How to Include Your Degree

Ph.D. in Progress on Resume

Skill Set for Ph.D. Resumes

Certifications on Resume

Additional Sections

Key Takeaways

George C. Jones's 8-year-Odyssey to his doctoral degree in engineering is finally complete. All he has to do now is complete his Ph.D. resume.

Little does George know that within the next three years, he'd apply to 500+ roles and still not be any closer to working in the renewable energy sector.

A little birdie told us why.

Everywhere George applied, he was labeled as an "egghead": book-smart with no real-world experience.

At least that's the story his resume told.

Unfortunately, George's sad "tale" depicts many graduates’ job searches.

By 2030/31, the US is expected to have 221,000 Ph.D. graduates . While this may be fantastic news for the academic community, the job pool is limited.

Swimming into the big blue sea - a.k.a. the "real world" - would require Ph.D. graduates to adapt their resumes to the business or industry requirements.

And listing vague bullets pinpointing your experience just won't do.

Enhancv knows how to translate your skills, knowledge, and achievements to ensure your resume stands out in the vast talent pool.

Because a well-written Ph.D. resume , showing skills, passion, and knowledge, is your ticket to the moon and beyond.

Our exclusive, Ph.D. resume guide will answer some of the following questions for you:

• What are some of the biggest, unintentional mistakes Ph.D. graduates tend to make when writing their resumes?
• Perfecting the top one-third of your resume: how to get recruiters' attention every time?
• 102 of the most popular Ph.D. skills you need to add to your resume right now!
• Lacking much professional experience: how to align your academic background with job expectations?
• Get inspired with more ideas about formatting, writing your resume summary, and including your academic body of work in a way that works.

4 additional Ph.D. resume samples and why they work

Ph.d. bioengineering graduate.

This Ph.D. Bioengineering Graduate has certainly focused her effort on getting that tenure-track position.

Here’s why her resume works.

Within the top one-third of Dr. Taylor’s resume (the headlines, summary, and skills section), you’ll find many relevant keywords for the job advert.

She has also used the summary to qualify and quantify her results to help recruiters better understand her strengths.

The experience section is split into two parts: the first one notes all relevant teaching experience; the second section showcases depth and knowledge of research.

Dr. Taylor has included industry experience and strengths to further define her skill set and show results.

This approach would also be very helpful for any Applicant Tracking System (ATS) reviewing the resume, as it cross-aligns the candidate’s talents with the job requirements.

Ph.D. mechanical engineering

If you’re wondering how to translate your academics into real-life experience, check this example out.

Dr. Aubry’s resume headline highlights his area of expertise and his Ph.D. degree, while his summary qualifies his key academic achievements, contributions, and success.

Dr. Aubry’s skills section focuses more on the technology he is apt at within the specified job requirements.

His roles as a lab technician, contributor, and research assistant also hint to recruiters that he’s results-oriented and can show how his work affected the industry.

Finally, his strengths section cross-aligns soft skills that are important for the role, including mechanical engineering knowledge, cross-disciplinary teamwork, and technical writing.

Apta certified physical therapist

In some industries, a specific certification can be a real game changer to meeting ATS standards.

Dr. Brubaker knows this and that’s why she has used her resume to highlight her American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) certification within various sections (headline, summary, and certification).

Another reason why Dr. Brubaker’s resume works is that it pinpoints her niche of expertise with tangible results.

Her education section not only lists all of her degrees, but she has turned recruiters’ attention to the grant funding her Ph.D. thesis secured (an outcome of the project).

Did you notice how she curated the experience section? Dr. Brubaker started with her more job-oriented responsibilities, followed by a leadership role.

if you’ve participated in any extracurricular activities during your studies, they could indicate various soft skills on your resume, including leadership, initiative, organization, etc.

data scientist, ongoing Ph.D. in statistics

Are you a current Ph.D. student, wondering how to include your ongoing degree on your resume?

Charles Flack’s resume includes some of the best how-to practices.

Charles uses the resume headline and summary’s first section to specify his research niche, which is followed by his ongoing Ph.D. Status.

N.B. Remember that the recruitment process is one of building trust with honesty. If you note in your resume that you’re a Ph.D. graduate (without this being the reality), recruiters will find out.

Continuing with Charles’s resume summary. It goes on to include an array of expertise and soft skills (e.g. leadership, adaptiveness, perfectionism) all within achieved results in academia.

His experience section includes roles in leadership, technical writing, and private tutoring, denoting individual skills and contributions.

The strengths Charles has included are more specific and tie in with data science roles. Those include quantitative problem-solving, deep learning, and iterative process.

21 Ph.D. related resume examples to help you get inspired

• Entry-Level
• Grant Writer
• Lab Technician
• Research Associate
• Research Assistant
• Lab Assistant
• Lab Manager
• Finance Intern
• Data Science Intern
• Entry Level Engineering
• Entry-Level Mechanical Engineer
• Software Engineer Intern
• Nursing Student
• Data Analyst Entry Level

Quick steps to success in writing your Ph.D. resume to get recruiters’ attention

Let's start with a big no-no: your academic CV, the one you used to secure that tenure position, is a No-go. Put simply - it lacks personality .

HRs and the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) need more context to your experience.

Unfortunately, here comes one of the biggest disadvantages you may face, leaving academia. Often, Ph.D. graduates get rejected as they lack practical work experience .

Don't get discouraged. Instead, find a resume format that works for you.

For Ph.D. graduates that have less work experience, we recommend a functional-skill-based format . It will help you highlight your unique skill set and academic excellence.

Also, it'll align your niche area of expertise with the role expectations.

Now that we've settled the formatting debate, let's look at a couple of more quick pointers for your Ph.D. resume.

1. The top one-third of your resume - the resume header and summary - is crucial to getting a high score on the ATS.

That's why you should try to include as many of the advert's relevant requirements within this section.

2. Expand your qualifications and skills within the experience section.

Don't just list plain bullets, but focus on the outcomes of your studies, research, or publications.

How to write your experience bullets:

3. Speaking of impact, detail your accomplishments within your academic work.

Focus on the picture and your research's influence on the scientific field, business/ industry, or communities.

Bonus: Remember to always list all work and academic experience that is relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Your Ph.D. experience can open many doors for you, giving you a front-row seat on the cutting edge of new technologies.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, here are a couple more bits and pieces to keep in mind when writing your Ph.D. resume.

What recruiters are looking out for in your Ph.D. resume:

• What methodology or technology have you used to prove your research?
• If you've ever led teams, were you able to manage them successfully?
• Would your niche area of expertise contribute to the organizational goals?
• Can you bring to the table more than just theoretical knowledge?
• How fast can you adapt to a non-academic environment and deliver tangible results?

Ph.D. resume's five most important sections:

• Resume header with keywords from the job description
• Resume summary cross-aligning requirements with experience
• Resume experience to expand on the summary
• Education section, listing all diplomas
• Professional achievements in research and publications

Your Ph.D. resume should balance your knowledge with how fast it can be applied in a real-world environment.

That's why you need to be precise about the resume sections you chose to prove your merit.

Mythbusters: Your PhD resume header under the Enhancv microscope

After endless hours of searching different platforms, you've finally found that cancer research position that perfectly matches your profile.

Avoiding all emotional attachment and excitement, you finally decide on the following header:

2 PhD resume header examples

Let’s look at the bright side of things. If the organization would like to get in touch with Dr. Garnett, they'd easily find his contact details .

But on the other hand, he is making one huge mistake: Dr. Garnett isn't taking advantage of the power of the top section of his resume. More specifically - his headline .

This crucial section could provide Ph.D. graduates with an opportunity to include all relevant keywords that could match their profile. And at the same time, tease their professional story.

This may be obvious, but this example works as it shows that Dr. Garnett is not only a Ph.D. graduate, but his specific area of research and interest, which should supposedly match with the role he’s applying for.

A rule of thumb for headers is to never be vague about your research and expertise.

You could list your Ph.D. degree within your resume title so that it’s the first thing recruiters (and the ATS) see.

In the case of Dr. Garnett, his resume title could read “Dr. David Garnett, Ph.D.”.

Our suggestion is to be wary about the organization you’re applying for because if the culture is more informal, this may come off as “pretentious”.

Ph.D. resume summaries: HRs’ favorite instrument for advanced career storytelling

The Ph.D. resume summary is a really useful section for good first impressions and explaining your experience.

The summary can be used to highlight your skills, strengths, and achievements. While telling the story of your professional growth.

We know how important real-world examples are for you.

So, without further ado, here's how Dr. Lucina Collard rewrote her resume summary. And in the end, got the attention of a prestigious software development company.

2 PhD resume summary examples

Dr. Collard may have spent too much time in the lab, as her Ph.D. resume summary just lists what courses she took and her thesis statement.

No results, no outcomes.

In the end, she did decide to include some soft skills and passions, but without actually pointing out the “why” behind her work. This doesn’t make sense at all.

Here’s what her modified resume summary looked like in the end:

This summary works for one simple reason: it qualifies the achievements.

Dr. Collard has noted that within the past 6 years, she has been specializing in the job advert keywords “robotics” and “mechatronics”. The award is also a nice touch to paint the big picture of her experience.

Dr. Collard is apt at achieving results within a dynamic environment. That includes various professionals from different backgrounds.

When talking about her thesis, she goes on to show her familiarity with the process.

Editing Dr. Collard’s summary may seem just like one small step for her, but it’s actually a giant leap to securing an interview.

Making your Ph.D. resume experience section stand out for all the right reasons

When listing their experience section, most Ph.D. graduates are probably making the same mistakes.

The first one: leaving out your academic practice, thinking that recruiters only want to see work experience.

That's not true at all.

Your education would not only prove your technical capabilities, but also your soft skills. But, more on that in the following paragraphs.

The second error: those tricky job titles.

You'd find 1000+ resumes, listing each experience using the given academic titles; e.g. Professor, Lecturer, Post Doctorate Student, Graduate Student, etc.

Robotic vs personalized approach: 1:0.

The ATS, reviewing your resume, is set to recognize keywords that are vital for the job. The faster those appear at the top of your experience, the better.

Instead of listing that you used to be a "Lecturer at XYZ University", go with "Data Science and Machine Learning Lecturer at XYZ University".

Third slip-up: those tricky experience bullets.

Some Ph.D. graduates just list all their courses, research, and publications.

This isn't the way to go.

You should rather align your knowledge with the job description to prove tangible results.

A couple of questions to help:

• What did this course help me learn and achieve that could be applicable to the job I'm applying for?
• How did leading lectures help me to cooperate better within the learning environment?
• What grants did my publications secure for the educational institute?
• What effects did my research have on the big-picture subjects within the field?
• The more you can get into the actuality (and practicality) of your education, the higher your chances are to get your first interview booked.

Let’s look at an example of how your experience can be showcased within your resume as crucial for the job.

Phd resume experience examples.

• • Got PhD in Philosophy
• • Took Philosophy of Mind, Brain, and Behavior Course
• • Took Ethics Course
• • Wrote Diploma on ‘To Be Or Not To Be: The Ethics of The Human Existence In The 21st Century’

This experience section is pretty negligent and robotic. Did you just get a diploma during those three-plus years?

You may be exiting from a leading higher education institution, but putting in the extra effort to your resume shows that you are diligent.

And that you’re actually invested in getting that particular job.

• • Contributed 60+ publications to the university scientific journal, niching within human rights, ethics, and the big why of human existence
• • Peer-reviewed publications for 12+ philosophy colleagues and professionals with a focus on consistency and validity of the thesis
• • Collaborated with 10+ professionals from arts, science, and biotech fields to question and understand the ethics behind their projects
• • Apart from the scientific paper for my final thesis, entitled 'To Be Or Not To Be: The Ethics of The Human Existence In The 21st Century’, published a short video on the university website to help inspire young professionals of philosophy to always stay alert

There’s no ground for comparison between the two examples. But let’s look at some of the basics.

The first experience bullet hints that the professional can write technical papers for their niche.

Next, the candidate showcases an eye for detail, collaboration, and teamwork.

Finally, they have found a way to get their thesis submitted on time and also make it more understandable.

On a side note - did you notice how a better job title could be a complete game-changer?

One bonus tip on better systematizing your Ph.D. experience

General practice is that you'd create one single resume experience section.

But what if while writing your Ph.D. resume, you realize that in the past six years, all your experience is for the same institution?

Here's an idea to spice up your experience section. You can create a couple of experience sections, based on functionality.

Thus highlighting job advert keywords and, at the same time, including more details.

So you could have some of the following headers, under which you could classify your work:

• Research Experience
• Technical Experience
• Analytical Experience
• Leadership Experience
• Mentorship Experience
• Teamwork Experience
• Higher Education Experience

Feel free to align your transferable skills, which would be beneficial for the job you're applying for.

How should you include your degrees within your Ph.D. resume education section?

Here's the advice you've probably been waiting for; introducing…

… "How to write about your degree without sounding like a snob?"

And there are two possible scenarios at play.

The first is that you're applying for a job related to your area of study.

You should list your Ph.D. degree in detail, including research topics, method expertise, and publications.

As you're writing for non-specialized audiences, don't go overboard with the complex terms. Instead, weave keywords from the job requirements within your education section.

In the second case scenario, you're applying for a job that has nothing to do with your degree.

Keep your education section plain and simple with your degree, university/college, dates, and location.

Either way, remember to always list all of your degrees in chronological order, starting with the latest.

This isn't just some made-up rule or HR caprice. Your resume education helps recruiters determine if:

• Your basic training and knowledge would fit the job
• You stayed focused on your coursework and graduated on time
• You would be a good fit for the team. Some companies tend to hire graduates from the same university

Ph.D. in progress: Should you include your potential degree on your resume?

Being transparent on your Ph.D. resume is what builds that fantastic initial relationship with the company you're applying for.

Thus, you have to be very clear and precise, especially in your education section.

If you're still pursuing your Ph.D. degree, shift the focus from the future to what you've achieved so far.

Your education section could answer any of the following questions:

• How applicable your degree is to the job opening?
• Which of the courses you've completed would help the company grow?
• Is your education a stepping stone within your professional experience?
• What is your expected graduation date?

Being on the course to completing your Ph.D. is definitely commendable, but sometimes life happens. And you may be forced to drop out of your Ph.D. education.

Should you then list the degree you didn't complete?

The answer is 100% yes, as your Ph.D.:

• fills gaps within your professional experience
• is valuable experience
• has helped you gain new knowledge

Making it clear to recruiters that your degree is "Incomplete" or that you "Didn't Graduate" is very important.

List your degree, dates, university/college, and status.

If you get to the interview stage, recruiters will ask you why you dropped out. Be prepared to talk about why it wasn't the best option for your career at the time, or hint at the circumstances.

Even if it's hard to believe, HR managers are people - just like you and me - and they are able to show understanding and compassion.

Ph.D. resume: Is there a dream skill set your potential employers would like to see?

Recruiters review your resume to see how your experience aligns with the role, with a big focus on transferrable skills.

Or in other words, what else can you bring to the table to help the business or institution grow?

And transferable skills can be both hard (or technical ) and soft skills .

Your hard skills include the technology you used to complete your studies.

Consider the opportunities you've has to:

• test and measure antennas parameters in an Anechoic chamber
• audit in a lab environment renewable energy sources' efficiency
• develop software, using Python, to patch cybersecurity risks

The list can go and on and on. Your Ph.D. has probably provided you with a pretty solid technical background.

When writing your resume’s separate technical skills section, ever wonder which technology should go first?

Rule of thumb: align the technology within the job description with your expertise.

The more proficient you are at a certain skill, the sooner you should list it.

Wondering what some of the most popular Ph.D. resume hard and technical skills are?

Check out our list, based on some of the most popular industries.

PhD resume technical skills for various roles:

15 hard skills for opportunities in business consulting:

• Knowledge of different business-crucial frameworks, including Benchmarking, Balanced Scorecard, Porter’s Five Forces, The GE-McKinsey Nine-Box Matrix, The BCG Growth-Share Matrix, Core Competencies
• Data Management and Analysis
• Advanced Data Modelling
• Strategy, Planning and Implementation
• Assessing and Managing Risk Using Frameworks
• Statistics and Understanding Correlations
• CRMs: Salesforce, Zendesk, Bitrix24, etc.
• Lead Generation Software: Zendesk Sell, Pipedrive, HubSpot, etc.
• Project Management Software: Jira, Hive, Asana, etc.
• Employer and Customer Satisfaction Surveys
• Proposal Writing
• Scheduling Software: Calendly, Google Calendar, Doodle, etc.
• Revenue Optimization and Sales

15 technical skills for biology, biotech, biochemistry, and medical research:

• Design, conduct, and analyze scientific research
• Tissue Culture
• PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
• Gel Electrophoresis
• Western Blot
• Molecular (Gene) Cloning and various techniques
• Flow Cytometry
• Mass Spectrometry
• Confocal Microscopy
• Cell-Based Assays
• Radioimmunoassays
• Data Analysis in biotechnology, bioinformatics, and medical research
• Laboratory and Equipment

15 engineering technical skills to add to your PhD resume:

• Manufacturing: Forging, Welding, Assembling, etc.
• Quality Control
• Industrial /System Design and Analysis
• Conceptual, Logical, or Physical Data Modeling
• AI and/ or Machine Learning
• Design Tools: AutoCAD, SolidWork, 3dsMax, etc.
• Programming Languages: C++, Python, Java, etc.
• Equipment Diagnosis
• Project Management: Trello, Zoho, Microsoft Project, etc.
• Data Analysis Software: Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, Qlik Sense, etc.
• CNC Programming
• Advanced Physics
• Structural Analysis
• Nanotechnology

15 recommended computer science technologies:

• Programming languages: C++, PHP, Swift, etc.
• Software engineering and development: Atom, GitHub, Chrome DevTools. etc.
• Cloud Platforms
• Data migration and deployment
• Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
• Integrated Environments Management
• Network Maintenance
• Cybersecurity
• Machine learning AI
• Business Intelligence and Statistical Analysis Tools
• SQL Consoles
• SAS Development and Forecasting
• Data Modelling Tools: ER/Studio, Archi, Ludichart, etc.
• Automation Tools

15 academic and research technical skills:

• Technical Literacy
• Presentation and visual: Tableau, Prezi, PPT, etc.
• Learning platforms: Moodle, Classroom, Teams, etc.
• Surveys: Google Forms, MailChimp, Kahoot, etc.
• Data-Processing Software: SPSS, RStudio, NVivo, etc.
• Academic Networks: Google Scholar, Academia.edu., ResearchGate, etc.
• Academic Research and Technical Writing
• Email Writing
• Data and Information Analysis
• Copyright and License
• Videoconferencing: Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.
• Applications for Securing Grants and Funding
• Peer Reviews and Co-Writing Interdisciplinary Technical Papers

Moving on to your PhD resume soft skills

There's still no precise formula for how soft skills are gained and applied in the workplace.

How many times have you seen an advert that requires "a can-do attitude and teamwork"?

Yet soft skills are on all recruiters' must-have checklists.

In the case of Ph.D. applicants, these transferable skills are built thanks to all the healthy habits you've maintained through your education, including your:

• collaboration
• ability to meet deadlines

Soft skills hint to recruiters more about your character and style of work.

Here are some ideas as to which ones you can include within your resume:

37 PhD soft skills to spice up your resume:

• Critical / Logical Thinking
• Problem-Solving
• Time Management
• Brainstorming
• Creativity and Innovation
• Meeting Deadlines
• Working Under Pressure
• Negotiation
• Project Management
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Flexibility
• Independent Work
• Ethical Decision-Making
• Leadership or Mentorship
• Collaboration
• Teaching or Lecturing
• Conduct Meetings
• Supervision
• Feedback and Evaluation
• Motivating Others
• Communicating Ideas
• Presentation
• Constructive Debating
• Leading or Participating in Group Discussions
• Public Speaking
• Accelerated Learning
• Attention to Detail
• Writing Proficiency
• Quantitative Literacy
• Listening and Reflection

When describing your leadership or mentorship soft skills, here are a couple of questions you could answer within your resume to qualify your achievements:

• What actions did you take to maintain a constant and successful team dynamic?

Mix in extracurricular certificates

Back in the day, you earned a couple of extracurricular certificates and wondering if you should include those on your Ph.D. resume.

Again, it's a matter of analyzing how necessary your certification is for the job.

E.g. if AICPA's CPA certificate is listed as obligatory within the job description - and you have earned yours - you know what to do.

Certificates show that you're willing to put in the extra effort to stay relevant. Proving that you're committed, flexible, and a life-long learner.

So, think about the relevancy the certificate would have within your field.

Then, consider including some of these popular certificates:

Top 50 PhD certificates from various institutions for your resume:

• Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) - Certified Professional
• ACRP - Clinical Research Associate Certification
• ACRP - Clinical Research Coordinator Certification
• American Health Information Management Association - Coding Specialist Physician-Based Certification
• Nationally Registered Certified Patient Care Technician
• National Healthcare Association (NHA) - EKG Technician Certification
• NHA - Phlebotomy Technician Certification
• NHA - Clinical Medical Assistant Certification
• American Association of Medical Assistants - Medical Assistant Certification
• Red Cross - Nursing Assistant Certification
• Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. - Registered Behavior Technician
• American Association of Professional Coders - Certified Professional Coder
• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board - Certified Pharmacy Technician
• Society for Clinical Data Management - Clinical Data Manager
• American Medical Writers Association - Medical Writer Certified
• Board of Editors in Life Science - Board-Certified Editor in Life Science
• International Society for Medical Publication Professionals - Certified Medical Publication Professional
• Regulatory Affairs Professional Society - Regulatory Affairs Certification
• Google Project Management Professional
• Society of ​​Petroleum Engineers - Petroleum Engineering Certification
• American Institute of Chemists - National Certification Commission in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Certification
• Coursera - Software Engineering MasterTrack Certificate
• Cisco Certified Network Professional in Service Provider Operations
• CompTIA Security+ Certification
• (ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional
• American Society for Quality (ASQ) - Quality Engineer Certification
• ASQ - Reliability Engineer Certification
• Advanced Certificate Program in CFD-Aircraft Aerodynamics
• Engineer in Training License and Certification
• Society of Broadcast Engineers - Certified Audio Engineer
• Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering - Certified Technical Professional
• International Council on Systems Engineering - Systems Engineering Professional Certification
• American Academy of Project Management - Certified Planning Engineer
• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Master Specialist Certificate
• iNARTE Electromagnetic Compatibility Designer Engineer Certificate
• American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists - Board Certified Environmental Engineer
• American Public Power Association - Key Accounts Certificate Program
• Global Association of Quality Management - Certified Agile Developer
• Environmental Protection Agency - Operator Certification Program Management
• Institute of Management Accountants - Certified Management Accountant
• National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers - Certified Bookkeeper
• Association of International Certified Professional Accountants - Certified Public Accountant
• Chartered Financial Analyst Institute - Chartered Financial Analyst
• Internal Revenue Service - Enrolled Agent
• The Institute of Internal Auditors - Certified Internal Auditor
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners - Certified Fraud Examiner
• National Association of Sales Professionals - Certified Professional Sales Person
• Institutes of Management Consulting - Certified Management Consultant

PhD resume: let’s get creative with a few more resume sections

When completing your Ph.D. resume, you should always find ways to stand out from the crowd.

That’s why we’ve compiled for you some of the most popular sections which you could add to your resume.

Before doing so, always question each section's relevance to the job you're applying for.

• Publications or Projects - focus on topic, methodology, and impact; include your grant ID code, if your research won any funding
• Academic Awards - once more, consider if those would shine a better light on your expertise
• Conference Presentations - this would showcase your public speaking abilities
• Language Skills - be honest when listing your language proficiency

One final word of warning - your Ph.D. resume offers limited space to showcase your expertise, so try to make the most out of it.

key takeaways

• The extra effort to align your Ph.D. skills with the job you're applying for always gets recruiters' attention.
• Include as many relevant keywords within the header and summary of your Ph.D. resume.
• Have separate sections, detailing how your academic background has helped you attain experience, skills, and certifications.
• List chronologically all degrees you've earned through your education, with an adaptable approach to details.
• Remember that the recruiters or the ATS assessing your resume may not be that scientifically literate. Substitute complex terminology with impact and results.

Looking to build your own PhD resume?

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• How to write an Academic CV for a PhD Application
• Applying to a PhD
• The purpose of an academic CV for a PhD application is to provide a summary of your educational background and demonstrate the research skills and relevant experience you have that make you capable of undertaking a PhD.
• It should be divided into nine sections : (1) contact information, (2) research interests, (3) education, (4) research and work experience, (5) teaching experience, (6) relevant skills and experience, (7) publications and conferences, (8) professional memberships, (9) referees.
• It should ideally be up to two pages for a new research student, but can extend up to four pages if required.
• The smaller details matter more than you think – write concisely, use consistent formatting, avoid jargons and general statements, check spelling and grammar, and have at least one academic to proofread it for you, ideally in the same area you are applying to.

Introduction

So you are nearing the end of your current degree or making a return to education, and you’ve decided to make your next step a PhD. While the road ahead will be filled with much excitement, you’ll need to secure your position first. This will all begin with a strong PhD application and an equally impressive academic CV and personal statement or cover letter.

Together with your personal statement or cover letter, your CV will show who you are as an individual and what you have to offer. It needs to be concise, correctly formatted and well written to convince your preferred university and supervisor that you are the right student for the project.

This step-by-step guide will get you on your way to creating an outstanding academic CV for your next PhD application. We’ll discuss the sections your CV should be structured into, what each of these sections should include, and how it should be written. We’ll also give you valuable tips that are sure to get your readers’ attention.

What Is an Academic CV?

When applying for a PhD position, it’s common for the university to request a curriculum vitae (CV) from you to accompany your application.

An academic CV may appear similar to a standard CV used for job applications, but they are two relatively unique documents.

Where a standard CV focuses mostly on what your previous responsibilities have been and what you have accomplished to date, an academic CV concentrates on your academic background, achievements and experiences . Your academic CV will be used by a PhD supervisor to determine whether you can meet the challenges associated with undertaking a demanding PhD research project, as not everyone can.

How to Write an Academic CV for A PhD Application

A good academic CV should be broken into nine section headings:

• Contact Information
• Research Interests / Personal Profile
• Research and Work Experience
• Teaching Experience
• Relevant Skills and Experience
• Publications and Conferences
• Professional Memberships
• Referees / References

Below, we discuss what each of these sections should contain and how they should be written.

1. Contact Information

Start your CV by providing your contact details. All of the following should be included:

• Full name  – Your name should be your document title, formatted in bold and centralised text.
• Email address and contact number
• Location  – Your town/city and country, e.g. ‘Birmingham, UK’, will be sufficient; it’s not necessary to provide your full home address.
• Profiles  – Include a link to any professional profiles you may have, such as LinkedIn or ResearchGate.

NOTE:  Some individuals include a profile photo but be careful before doing so. While this would be expected in some countries such as those in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, this would not be the case in other countries such as the UK and US. This is because it can lead to complications with labour and anti-discrimination laws and potentially cost you your application. We therefore strongly advise you to look into the norms and regulations of the host country before deciding to do so.

2. Research Interests / Personal Profile

For an academic CV written for a PhD position, your ‘research interests’ section will double as you ‘personal profile’. As a brief introduction to yourself, this will be an important section as it sets the first impression of you for the reader.

Use bullet points or a brief paragraph to summarise who you are, your relevant qualifications, your research interests and your relevant skills and experience. When writing this section, your focus should be on two aspects: demonstrating your  ability to conduct a PhD  and your  enthusiasm for the project .

To create an impactful research interests’ section, adhere to the following:

• Tailor to each research project you apply for:  One of the easiest ways to do this is to read the project description attached to the PhD advert, identify two to three of the most prominent keywords, and incorporate them into your writeup.
• Keep it short:  This section is only an introduction, so keep it concise and punchy over long and detailed; 50 – 60 words is a good target.
• Make every word count:  As 50 – 60 words isn’t much, be as specific as you can. Avoid clichés such as “I am committed to research and have a high attention to detail” at all costs; not only are they generic and overused, they also don’t provide the reader with any useful insights into you.

3. Education

A PhD CV is all about academic achievements and qualifications, so your education section should be given high importance and form the bulk of your CV, especially as it will be used to determine if have the core skills required for the position.

Working in reverse chronological order, provide a breakdown of your current academic qualifications. For most of you, this will be an undergraduate Bachelor’s degree and a postgraduate Master’s degree.

When listing your qualifications, provide the full name of the degree, the degree type, and the duration in terms of its start and end year. You do not need to limit this to your past qualifications; if you’re currently studying or taking an external course, include them as well, but state that they are ongoing and provide an expected grade if you have one.

If your degree is relevant to the PhD project you are applying to, include a list of the modules you completed and your corresponding marks; the same applies to your final year dissertation project.

Note:  If you list your relevant modules, streamline their names by removing any course codes. For example, “FN01 Fluid Dynamics” should become “Fluid Dynamics”. Course codes are only used for internal purposes, and each university will have its own system, so remove them to avoid any possible confusion.

Feel free to also list your GCSEs, A-Levels or other relevant academic qualifications if applicable to the field you are applying to, however, this isn’t necessary, and most supervisors will not ask for them. The exception to this is if your university degree is not directly related to the project you are applying for, but your previous qualifications are. In these cases, include them to help demonstrate the suitability of your academic background.

Finally, list any honours, awards and prizes that you have won or any other notable academic achievements that will help to strengthen your application.

4. Research and Work Experience

Your research and relevant work experience is just as, if not more, important than your educational background. This is because most applicants applying for the position will have similar qualifications, so your research experience can often be the deciding factor when all other things are considered equal.

Your research experience may include both paid and voluntary, full-time and part-time work, as well as university project work. However, in all cases, the experience you mention should be relevant to the project you are applying for or have helped you develop skills that make you a more capable researcher. For example, it’s not necessary to mention your time in retail, but any previous time as a laboratory or teaching assistant or teaching support absolutely will be.

If you any discuss research that you have done as part of your studies, present them as individual project listed in reverse chronological order, as before. You can also include research projects you are currently working on, regardless of how developed they are.

When discussing any projects, include the following:

• What the project was about,
• What research methods you used,
• The skills you gained,
• Any notable achievements or outcomes.

5. Teaching Experience

Since one of the main career paths after a PhD is an academic career, teaching experience can significantly strengthen your academic CV. However, it is generally accepted that not all applicants will have teaching experience, but if you do, include it here.

When discussing your teaching experience, state what level it was at, e.g. undergraduate or postgraduate, and what it involved, i.e. marking, teaching, supervising or organising.

6. Relevant Skills and Experience

This section should describe all other skills and experiences that will help strengthen your application.

They should be specific to the PhD project or demonstrate your potential to become a competent researcher. This includes:

• Technical skills and experience, e.g. the use of computer software packages or research equipment common to the project you’re applying for.
• Non-project specific courses you’ve sat, e.g. an academic writing and communication course.
• Languages you know with their proficiencies noted.

7. Publications and Conferences

Most students won’t have academic publications, but if you do, list them here. Formal publications can include anything from journal articles, which is most likely to an adaptation of your final year dissertation project if you do have one, and published reports. If you have these, list them in reverse chronological order using the reference system adopted by the university you are applying to, as this is what the PhD supervisor will most likely be used to.

If you aren’t a published author or co-author, you can still include other text publications that you may have been involved in, such as online articles, magazines, newsletters and blogs. The topics of these publications should relate to your field or academia in general and be written in a formal tone that showcases your critical thinking and writing skills.

If you’ve ever given a conference presentation, include it here with details of the name, date and location of the conference, the title of your presentation and a summary of what it was about.

Even if you haven’t presented in conferences, you should still list any you have attended, including any seminars or talks. This is a useful way to illustrate your interest in the subject and your commitment to gaining new knowledge within your field.

TIP:  If you haven’t attended many conferences or seminars, consider attending several upcoming ones relevant to the research area you’re interested in. Not only is this a great way to learn more about the field in terms of its latest developments and gaps, but it can also be an effective way to make your academic CV more relevant if it’s currently light on research experience.

8. Professional Memberships

Being affiliated with an academic group, society or professional body demonstrates your enthusiasm for your field and for connecting with other like-minded individuals within the community.

When listing these, include the name of the group, the associated membership dates and the position you have held within it.

9. Referees / References

Your references will form the last section of your academic CV.

Your PhD application should specify the number of referees you should include, but if it does not, try to include at least two, but ideally three.

Two of the referees should be academic, with most students choosing their personal tutor and their final year’s dissertation project supervisor. It can be other staff members, but the essential requirement is that it is someone who knows you well enough to be able to substantiate your abilities and character.

If you don’t have two academic referees, you can use a professional referee as long as they are still relevant to the project you are applying for. This will most likely be the case for those who have worked in industry for some time before deciding to return to education.

When creating your reference list, list your referees in order of relevance and how well they know you, not in alphabetical order. This is so if only the first referee is called upon, it will be the individual who can provide you the most useful reference. The following information should be provided:

• Professional title,
• Name of current university,
• Phone number and email address.

It’s imperative that you first seek permission from the individuals before listing them as a referee. It would also be beneficial to send them a copy of your CV, cover letter and application form so they can familiarise themselves with the broader details in case they are called upon.

Tips for Creating a Standout Academic CV

No matter how impressive your academic achievements are or how much experience you have accumulated in your field, the PhD supervisor may never find out if your CV is too difficult to read. With this in mind, here are a few tips for achieving a high degree of clarity:

Formatting for Clarity

• Highlight key information through the use of bolding, italics and underlining, but be careful not to overdo it so that it loses its purpose.
• Keep your formatting consistent throughout, such as indentations, font type and font size, vertical spacing and margins.
• Insert page numbers on each page.
• Avoid jargon and abbreviations to maximise clarity.
• Avoid splitting sections across two pages.

Keep It Concise

• Try to limit your CV to two pages and not more than four. If you need to go over two pages, make sure the most important information is on the first two pages.
• Avoid dense paragraphs, overly long sentences and generic statements. The aim is to pass on essential information in a way that doesn’t require the reader to have to extract it themselves. This leads to the next tip,
• Use bullet points whenever possible, they’re easier to digest than paragraphs.

NOTE:  Remember that you will also submit a cover letter or personal statement alongside your CV, so don’t feel the need to cover everything to a high level of detail here as you will have the opportunity to do so elsewhere.

Check and Revise

• As a rule of thumb, the academic CV you submit as part of your PhD application should be the third or fourth version you produce. Try to keep a day or two between each version so that you always approach it with a fresh perspective.
• Proofread for any spelling and grammar mistakes. Although this will seem like we’re stating the obvious, a small mistake can be enough to jeopardise your chances considering that there will be many other high-profile candidates for the supervisor to choose from.
• Have your document checked, first by an academic such as your tutor, and second by a professional proofreader or by an advisor from your university’s careers team. The former will check for technical issues, the latter for common curriculum vitae formatting, spelling and grammar mistakes.

Save in PDF Format

If the submission method allows for it, convert your CV to PDF format. This significantly reduces the likelihood of compatibility and reformatting issues when opened by the supervisor.

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CV examples

Neah Kapoor, an aspiring PhD candidate, has opted for a simple Otago template. She seeks to drive her career in sustainable development and environmental planning. With a passion for creating positive change and academic excellence, she makes an invaluable asset for shaping a sustainable world.

"Passionate and driven final-year masters student with a solid academic foundation, eager to embark on a PhD journey in sustainable development. Equipped with exceptional research skills and determined to advance knowledge in this field."

Table of contents

How to Write a CV for a PhD Application (Examples, Tips, and Writing Guide)

Embarking on the path to advanced research and academic excellence through a PhD is an exciting journey, demanding not just passion and dedication but also a well-crafted CV that highlights your potential as an aspiring scholar. In the highly competitive landscape of higher education, your CV is vital in determining whether you will stand out as an exceptional candidate.

Whether you are a student , a graduate, or a seasoned professional seeking to elevate your academic pursuits, this article is for you. It details the essential elements of composing a CV that captures your academic journey, research experience, and future career aspirations. From understanding the unique expectations of a PhD application to incorporating relevant experiences and honing an impactful writing style, we delve into the steps to create a good CV .

The CV writing process: Where to start?

A CV tailored explicitly for a PhD application demands a strategic approach highlighting your education, academic accomplishments, and research experience that sets you apart. This document serves as your initial introduction to prospective educational institutions and faculty members, making it imperative to leave a lasting impression that sparks curiosity and interest. Here are two essential pointers to consider:

A fundamental starting point is the creation of a comprehensive master CV, serving as the foundation to build upon as your academic journey progresses. Update it regularly, capturing personal details, educational achievements, work experience, skills, and notable accomplishments.

After that, tailor each iteration by emphasising relevant experiences and qualifications, moulding the personal profile to reflect your academic trajectory and strategically showcasing pertinent skills that set you apart in the fiercely competitive job market.

Tips on how to write a PhD CV

Gain insight into the industry and the specific requirements of your desired PhD programme.

Organise your CV thoughtfully into sections, such as personal details, personal profile, work experience, education, and skills.

Showcase concrete achievements or projects that align with your career goals. Emphasise quantifiable results to demonstrate the impact of your scholarly endeavours.

Integrate relevant keywords to optimise your CV for applicant tracking systems (ATS). This can increase your chances of passing the initial screening process.

Customise each CV to suit the specific application, showcasing how your unique set of skills and experiences perfectly align with the requirements of the programme.

Error-free and engaging writing is paramount. Thoroughly proofread your CV to ensure clarity, coherence, and an overall captivating presentation that will captivate the attention of hiring managers.

Looking to create a CV for a PhD application?

Phd cv example.

Download this PhD CV sample in PDF.

Neah Kapoor, an aspiring and dedicated PhD candidate, has opted for the Otago template to craft her impressive CV. Her passion lies in forging a career in policy analysis, with a special focus on sustainable development and environmental planning. Neah's exceptional academic background and remarkable achievements have been meticulously showcased, underscoring her potential as a valuable contributor to shaping a more sustainable world.

What to include in a PhD CV? 

A CV must be comprehensive and well-organised, showcasing your academic qualifications, research experience, and potential as a promising academic researcher or PhD student. See our tips on what to include below (if applicable):

List your degrees chronologically, starting with the most recent. Include the name of the institution, degree obtained, major/specialisation, and graduation date.

Detail your research experience, including internships, projects, or positions held in academic or research settings.

If you have teaching or short-term experience, include the details of the courses you taught, the institution, and the duration of your involvement.

List any academic papers, articles, book chapters, or other scholarly publications you have authored or co-authored. Include the full citation for each publication.

Mention any academic conferences where you presented your findings. Provide details such as the conference name, date, and location.

List the specific research methodologies, techniques, and tools you are proficient in.

Highlight academic achievements, such as winning competitions, scholarships, grants, or fellowships.

If relevant, include extracurricular activities such as hobbies and interests , demonstrating leadership, teamwork, or community engagement.

This is usually on request, but if required, provide the names and contact information of academic or professional references who can vouch for you.

What is a professional summary for a PhD CV?

A professional summary, also known as a personal profile , is a concise and impactful statement that provides a snapshot of your academic background, research expertise, and career aspirations. It serves as an introduction to your CV, capturing the attention of potential employers or educational institutions and enticing them to delve further into your qualifications. Tips on writing a professional summary:

Keep it brief, ideally limited to 4-6 lines. 

Mention that you are a PhD candidate or specify the degree you are currently pursuing.

Showcase your enthusiasm for your research area and the academic field in general.

PhD student CV personal profile example

Passionate and driven student in marine biology, dedicated to unravelling the mysteries within this captivating field. Solid foundation in marine biology and an insatiable curiosity for groundbreaking research and innovative discoveries. Aspire to leave a lasting impact on the academic landscape, driving advancements that positively influence society and transform our understanding of marine ecosystems.

Academic CV for PhD application personal profile example

Passionate PhD candidate in forestry with an insatiable curiosity for knowledge and intellectual exploration. Equipped with a strong academic background and dedication to cutting-edge research, committed to making meaningful contributions to forestry. Eager to collaborate with esteemed mentors, embracing interdisciplinary challenges to empower future generations of forestry thinkers.

Refer to our academic CV example for more tips.

What skills should be included in a CV for PhD?

Highlighting skills that demonstrate your potential as a successful researcher and scholar is essential. See our examples below:

Hard skills:

Research Methodologies

Data Analysis

Academic Writing

Literature Review

Computer Programming.

Soft skills:

Critical Thinking

Communication

Time Management

Adaptability

Problem-Solving.

Transferable skills:

Organisational Skills

Teaching and Mentoring

Public Speaking

Project Management

Analytical Skills.

To leave a lasting impact on recruiters, it's essential to distinguish between various types of skills on a CV.

How to write work experience on a CV for PhD application

When writing work experience on a CV, it's essential to present your research-related experiences and accomplishments clearly and concisely. See our tips below:

Start with a clear CV section heading, such as "Work Experience" or "Research Experience."

Include the company/institution name and location. 

Specify your job title or position, such as "Research Intern," "Research Assistant," "Laboratory Technician," etc.

Include the period you worked in that position, using years. 

Provide a brief overview of your tasks and responsibilities during your work experience. Focus on research-related activities, laboratory work, data analysis, academic projects, or other relevant tasks.

Highlight specific accomplishments or achievements during your work experience.

If applicable, mention any publications, presentations, or academic papers from your work experience. Include the names of supervisors or researchers you worked with and any notable collaborations.

Research Intern, OceanLife Research Institute, Queensland, AU | 2022

Collaborated with a team of marine biologists in conducting field surveys to assess the biodiversity and health of coral reefs. Assisted in collecting and analysing water samples to study the impact of environmental factors on coral bleaching. Maintained and calibrated oceanographic instruments, ensuring accurate and reliable data collection during research expeditions. Attended workshops and seminars by renowned marine scientists, enhancing knowledge of current advancements in marine biology and ecological research

Conducted a comprehensive literature review on marine conservation practices, contributing to the development of a research proposal for a sustainable fishing initiative.

Contributed to drafting a research paper that investigated the symbiotic relationship between marine microorganisms and coral reefs, which was subsequently submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

If you have no work experience , refer to our skills-based CV example.

Education CV section for a PhD student or applicant

The education section of a CV for a student or applicant showcases your academic qualifications and sets the foundation for your scholarly pursuits. When including your degree in this section, make sure to provide the following details:

Clearly state your degree, including the exact title or specialisation. 

Specify the field of study or research area in which you pursued. 

Mention the name of the university or institution where you earned your degree. 

Include the year of your graduation or expected date of graduation.

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology Manchester University of Manchester, UK | 2022

If you have additional forms of qualifications, consider adding courses and certificates in a new section.

Key takeaways

Now that you have more insight into what makes a good CV, we encourage you to follow your passion for knowledge and academic excellence when embarking on a PhD journey. Consider these essential tips to enhance your CV for a successful application:

Showcase academic achievements and honours.

Emphasise research skills and methodologies.

Clearly state research interests and goals.

Tailor the CV for each application to align with specific program requirements. 

Next steps?

By adhering to a writing process, conducting research, and leveraging relevant skills, you can increase your chances of securing a placement. If you are not a strong writer, consider our CV Writing Services or browse our CV examples , CV templates , or cover letter templates for further insight.

How do you write a PhD academic CV?

As an academic, highlight your research experiences, academic achievements, skills, and relevant publications by tailoring it to the specific programme requirements.

What should a CV for a PhD look like?

A good CV should follow a clear structure and clean format. The chosen template should only include relevant sections such as personal details, education, experience, skills, awards, or publications.

What is the CV of a PhD student?

As a student, you have little experience so consider utilising a skills-based format while focusing on academic background, research experiences, publications, conference presentations, and any relevant achievements or projects.

How long should a PhD CV be?

A CV for a graduate, student, or someone with little experience typically is one page. However, with academic CVs, they tend to be between two and three pages while still focusing on relevant information and avoiding unnecessary details.

Do you need a CV for PhD?

A CV is typically required when applying for a PhD programme, as it highlights your academic achievements and research experiences. Depending on the programme and, possibly, country, make sure to check the requirements and tailor your application accordingly.

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5 PhD Resume Examples Made to Work for 2024 

• PhD Student Resumes by Type
• PhD Student Resumes by Role
• Write Your PhD Resume
• Entry-Level
• Senior-Level

With the role of a PhD student, you’re the intellectual powerhouse driving groundbreaking research and contributing to the advancement of knowledge. Your expertise allows you to dive deep into complex subjects, developing innovative solutions and pushing the boundaries of what’s already known. 

At the same time, you’ll need to balance your responsibilities as a teacher as well, imparting your knowledge to the undergraduates at your institution. Crafting a resume and creating a cover letter that demonstrate your ability to shine in this diverse role is no easy task.

Luckily, we’re here to guide you through the maze of showcasing your academic journey. With our varied PhD application resume examples , you’ll find the ideal resume template to help you craft your own winning resume in no time.

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Thankfully, Liam does a great job highlighting his internship and project achievements and how both are applicable in helping sustainably improve production.

PhD Student Resume

• One strategy you can use to boost the chances of your PhD student resume to clinch an enrolment slot into the health sciences department is by harnessing the achievements from a volunteer project that brought screening services to a marginalized community.

PhD Application Resume

• Therefore, achievements in increasing student participation and engagement accompanied by metrics in improved grades and assessment scores would go a long way to prop your suitability.

Engineering PhD Resume

• Hence, including it in your engineering PhD resume will do wonders and show that you’re a state-approved individual who knows what they’re doing. Employers will almost always prefer a licensed professional over an unlicensed one.

PhD Scientist Resume

• That’s where you’re going to include some numbers to add readability to your PhD scientist resume. Now, don’t be random and use metrics for impactful bullet points like decreasing experimental errors or analyzing a large number of samples.

Related resume examples

• Research Assistant

Adapt Your PhD Resume to the School You’re Applying to

As an aspiring PhD student, your resume is your scholarly calling card, showcasing the intellectual artillery you bring to the academic battlefield. 

This is where you can showcase your skills and express why you’re the right person to join the program. To do this, tailor your skills section to align with the specific requirements of your desired program and department. 

Highlight your expertise in research methodologies, statistical analysis, and any specialized software or equipment you’ve mastered. For the more technically inclined, don’t shy away from showcasing hard skills like Python, Matlab, Java, or Tableau.

You can also include a couple of soft skills because they’re essential for giving lectures and mentoring students. Just remember to reinforce them with demonstrable examples in the experience section later. 

Want some pointers?

15 top PhD skills

• Microsoft Office
• Google Sheets
• Research Methodologies 
• Academic Writing
• Public Speaking
• Lesson Planning
• Grant Proposals
• Grading Essays
• Collaborative Research

Your PhD work experience bullet points

From conducting groundbreaking research to publishing papers, your journey as an academic is about more than just the day-to-day grind. In the experience section of your resume, the real spotlight should be on your transformative contributions. 

If this isn’t your first PhD, highlight achievements from your previous studies like securing research grants, publishing impactful papers, or successfully leading research projects. If you’re moving up from postgraduate studies, highlight the best and most impressive accomplishments from your master’s and bachelor’s degrees. 

Add some numbers to make your accomplishments pop. This could be the number of students mentored, successful experiments and research projects, or the reach of your published work. 

• Highlight the number of your articles or research papers that were published in reputable journals.
• Quantify the success of research projects with metrics such as project scope, budget management, or studies carried out.
• Demonstrate your ability to secure research funding by specifying the number and value of grants obtained.
• Showcase your impact as a mentor or tutor by talking about the number of students you’ve guided or the way they were able to improve their grades through your help.

See what we mean?

• Created engaging course materials using Articulate Storyline, resulting in a 39% increase in student engagement and comprehension
• Managed EHR software to document patient assessments, vital signs, and medication administration, maintaining 99.99% accuracy in recordkeeping
• Partnered with farmers to develop customized crop management plans, resulting in a 31% increase in yields
• Assisted in the development and implementation of assessments, leading to a 33% reduction in student dropout rates

9 active verbs to start your PhD work experience bullet points

• Innovated 
• Collaborated

3 Tips for Writing a PhD Resume With Little Prior Experience

• Mention your involvement in conferences and workshops. This will showcase your ability to engage with and contribute to the broader scholarly community.
• Echo your passion for knowledge throughout your resume, and look into the future. Outline your career objectives , illustrating your commitment to making a lasting impact through your PhD studies.
• Any and all academic achievements look great on a PhD resume, so make sure to add them. Talk about your GPA, awards won, or competitions you’ve participated in to show your drive as a college student.

3 Tips for Writing a PhD Resume for Your Second PhD

• Research is often independent, and academics are sometimes considered lone wolves. That’s why it’s important to emphasize your leadership and collaboration skills explicitly. The school needs to know you can mentor students and collaborate with other colleagues effectively—so turn up the enthusiasm for this area!
• If you’re going for a research role, it’s essential to be at the forefront of your field—following all the latest papers and studies. You can show this by mentioning your participation in research initiatives or the conferences you like to attend. 
• Show that you put just as much effort into your students as you put into your research by sharing student performance and engagement metrics. You can also discuss your favorite lecture and seminar-planning techniques to convey your passion and commitment. 

Absolutely! While not mandatory, a tailored career summary can be a powerful tool. Customize it for the PhD position, mentioning the specific program and academic role. Don’t forget to highlight things like research methodologies, data analysis, and any unique contributions to your academic field.

Choose a clean and professional format that prioritizes your academic achievements and research experience. Use clear headings, bullet points, and a consistent structure, much like you would in a research paper. 

Include skills that align with the specific requirements of the PhD program and your academic discipline. Highlight technical and soft skills relevant to research, teaching, fieldwork, and collaboration.

The Savvy Scientist

Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

How to Write a CV for a PhD Application (with free template!)

When you’re faced with writing an academic CV for a PhD application it can be hard to know where to start.

After all, along with your personal statement an academic CV is the heart of your PhD application: essentially acting as a “highlights reel” of your greatest achievements. You need it to be well formatted and engaging, yet concise enough that all of your most relevant experience is unmissable at a glance.

Quite a challenge!

In this post we’ll break down what to include. From the essentials to the nice-to-haves. All quotes are from the CVs I personally used when applying for PhDs.

If you’re just getting started be sure to download my Academic CV Template.

In addition, if you’d like to get some inspiration from active researchers’ CVs, you may wish to check out the repository of example academic CVs I have put together here:

Academic CV Examples From Active Researchers

What should i include on an academic cv for a phd application, contact info.

Name, email address and phone number. Personally I don’t see a need to include your address and certainly not a photo.

Education / Qualifications

List all major grades from aged 16 upwards: GCSE, A-Levels and university degrees.

• Undergraduate (and masters degrees) should include the subject, university and grade. I’ve tended to include the title of any significant research projects and the titles of the most relevant modules.
• For A-Levels you should name each of the subjects you took with the grade. Personally to keep the page more clean I’ve not included the schools I went to: though it may be worth drawing attention if you did well despite attending a particularly poorly performing school.
• GCSEs can just be summarised to the grades. Subjects needn’t be named.

My aim is to apply my skills to improve lives. I have a proven track record of overseeing successful development of innovative medical devices and now desire the opportunity to expand my skills beyond mechanical engineering into biomaterials research.

Sometimes it can be useful to include a few lines about your motivation and aims for your career. Despite currently having a short profile on my own CV I’m not 100% convinced by them: they can sound cliché especially if you’re fresh out of undergraduate . Profiles are most common in industry and it is up to you whether you think you have content worth sharing: do not waffle, and avoid excessive use of the typical buzzwords: hardworking, motivated etc!

University Research Projects

Third year project “3-D printing of multi-scale porous bioscaffolds for ligament attachment” Manufactured novel magnesium calcium phosphate scaffolds to investigate 3-D printing parameters for optimum implant integration Analysed parts under SEM to verify multi-scale porosity and XRD for detecting phase changes and composition Conducted a statistical analysis of variance study in sample porosity using optical microscopy and deduced the optimum printing parameters to maximise porosity Wrote a technical report and presented results during an oral presentation and viva

More than likely the research projects you’ve undertaken during the latter years of your degree will be your most substantial research experience. State the title of the project followed by a few bullet points covering:

• Useful skills and experience you gained such as: experimental & analytical techniques; software; instrumentation; report-writing; presenting
• Any substantial outcomes: prizes; publications & patents

Feel free to also state whether these projects were undertaken as a group or individually but remember to avoid clutter: you can go into more detail for your personal statement.

[Work] Experience

Jan – May 2013 Research Assistant, Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge Developed prototype HIV diagnostic devices for commercialisation within a multi-disciplinary team: Debugged, calibrated and optimised several novel medical devices Produced standard operating procedure and calibration documentation Experienced an audit and developed an appreciation of ISO 13485 and FDA requirements Inspected and tested parts for quality control processing

Whether you include this section will depend on what experience you have outside of the typical university projects. Here you can describe any additional work experience you have had such as: summer internships; research job roles; years in industry plus any potential outreach you’ve taken part in or voluntary work.

The level of detail you go in to will depend on how relevant the work was and how long ago: working in a shop at weekends when you were 17 probably isn’t particularly relevant. Unless you have had a significant amount of relevant (or impressive) work experience I’d keeping this section below University Research Projects .

A keen photographer, my photographs have appeared in the international press and have raised over £5000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. University of Warwick Photographic Society Executive Committee (2010-2012) Positions held: President, Treasurer, First Aider and Equal Opportunities Officer Duties included overseeing the 270 member-strong society’s running and progression – leading to a doubling of active membership over two years, chairing meetings and international trips, implementing new payment methods and securing funding.

Unless extremely relevant or impressive, I tend to not put too much emphasis on extra-curricular activities: no admissions tutor really needs to know that you enjoy cooking or cycling unless to a very high level. Having said that, do be sure to include anything which can show useful transferable skills such as team-work and responsibility.

I like to include any roles of responsibility such as society committee positions with any useful outcomes.

Nice-To-Haves

There are number of other sections which are common among academics further up the ladder. Unless you have more than a couple of pieces of content per category I suggest adding them where relevant elsewhere: for example an undergraduate award could feature under Education . If you have enough relevant content to warrant adding a new section, they can look very impressive.

Publications

It is often said that publications are the currency of academia. If you have managed to get involved with any publications then display them here in your favourite citation style.

If you’ve been involved in a significant amount of scientific outreach: STEMNET; teaching; mentoring; schools events; unpaid tutoring; public events etc.

Other sections sometimes included, and which are pretty self explanatory:

• Awards & Prizes
• Professional Memberships
• Grants/Scholarships

Tips for Writing a CV for a PhD Application

Translate your skills.

Beyond any subject-specific skills that you know will be useful, translate how your previous experience can transfer to your PhD.  Think about things such as:

• Independence
• Problem-solving

Ask yourself: how did your work standout? Use specifics to quantify performance rather than sticking to buzzwords. For example imagine if you’re writing as your role as president of a society:

“Leadership and teamwork experience”

“Overseeing the 270 member-strong society’s running and progression: leading to a doubling of active membership over two years”

Now you don’t need to go to that level of detail for everything, but if you’ve put in the work, make sure you do yourself justice.

Keep Things Concise

Make sure things are understandable but avoid long-winded sentences and especially paragraphs creating big blocks of dense text. Not only are big paragraphs off-putting to read, they make it really difficult for the reader to tease out the crucial information.

Bullet points are faster and easier to read, plus easier on the eye: all things you want to be encouraging! If you can’t succinctly describe a role in a few one line bullet points you’re probably adding too much information.

Don’t forget you can go in to more detail in your personal statement. Don’t waffle on your CV for a PhD application.

Well-Formatted

• Leaving lots of white space around your text keep it easier to read and therefore more likely that someone will continue to read it.
• In Word, zoom out so that you can see the pages of your document at once. If possible format sections so that nothing, and especially sentences, trails between pages: it makes the document look clean and professional. You can accurately play with line spacing by adding blank lines and setting the font size to something small: in my template I use size 3.
• Lead the eye . Make key information bold for it to stand out: though keep it consistent and don’t go too crazy!
• Try and keep your most important information to two pages . Anything beyond that should be supplementary.

If you’d like some guidance with formatting be sure to click  HERE for my downloadable Academic CV Template .

Spelling & Grammar

Nothing can more quickly make you appear incompetent than spelling mistakes, especially near to the top of your CV or in section headings. Once you’ve double checked your spelling take a break and come back to the document with fresh eyes: it’s amazing what you’ll spot. After that, ask a friend to have a read through too.

Save as PDF (if allowed)

Now that you’ve formatted your CV nicely, I suggest saving it as a PDF if the online submission allows. With PDFs the formatting is locked in place and you needn’t worry about the formatting screwing up because of differing versions of Word.

Take Inspiration

Often senior academics will include links to download their CVs from their personal webpages and I keep a folder of them for some inspiration. You can check out my online respository below!

If you’d like personalised help with your PhD application I am now starting to offer a small number of one-to-one sessions. Please contact me to find out more or click here to book a call.

I hope this post has helped with writing your own CV for a PhD application. If you have any tips or advice to share then I’d love to hear them in the comments! You can also subscribe for more content here:

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4 Comments on “How to Write a CV for a PhD Application (with free template!)”

Hey Jeff, great article!!

Any chance you can do one on personal statements?

Thanks, Yusuf

Hi Yusuf. I’m glad you’ve found it useful! Good idea about one for personal statements, I can see that being helpful so I’ll add it to my schedule and hope to get it out in not too long! Best wishes, Jeff.

hi, I cant seem to access the downloadable template! please could you post another link?

Hi Georgia, sorry that you’re having issues accessing the template. I’m tried it on two computers and it seems to work okay for me. Here is the same link again which works for me . Does that work? In case not I can email it to you. Let me know. Best wishes, Jeff

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• PhD Graduate CV examples

With a PhD behind you, you’re in prime position to secure a great job and begin your career from an advanced starting point.

But PhD graduate roles are competitive in nature, so you need to stand out in the application process.

Your CV needs showcase the plethora of skills you’ve gained alongside your academic achievements and soft skills.

Our PhD graduate CV examples and writing guide will help you to do this, and get hired.

Guide contents

• Structuring and formatting your CV
• Writing your CV profile
• Detailing work experience
• Your education
• Skills required for your PhD Graduate CV

CV templates 

PhD Graduate CV example 1

PhD Graduate CV example 2

Build your CV now 

Before you start writing your own CV, take a look at the example PhD Graduate CV above to give yourself a basic understanding of the style and format that recruiters and hiring managers prefer to see.

Also, take note of the type of content that is included to impress recruiters, and how the most relevant information is made prominent.

PhD Graduate CV structure and format

If you focus on the written content of your CV but ignore how it actually looks, your efforts could end up wasted.

No matter how suitable you are for the role, no recruiter wants to spend time squinting and trying to navigate a badly designed and disorganised CV.

Instead, make sure to organise your content into a simple structure and spend some time formatting it for ease of reading – it’ll get you in recruiter’s good books from the get-go!

Formatting Tips

• Length: Think that submitting a five page CV will impress recruiters? You’re wrong! Even if you’ve got tons of experience to brag about, recruiters don’t have time to read through overly detailed CVs. Keep it short, concise and relevant – a CV length of 2 sides of A4 pages or less is perfect.
• Readability : Columns, lists, bullet points, bold text and subtle colour can all help to aid the readability of your CV. Your overarching goal should be to make the content as easy to read and navigate as possible, whilst also aiming to make your key skills and achievements stand out.
• Design: Your CV needs to look professional, sleek and easy to read. A subtle colour palette, clear font and simple design are generally best for this, as fancy designs are often harder to navigate.
• Avoid photos: Logos, profile photos or other images aren’t necessary and rarely add any value – save the space for written content, instead!

Structuring your CV

When writing your own CV , break up your CV content into the following key sections:

• Name and contact details – Place them at the top of your CV, so that employers can easily get in touch.
• CV profile – A punchy sales pitch of your key experience, skills and achievements to reel readers in.
• Core skills section – A bullet-pointed snapshot of your abilities.
• Work experience – A well-structured list of your relevant work experience.
• Education – An overview of any relevant qualifications or professional training you have.
• Hobbies and interests – A short description of any relevant hobbies or interests (optional).

Now I’ll guide you through exactly what you should include in each CV section.

CV Contact Details

Tuck your contact details into the corner of your CV, so that they don’t take up too much space. Stick to the basic details, such as:

• Mobile number
• Email address – It should sound professional, such as your full name.
• Location -Just write your rough location, rather than your full address.
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – If you include these, ensure they’re sleek, professional and up-to-date.

PhD Graduate CV Profile

Grab the reader’s attention by kick-starting your CV with a powerful profile (or personal statement , if you’re a junior applicant).

This is a short introduction paragraph which summarises your skills, knowledge and experience.

It should paint you as the perfect match for the job description and entice recruiters to read through the rest of your CV.

Tips for creating an impactful CV profile:

• Keep it brief: Recruiters are busy, so to ensure your profile is actually read, it’s best to keep it short and snappy. 3-5 punchy lines makes for the perfect profile.
• Tailor it: If recruiters don’t see your suitability within a few seconds, they may close your CV straight away. Your CV profile should closely match the essential requirements listed in the job ad, so make sure to review them before you write it.
• Don’t add an objective: If you want to discuss your career objectives, save them for your cover letter , rather than wasting valuable CV profile space.
• Avoid cliches: Clichés like “ blue-sky thinker with a go-getter attitude” might sound impressive to you, but they don’t actually tell the recruiter much about you. Concentrate on highlighting hard facts and skills, as recruiters are more likely to take these on board.

What to include in your PhD Graduate CV profile?

• Summary of experience: Demonstrate your suitability for your target jobs by giving a high level summary of your previous work experience, including the industries you have worked in, types of employer, and the type of roles you have previous experience of.
• Relevant skills: Highlight your skills which are most relevant to PhD Graduate jobs, to ensure that recruiters see your most in-demand skills as soon as they open your CV.
• Essential qualifications: If you have any qualifications which are highly relevant to PhD Graduate jobs, then highlight them in your profile so that employers do not miss them.

Quick tip: Your CV is your first impression on recruiters, so it’s vital to avoid spelling and grammar mistakes if you want to appear professional. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to add pre-written content that has been crafted by recruitment experts.

Core skills section

Next, you should create a bullet pointed list of your core skills , formatted into 2-3 columns.

Here, you should focus on including the most important skills or knowledge listed in the job advertisement.

This will instantly prove that you’re an ideal candidate, even if a recruiter only has time to briefly scan your CV.

Work experience/Career history

Next up is your work experience section, which is normally the longest part of your CV.

Start with your current (or most recent) job and work your way backwards through your experience.

Can’t fit all your roles? Allow more space for your recent career history and shorten down descriptions for your older roles.

Structuring your roles

Whilst writing your CV, it’s essential to look at it from the eyes of a recruiter.

If they’re met with giant blocks of text which are impossible to navigate, they might get frustrated and skip onto the next CV.

Instead, make use of the 3-step structure shown below, to give them a pleasant reading experience.

Start with a 1-2 sentence summary of your role as a whole, detailing what the goal of your position was, who you reported to or managed, and the type of organisation you worked for.

Key responsibilities

Next up, you should write a short list of your day-to-day duties within the job.

Recruiters are most interested in your sector-specific skills and knowledge, so highlight these wherever possible.

Key achievements

Lastly, add impact by highlight 1-3 key achievements  that you made within the role.

Struggling to think of an achievement? If it had a positive impact on your company, it counts.

For example, you might increased company profits, improved processes, or something simpler, such as going above and beyond to solve a customer’s problem.

At the bottom of your CV is your full education section. You can list your formal academic qualifications, such as:

• GCSE’s

As well as any specific PhD Graduate qualifications that are essential to the jobs you are applying for. Note down the name of the qualification, the organisation at which you studied, and the date of completion.

Interests and hobbies

The hobbies and interests CV section isn’t mandatory, so don’t worry if you’re out of room by this point.

However, if you have an interesting hobby , or an interest that could make you seem more suitable for the role, then certainly think about adding.

Be careful what you include though… Only consider hobbies that exhibit skills that are required for roles as a PhD Graduate, or transferable workplace skills. There is never any need to tell employers that you like to watch TV and eat out.

Essential skills for your PhD Graduate CV

Tailoring your CV to the roles you are applying for is key to success, so make sure to read through the job descriptions and tailor your skills accordingly.

However, commonly desired  PhD Graduate  skills include:

• Analysis – Showcase your skill with analysis of data, using mathematical and modelling concepts.
• Leadership – Your CV needs to specify how you have developed interpersonal and leadership skills, and the potential you have for the future.
• Project management – Employers are looking for evidence of your successful and organised project management skills.
• Research – Your CV is an opportunity to display your tenacity for research and the ability to apply research in practical ways.
• Self-management – Demonstrate your work ethic, ability to problem solve and take initiative, and how you also allow room for collaboration and team work.

Writing your PhD Graduate CV

Creating a strong PhD Graduate CV requires a blend of punchy content, considered structure and format, and heavy tailoring.

By creating a punchy profile and core skills list, you’ll be able to hook recruiter’s attention and ensure your CV gets read.

Remember that research and relevance is the key to a good CV, so research your target roles before you start writing and pack your CV with relevant skills.

Best of luck with your next application!

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PhD resume examples & templates

Resume header

Awards, publications, or referees on your phd resume.

If you’re ready to apply for a PhD, chances are you’ll be asked to submit a resume so that the admissions committee can easily review your qualifications and interests. While a PhD resume will have many similarities with resumes created for job opportunities, there are a few key differences you’ll want to keep in mind while writing.

Luckily, Resume.io is here to help. With 350+ resume examples and writing guides, we’re an expert resource for job seekers (and students!) in all professions and stages of their careers. This PhD resume example and writing guide is designed to help you highlight your best qualities and get accepted into the program of your dreams. Here’s what we’ll cover:

What is a resume for a PhD program?

• How to write a PhD resume (tips and tricks)
• The best format for a PhD resume
• Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
• Professional resume layout and design hints.

In order to pursue a doctorate degree, you’ll need to apply to a PhD program, which generally lasts about 4-6 years. In order to evaluate your readiness to take on this challenging educational pursuit, most institutions will ask you to compile a resume (sometimes called a curriculum vitae in academia) showcasing your previous education, relevant work experience, academic interests, awards, and publications. You can think of a resume for a PhD program as a snapshot of who you are and the work or degrees you are most proud of.

PhD stands for “Doctor of Philosophy” and is the highest postgraduate degree available. To obtain a PhD, you not only need to be an expert in your field, but you must also present original and compelling research on a related topic, most often in the form of a dissertation, which is a written work that compiles your research and presents your insights into the chosen subject matter. A dissertation is then defended in front of a committee that decides whether or not you’ve met the standards to obtain your PhD.

How to write a PhD resume

The very first step in writing your PhD resume is understanding what sections to include. Your CV should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section for work or teaching experience
• The resume skills section which may include research interests
• The education section or academic history
• A publications or awards section
• A referees section if requested

While many of these sections can be found in some form on a standard resume for employment, there are key changes that academic committees will expect to see for candidates pursuing PhDs. 

Once you’ve identified the PhD program you’d like to apply to, it’s important to research the application process and any particular focus areas of the program. This will allow you to tailor your resume to contain the information most important to the selection committee. Be sure to include only the most relevant examples of work experience, while leaving out any odd jobs that are not related to the area you plan to study. For example, if applying to a PhD program in education, include your role as a graduate assistant for a university undergraduate course while leaving off a summer spent waiting tables at a local restaurant.

Choosing the best resume format for a PhD resume

PhD resumes are unique documents that will often deviate from other standard resume formats. Although the best format most closely resembles the reverse chronological structure of professional resumes, you’ll still need to make adjustments to best highlight your educational experience and research interests.

Make sure to order your resume with the most relevant sections first. While experienced job seekers may opt to place their education section at the bottom of their resume, PhD applicants should keep their education higher up on the page, usually after the summary section. PhD resumes should also contain an awards or publication section that are often rolled into the education section on other types of resumes. See our PhD resume example for more ideas on creating the perfect format.

The resume header is the attractive bar at the top or on the side of the page that contains your name, contact information, and any relevant social media profiles like LinkedIn. Your resume header serves a vital purpose in helping the reviewer to identify your document and making it easy to contact you about the next steps in the application process. The header also gives an attractive touch to your resume, but be sure to use a neutral color scheme and a professional font style as academic roles often call for a formal tone.

Resume summary example

The resume summary is the first section at the top of your resume that captures your interests, intentions, and key qualifications. For PhD applicants, make sure to include the name of the program and the university you are applying to (and don’t forget to update this for each different program – addressing your application to the wrong university is a serious mistake!) 

The summary should be about 3-5 sentences in length and should have a formal tone. Since PhD applicants often need to describe their research interests, the summary gives you the opportunity to do so without needing to use precious resume space to create a separate section for this information. Don’t forget to mention any relevant work or educational experience here as well as the goal of the summary is to encourage the reader to continue examining your resume. See our adaptable summary resume example below for more inspiration.

Get even more insight into the summary by checking out our related education resume examples:

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Strong background in psychology- and therapy-based academic research environments requiring high levels of focus and attention to detail. Strong analytical and critical thinking qualities.

Employment history sample

The employment history section for a PhD will look slightly different than for those applying to traditional jobs as it will likely contain details of your research experience along with any educational work experiences you’ve completed. Make sure to organize the information in a logical manner, starting with the most recent position and working backward through all relevant roles.

Don’t forget to include the job title or name of the research role, the employer or institution name, the dates completed, and the location. Just as you would for a job, create 4-5 bullet points that explain your most relevant accomplishments and duties completed. See our adaptable employment history resume sample below.

Student Researcher, University of Washington, Seattle November 2021 - Present

• Gather, analyze and report data for academic research projects.
• Maintain donor databases and publications records.
• Assess research efficiency and identify areas for improvement.

Assistant Teacher, St. Clare School for Children with Special Needs , Singapore July 2018 - June 2020

• Aided special education teacher in collaborating with students with varying levels of physical and mental disability.
• Assisted teacher in preparing daily activities, lesson plans, and individual education plan (IEP) for each student.

CV skills example

While skills are seemingly more relevant for employment than for an academic position, the CV skills section can still be adjusted to meet the needs of a PhD applicant. The best part about the CV skills section is that it takes the form of a bullet point list meaning the reader is likely to take notice of this section early on while evaluating your resume. Use the skills section to highlight research areas, academic areas of interest, specialized skills from relevant roles, and any teaching skills you may have to put to use during the PhD program. Make sure to check the program requirements to see if there are any specific qualifications that can be easily added to this section. See our adaptable resume example below.

• Data Analysis
• Academic Writing
• Psychological / Behavioral Sciences
• Research & Analysis
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
• Mental Health Assessments
• Clinical Care
• Research-based Treatment
• Behavioral Health
• Marriage Family Therapy

PhD resume education section

The education section of your PhD is one of the most important areas that the selection committee will take into account. Make sure to place it high up on your resume, usually after the summary. The education section is the place to list all previous degrees, the awarding institution, dates attended, and location. Since you are applying for another degree program, it’s worth creating bullet points under your previous educational experiences to offer insight into your most relevant achievements like grades, awards, or leadership roles. See our adaptable education resume sample below.

Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy, University of Washington, Seattle September 2018 - May 2020

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham September 2014 - May 2018

If you have many publications, awards, memberships, or other honors to show, you may consider creating a separate section to call the reader’s attention to the achievements on your PhD resume. Here you can list the award or publication name, the publisher or granting institution, and the date completed. You may also create one or two bullet points to expand on each entry. If you don’t have many of these types of achievements to show, or if space is limited on your resume, you may consider including these accolades throughout the other sections of your resume. However, be sure that they are clearly highlighted so that the reader doesn’t miss your key attributes.

Another additional section you may need to include is academic references (called referees in the case of a PhD resume.) Don’t forget to double-check whether or not referees are actually required/requested on your resume. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting valuable space on a section that is less important to the section committee.

Resume layout and design

The right look and feel for your PhD resume is crucial to keeping the reader’s attention and proving that you are a serious applicant. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your layout and design are professional and tailored to the program you are applying for. 

An expertly-designed resume template can make it easy to create a great design with minimal headache. Look for a layout that clearly highlights your name and contact information and gives you enough space to include any additional sections like awards or referees. Stick with standard 1-inch margins and make sure to use the same font styles and sizes throughout your resume.

Key takeaways for a PhD resume

• A resume is an essential application document when applying for PhD programs but it will likely look different from resumes created for employment opportunities.
• Pay attention to the requirements of the PhD program and tailor your resume to match. The skills and summary section are great places to do this.
• Don’t forget to include PhD-specific information like your areas of interest, publications, awards, or referees.
• Keep your design professional and formal. Check out our adaptable resume sample to get started on creating a great layout.

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A quick guide to a CV for a PhD application

How is a phd cv different from other cvs.

Whilst it may include a lot of the same information, a CV for a PhD can be slightly different from a CV for a graduate job. Here are some key things to consider when writing a CV for a PhD application:

• Emphasise your academic excellence.
• Highlight your enthusiasm for your research topic through previous research experience, attendance at conferences etc.
• Showcase research skills gained through Masters and Undergraduate dissertations or projects, lab work or specific technical skills where relevant.
• Draw attention to modules and other courses you have taken that are especially relevant to the PhD topic.
• If you will be undertaking duties such as teaching alongside the PhD, include relevant experience of working with students.
• Your PhD CV may be slightly longer.

How is a PhD CV similar to a CV for a graduate job?

• You should still ensure the layout is clear, concise, and professional.
• It is still important to tailor your CV for the opportunity by providing evidence of relevant skills and experience.
• You should still aim to keep language positive and achievement focussed. Don’t undersell yourself.

What should I include in my CV?

Personal details.

Include your full name and contact details at the top of your CV.

Research interests

You can include a short summary of your research interests as an introduction to your CV. Make sure this is relevant to the PhD you are applying for to show your motivation towards that field.

Include the title, dates, institution and grades for your previous degrees. You may also include titles of relevant modules and research projects/dissertations.

Research experience

Summarise your Undergraduate and Masters research projects and any other research projects you have undertaken, either as part of your studies or elsewhere.

Additional experience/Positions of responsibility 

This section is an opportunity to showcase any additional experience and skills you have which are relevant to the PhD. If you will be taking some teaching duties as part of the PhD, you should include any experience you have that is relevant. Choose a title for this section that best fits your experience. Highlight transferable skills which will be useful for the PhD and give examples of how you have developed them. Also, highlight membership of any relevant societies or professional bodies.

Publications

If you have had any work published at this stage, make sure you include it. You will not be expected to have published work at this stage, so exclude this section if you haven’t.

Conferences

You can include attendance at relevant conferences, particularly if you have presented. If this does not apply to you, exclude this section.

Provide a brief summary of your relevant extra-curricular interests. Use this section if your hobbies demonstrate an interest in your subject and/or research, or if your hobbies help you to demonstrate skills you will need to undertake a PhD (e.g. creativity, self-motivation) that you can’t show through your education or work experience.

References 

You will normally need at least two academic referees. Ensure you ask their permission before you include their contact details.

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Application Prep for Graduate Studies: How to write a PhD Personal Statement

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Not sure where to start when it comes to writing a PhD personal statement? We have put together a helpful article packed full of advice for writing your PhD personal statement (or cover letter), so you can approach the task with confidence. PhD personal statements are incredibly important bits of work, showing how suitable you are for studying within the department that you are applying to, so it’s wise to make sure you’ve done your absolute best – you only get to make your first impression once! Have a read of our useful PhD personal statement tips, make a cup of coffee, and start showing off your writing skills.

What is a PhD personal statement?

How do i write a phd personal statement, how should i structure a phd personal statement, what should i write in a phd personal statement, what style should i use for a phd personal statement, how should i check my phd personal statement, phd cover letter and personal statement tips.

When applying for a PhD course, you may have to submit a research proposal as well as a personal statement or cover letter.

The proposal details your research project (such as proposed methods, results and planned analysis) and why there is value in exploring it.

Your personal statement outlines why you are suitable for doctoral study. In addition, it should say why you’re interested in the specific PhD with that particular department and how your experiences can add to it.

Sometimes you only have to submit a proposal or a personal statement. If you have to submit both, be sure that they clearly cover these separate areas.

Your PhD application is very different from an application you may have made before through UCAS. It goes directly to the university and needs to be fully tailored to what the department is looking for. It’s similar to a job application.

If you haven’t already, get in touch with the PhD supervisors or other contacts within the department you want to work in. They regularly need PhD students to support their work, so they will probably be happy to help you with your application.

When planning what to write, read all relevant information about the course and any guidance from the university – for example, lists of desirable criteria, or a person specifications. You can use each criterion as a heading and make bullet points on what to write under each one.

• An introduction that outlines why you want to do the PhD
• Middle paragraphs that say how your interests and experiences make you right for doctoral study, and why the university department is a suitable fit for you
• A concluding paragraph that summarizes why you’re the best person for the course

Aim to explain how your skills and experience make you a suitable candidate for this particular PhD at this specific university.

• Why should you be completing research in this area?
• What are your strengths and achievements?
• What are your influences?
• Why is this university the right one for your project?
• Why do you want to work with this team?
• Make sure that you give evidence and not just state points, especially if the criteria are specific. What have you done to match the requirements?

You can discuss your wider achievements or extracurricular activities but try to keep it suited to the PhD. If you want, add information about gaps in your CV or any other issues that are relevant.

If you’re applying for a fellowship (a funded PhD), you should tailor your application to the funder. Spend enough time researching the fellowship so you talk about why it will be beneficial to you.

Aim to be concise in your writing. The university may set a limit on the word count, but if not, your personal statement should ideally be no longer than one side of A4. Be concise and make every word count.

Your statement should reflect the academic nature of the writing you’ll be doing in the PhD. For example, if your work is scientific, the people who will read your statement want to see that you can provide evidence and an explanation with each point you make.

For more information on how to write a personal statement, see our general postgraduate advice article.

Go to:  How to write a postgraduate personal statement

When writing your application, spend plenty of time rewriting sections to perfect it. A good idea is to spend 20 minutes editing for every hour you spend writing. If you can, sit in a different environment to edit than where you write from, as this will help keep your mind clear and fresh.

Develop a strong academic CV – this is what admissions tutors will usually look at before reading your personal statement. Use the CV to list your experiences, and don’t repeat the same information in your statement.

Start putting your application together early, even as early as a year before the PhD will begin. This will give you time to contact supervisors. Your applications may be due in December or January before you start, so you’ll need to set aside plenty of time if you’re applying for funding.

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PhD Thesis: Topics, Example, Process, Tips, How to Write?

Muhammad Hasim Sheikh Aug 24, 2024 1K Reads

PhD Thesis or PhD Dissertation is an important component in the process of getting a doctorate. If you are pursuing PhD or deciding to pursue it, it will be mandatory for you to prepare and submit your PhD Thesis.

All the details and information collected during the PhD research are presented in the form of a PhD Thesis. It is a detailed description of the research process of research outcomes that can contribute to the original field of knowledge in the particular field.

The PhD candidates prepare the PhD Thesis to showcase their research findings. A PhD Thesis is the backbone of the doctoral degree and plays an important role in showcasing the research ability and competency in conducting independent and original research.

A PhD Thesis not only demonstrates the research competency of the candidates but also exhibits their expertise, critical thinking, and research skills. The preparation of a PhD Thesis is a very difficult and challenging task and you need to take the utmost precautions while preparing it.

Here in this blog, we will discuss all the procedures adopted while preparing a detailed PhD and high-quality PhD Thesis:

What is the need for PhD Thesis Preparation?

The preparation of a PhD Thesis is crucial as it represents the cumulative research work and outcomes. The PhD Thesis provides a detailed description of the comprehensive research in the particular field. If you are a PhD Scholar, it will be mandatory for you to prepare a PhD Thesis to complete your degree.

It acts as proof of document of your research and findings while pursuing the PhD program. A PhD Thesis also guides the new PhD scholars for reference. Newly enrolled PhD scholars who have just begun their research work can refer to the previous research works conducted by a different researcher in the field to begin his journey.

PhD Thesis is a document that also provides a pathway to new research scholars in the field. The PhD thesis preparation involves organizing and assembling the research findings in a coherent structure. This allows you to refine ideas, identify gaps in the research, and ensure that the arguments are logically presented.

Additionally, you will be able to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication that are highly valuable in both academic and professional settings. 

Beginning of the PhD Thesis Writing

PhD Thesis writing begins after completion of the PhD coursework. Every PhD Scholar has to go through a PhD coursework. PhD coursework is offered in the initial years to provide a strong foundation in the research aptitude in the given field.

Once the coursework is completed, a comprehensive exam is conducted to examine and evaluate the ability of the scholars to conduct original research. Generally, the examination is conducted in the 3rd year of the PhD program. Once the examinations are concluded for the coursework, PhD scholars can start working on their PhD Thesis/Dissertation.

Process and Structure of PhD Thesis Writing

Writing a PhD Thesis is a daunting task and one has to go through a prolonged process. It involves several stages and PhD scholars need to through all the stages to prepare a highly inclusive Thesis.

Here is the detailed process and structure of the PhD Thesis:

• Cover Page:  The PhD Thesis writing begins with the preparation of the cover page. The cover page includes the title of the research topic, the name of the university, the name of the scholar, and the supervisor. Generally,  the cover page of the thesis is designed to catch the attention of the viewers.
• Preface: The cover page is followed by the Preface of the PhD Thesis. The Preface is written by the PhD scholars. In the preface of the thesis, they explain the reasons for taking up a particular research topic and their experiences while conducting the research and writing the PhD Thesis. Generally, the preface is written after writing the thesis but arranged after the cover page. 
• Acknowledgment: After writing the Preface of the thesis, PhD scholars begin with the acknowledgment page. Generally, the acknowledgment page of the thesis recognizes all those people who have contributed and given their support in conducting the research. PhD scholars acknowledge the contribution of all the people who have professionally and personally helped in the research. 
• Introduction: In the Introduction, PhD scholars introduce their research topic and explain how this study contributes to the original knowledge of the field. The introduction in the PhD Thesis is a summary of all the key objectives of the research and an explanation of why the particular research is needed. 
• Literature Review: The literature Review in the PhD Thesis is a summary of all the works done by previous researchers and academicians in the same field or field relevant to the topic. In the literature review, all the scholarly works whether books, research journals, research papers, or previous research thesis related to the subject are cited in the PhD Thesis.  A literature review is done to support the current research by analyzing the previous works done on the same subject. 
• Research Chapters: Research Chapters are the crux of the PhD Thesis. In this stage, the PhD Thesis is divided into various chapters. The research conducted by the PhD scholars is recorded in detail in this section. Research Chapters broadly explain the methodology, hypothesis, and original research. The research chapter includes the process of conducting the research on a particular area and the explanation of the research questions. 
• Conclusion: After writing all the research chapters in the PhD Thesis, the conclusion of the research is added. The conclusion is the final chapter of the PhD Thesis Writing that concludes all the research edvideces and findings to reach to a final result. The conclusion also includes the possibilities of further research in the same field and its application to enhance the knowledge of the particular subject. 
• Bibliography and Appendices: The bibliography is written at the end of the PhD Thesis. The Bibliography lists all sources such as books, journals, research papers, thesis, etc used in the PhD Thesis writing. It is written in alphabetical order and includes the author's name, title, publication year, etc. The PhD Scholar may be required to provide supplementary materials that aren't essential to the PhD Thesis in the form of appendices.

What is the Length of the PhDThesis/Dissertation?

The length of the PhD Thesis (or dissertation) greatly depends on the field of the study. Generally, the length of the PhD Thesis ranges between 60,000 to 1,20,000 words which can curated in 150 pages to 300 pages. The average length of the PhD Thesis is around 80,000 words.In general, the length of the PhD Thesis in Engineering and Sciences is shorter than that of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The average length of a PhD Thesis in different disciplines is explained in the table below:

How to Write Up PhD Thesis 

Once all the research related to the relevant topics and subjects has been conducted and all the data and results are collected, you can start with your PhD Thesis Writing.

This period is also known as the Writing Up period. The writing-up stage in a PhD Thesis starts when the original research has already been completed.

In this stage, you only focus on the PhD Thesis Writing and do not conduct any additional research. 

In research related to Humanities and Social sciences, you may already have a large amount of chapter drafts and papers which makes writing up easy. You only need to redraft and assemble these chapter drafts and research papers to formulate a PhD Thesis.

However, writing a PhD Thesis for a Science and Engineering subject may be different. If you are conducting research in these fields, a major part of your research depends on collecting and analyzing data.

Writing Up a PhD Thesis in Science and Engineering fields may require findings and conclusions from the data collected. 

Regardless of the subject and process of PhD Thesis Writing, it should be able to reflect your findings which can be applied in the particular discipline to enhance knowledge. 

Role of PhD Thesis Feedback

Feedback from the supervisor while writing the PhD Thesis plays a crucial role. It helps in formulating a well-organized and highly structured PhD Thesis. You must seek constant feedback from your supervisor on your chapter drafts while writing the PhD Thesis. 

When the thesis writing is in progress, comments and feedback from the supervisor who has significant research experience will ensure that the research is going in the right direction. You must regularly attend the supervisory meeting and present your chapter drafts for review.

Your PhD supervisor will be more than happy to help and guide you through your PhD Thesis Writing. However, PhD supervisor is not responsible for grammatical mistakes. You must ensure that your thesis is free from grammatical errors.

Levels of Plagiarism in PhD Thesis 

While writing the PhD Thesis, you must ensure that your thesis is free from plagiarism. The PhD Thesis must contain your original research and not be copied from anywhere. Plagiarism in a PhD Thesis is considered a serious academic offense and can lead to severe consequences.

If you are giving references to works from other authors, you must give proper citations. Paraphrasing and rephrasing of other’s work must be duly acknowledged. In PhD Thesis Writing, plagiarism is defined on various levels.

Here are the different levels of plagiarism in PhD Thesis Writing:

Penalty for Plagiarism in PhD Thesis/Dissertation 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) takes plagiarism very seriously and sets the penalty standards for different levels of plagiarism.

Here is the punishment for Plagiarism in the PhD Thesis:

Finishing PhD Thesis and Final Submission 

Once you are done with the final draft of the PhD Thesis, you will need to send it to your supervisor. The supervisor will go through the thesis and after reviewing it, approve it for final submission.

Once your supervisor has approved you thesis, submit it for the examination. The Departmental Research Committee (DRC) will examine the PhD Thesis and you will have to appear for the Grand PhD Viva. In this Viva, you will need to defend your research findings and conclusions in the PhD Thesis. 

PhD Thesis submission is done in physical form and you will have to take a printout of the thesis. You should always take multiple printouts of the thesis to avoid any printing mistakes and glitches. At the time of final submission, generally, multiple copies of the thesis are required which makes it more important.

PhD Viva is conducted within 3 months of thesis submission. Once the viva has been completed, the examiners will let you know whether or not you need to make any changes to your PhD Thesis. 

These could be 3 outcomes after thesis submission and viva. All are mentioned below:

If you asked for a correction, you will have to fix the errors and re-submit the PhD thesis again. The re-submission of PhD is usually done digitally.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

⭐ what is a phd thesis.

A PhD Thesis is a well-structured and well-organized piece of original research that every PhD scholar has to prepare and submit to get their doctorate. 

⭐ Is PhD Viva mandatory after the final submission of the PhD Thesis?

Yes, PhD Viva is mandatory for every PhD Candidate once they have made the final submission of their thesis. In PhD Viva, candidates defend their research and findings before the departmental research committee. 

⭐ What is the ideal length of a PhD Thesis?

There is no ideal length for a PhD Thesis. However, the length of the PhD thesis is greatly influenced by the disciplines of the research. The length of PhD in Engineering and Sciences is comparatively less than that of PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences. The PhD thesis ranges between 60,000 words to 1,20,000 words. 

⭐ What percentage of Plagiarism is allowed for a PhD Thesis?

The University Grants Commission (UGC) allows a maximum of 10 percent plagiarism in the PhD Thesis. The candidates whose thesis plagiarism falls within 10% are not penalized. 

⭐ What is the penalty for Level 2 Plagiarism?

Level 2 plagiarism means that the PhD Thesis has a similarity above 40% to 60%. For this level of plagiarism, the PhD candidate will be asked to withdraw the manuscript and debarred from the annual increment for one year. The supervisor of such PhD scholar will also be penalized with a ban on any PhD supervision for 2 years. 

⭐ What is the Penalty for Level 3 Plagiarism?

Level 3 plagiarism exhibits a similarity above 60% in the PhD Thesis. The PhD Scholars will be asked to withdraw their manuscript and they will be prohibited to annual increments for 2 consecutive years. The supervisor will not be allowed to supervise any new Master’s and  PhD Thesis/dissertation for 3 consecutive years. 

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4 must-have items in your resume to get a remote job.

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4 Must-Have Items In Your Resume to Get a Remote Job

For a lot of people, remote working is the dream. The benefits of remote work include no longer

dealing with traffic and long commutes, greater flexibility in managing your schedule, and the comfort of working from home.

But even more importantly, remote work can also open avenues for professional growth as it allows you to work for companies across the globe without having to relocate. If this sounds like an excellent deal to you, you’re not alone. According to the Pew Research Center , at least 65% of workers prefer to work remotely full-time, and 98% would like to have the option to work remotely at least part of the time.

With many CEOs calling their employees to return to the office , you may need to exert more effort to get a remote role, at least compared to the pandemic years . That being said, the demand for remote roles is still high in many industries, and with the right tweaks, your resume should help you get the remote role you want.

Here are four must-have items in your resume if you want to get a remote job today.

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As with any job, you want to show previous related work experience to prove that you are qualified for it. With remote jobs, you want your future employer to see how well you fare with working unsupervised and what results you achieved in such setups.

But even if this is your first time pursuing a fully remote role, you can still highlight past experiences where you successfully collaborated with co-workers or stakeholders in different states or even overseas to accomplish set goals.

It’s particularly helpful to think about projects where you coordinated across time zones, managed communication remotely, or relied on digital tools such as Zoom or Slack to get the job done.

To make your resume even more attractive to employers, try your best to quantify your results and show how your work improved the company’s processes or contributed to the bottom line.

For example, you might mention how you implemented a new project management tool that streamlined workflow and resulted in a 25% increase in task completion rates, helping the team consistently meet deadlines. You could also cite a time when you managed a remote team across different time zones, which allowed your team to operate more efficiently and cut overhead costs by 15%.

The more you can show your ability to deliver good results in a remote setting, the more attractive you’ll be to potential employers. The key is to highlight your successes and show that distance will not hinder you from creating stellar results.

Collaboration Skills

At the heart of any successful remote working experience is effective collaboration with your peers and managers. Employers value collaboration skills because you don’t see each other face to face; it’s easy to work in silos and lose touch with the team’s overall goals.

Including collaboration as part of your skills is crucial, but to truly stand out, you’ll want to demonstrate that you were instrumental in getting the team to work collaboratively, even when you’re all miles apart.

Don’t forget to mention your experience in using specific project management tools like Asana , Trello , or Monday.com — this is important because it demonstrates your proficiency with the tools that help you assign tasks, track progress, and ensure timely deliveries, especially as a remote worker.

Excellent In Presentations

Presentations are a crucial skill for anybody to master, but it’s even more important for people working remotely. Because you’re not in the office, your best opportunity to make a good first impression is during meetings, and having excellent presentation skills will help you clearly communicate your ideas, engage your audience, and establish a professional presence.

You’ll want to cover the basics first. Ensure your slides are clear, concise, and visually engaging. Focus on structuring your content logically and practicing your delivery to maintain a confident and professional demeanor.

Once you have your content down, you’ll also want to be adept at using the tools. Remote presentations come with unique challenges, so also familiarize yourself with tools like Zoom , Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet . Learn how to use their features effectively, and find out how you can maximize them to achieve your goals.

Mastering the tools helps you maintain command of the room and avoid technical glitches as much as possible. You already spent a ton of time polishing your slides and delivery, so the last thing you want is to fumble around trying to share a screen or get a video playing!

Data & Numbers

From tracking customer behavior to optimizing supply chains, data allows companies to predict trends, personalize experiences, and stay ahead of the competition. But while we’re all practically up to our ears in data, it takes people with actual data analytics skills to find patterns and create actionable insights that companies can use to inform their operations.

If this is you, then you’re in luck. With Quanthub estimating the demand to have grown 650% since 2012, your skills are highly sought after, and companies will want to hire you, even if you’re on the other side of the globe.

But first, you’ll want to ensure that your data analytics skills and experience are highlighted in your resume. For example, if you’ve led projects where data-driven decisions led to increased efficiency or growth, you want to detail that impact in terms of numbers.

Mention specific tools that you’ve mastered and how you used them to uncover trends or optimize processes. Did you create a predictive model that saved your company thousands or even millions? Again, don’t just mention it—quantify it in terms of how it has benefited your company and its bottom line.

The more you can do this, the better your chances of getting hired for remote roles. It might be a bit more challenging, but the effort will pay off. So polish up your resume, highlight those key achievements, and get ready to seize the opportunities that come your way. Rooting for you!

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How to List References on Your Resume (with Examples)

Customers Interviewed by:

It used to be common practice to include a couple of references on your resume or add a line stating that “ references are available on request. ” But adding your references directly to your resume is a dated practice.

It’s also too early in the application process to provide references. Hiring managers don’t have time or interest in checking references at the first stage of screening candidates, so adding them to your resume is a waste of valuable space.

Instead, present your references the right way. Keep reading to learn:

• If you should ever put references on your resume.
• Where your references should go.
• How to write a references list .
• Who you can ask for a reference.

Should you put references on your resume?

No, you should leave your references off your resume.

Later on in the application process—during the interview phase —the hiring team will request references if they want them. When you provide your references, format them separately on a separate document. (You’ll see how below!)

Why should you avoid putting references on your resume?

Career experts advise you to avoid adding references to your resume for two reasons:

• The space you have on your resume is limited.
• It can make your resume look dated or age you as a candidate.

“References take up valuable real estate you could be using for more compelling info like your accomplishments and skills , as well as keywords related to the role you’re seeking,” shares Emily K. Frank , professional career counselor and certified career coach.

When you only have one or two pages to sell yourself to potential employers, you need every line to be impactful and intentional. Adding references disrupts the purpose of your resume: to give the hiring team an idea of your past experiences and skills. 

According to Emily, “it also looks a bit dated and old-fashioned, like adding your hobbies and interests, which has the potential to make it appear you are not up to date on things.”

Not only can adding references to your resume make you appear out of sync with modern resume guidelines , but it can make you come across as older in your application. These small details can inadvertently trigger some subconscious ageism in hiring teams, putting you at a disadvantage. 

How to write a resume reference list

When passing along references to hiring managers or recruiters, you should organize them as a separate document. 

How should you format your resume reference list?

• Reference name
• Job title and company name
• Email address and phone number
• Description of reference

Check with your preferred references in advance to confirm they’re willing to be a reference. Make sure you get current contact information and preferred method of contact so you have it ready when the hiring team requests it.

Examples of a resume reference list

By including all the information above, your reference list will look like this:

Anaya Guzman

Head of Product Development

Phone: (555) 555-1234

Email: [email protected]

Note: Anaya was my direct supervisor during my time as a product manager at FlipCart.

Whether you’re emailing your reference list or handing a hard copy to the interviewer in-person, maintain consistency by including your name, job title, and contact information at the top of your resume (just like on your resume). 

This looks more polished and helps the hiring manager stay organized if the list of references gets separated from the rest of your application. 

Include all the key sections of your resume—and leave out your references—in minutes. Jobscan’s free resume builder will format an ATS-friendly resume ready to be optimized to the job description.

Who should you ask for a reference?

Carefully select the people you ask to be a reference. Consider how well the individual knows your work ethic, your skillset, and what it’s like to work with you. 

Depending on where you are in your career, your reference list may include different types of people. 

Common employment references include:

• Former supervisors or managers
• Direct reports
• Freelance or contract clients

You can also ask for business references from:

• Professional mentors
• Contacts from professional organizations
• Contacts from training and professional development programs

If you’re a new grad or an entry-level applicant, you can ask:

• Professors or academic advisors
• Volunteer coordinators you’ve worked under

You can add personal references alongside your professional references—just not your mom. Personal references can help shed light on key soft skills that translate well to the workplace.

Some personal references can include:

• Coaches and instructors from extracurricular activities
• Friends who have worked with you on projects
• Leaders of clubs, hobby groups, or community service organizations

Your best reference is an expert in your work ethic. But, if someone in your network has experience in a particular field or is familiar with the role you’re applying for, you can alter your reference list to put them at the top.

Tips for asking for a reference

Asking for a reference is important. No one wants to get an unexpected call or email and be put on the spot. Here are some things to consider before you list people as resume references:

• Ask permission in advance (and say thank you) : Contact your desired connections and ask if they can be a reference. Not only is this polite, but if they know a call may be coming, they have time to think about what to say in advance. Follow up with a thank you. You never know when you’ll need another reference.
• Make sure your references feel comfortable : Give people the opportunity to say “no.” If they’re someone you currently work with and you want to keep your job search quiet, be sure that they’re comfortable being secretive about your plans. 
• Prepare your references with information about the job: Providing the job description and the company name to your references helps them recognize the caller or email that’s contacting them. You can even send them a copy of your resume to review, so they highlight the important skills and experience for the role. 

Key Takeaways

• Don’t put your references on your resume and don’t bother including a line, “ references available upon request .” It’s implied that you’ll provide references if necessary.
• Adding them to your resume can backfire by taking up too much valuable real estate and cause the hiring team to assume you’re an older applicant. 
• Put your strongest reference at the top of the list . The hiring manager may not call each reference so don’t bury your most relevant reference at the bottom. Even if the hiring team checks only one reference, it’s likely to be the first. 

References are individuals who can vouch for your qualifications, character, and work history. They provide employers with an additional perspective on your abilities and potential fit for the role you’re applying for.

No, it is not necessary to put references directly on your resume. In fact, it’s common practice to leave them off unless the job posting specifically requests them. Most employers will ask for references at a later stage in the hiring process, so you should be prepared to provide them when asked.

You should choose people who can speak positively about your professional skills , work ethic, and character. Ideal references include former supervisors, managers, colleagues, mentors, or even clients. If you’re a recent graduate, you can also consider using professors or advisors who are familiar with your work and character.

No, you should only provide references if the employer specifically requests them. Including references when not asked can make your resume look outdated and take up valuable space that could be better used to highlight your skills and accomplishments.

If you’re asked to provide references, you typically need three to five. However, these should not be listed on your resume itself. Instead, prepare a separate reference sheet that you can submit if requested.

Employers use references to verify the information you’ve provided in your resume and during interviews. References help them gain insight into your past job performance, work habits, reliability, and how you might fit into their team or company culture.

No, you should always ask for permission before including someone as a reference. Not only is it courteous, but it also ensures that your references are prepared and willing to provide a positive endorsement when contacted by the employer.

You typically need references during the later stages of the hiring process, such as after a successful interview or when a job offer is being considered. Employers may request them as part of their final decision-making process.

Kelsey is a Content Writer with a background in content creation, bouncing between industries to educate readers everywhere.

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• Undergraduate

18 Résumé Writing Tips to Help You Stand Out

By  Allison Pohle

Updated May 11, 2021 2:15 pm ET

• A résumé isn’t just a list of every job you’ve ever had. It should demonstrate your accomplishments.
• Mirror language used in the job posting so your résumé isn’t discarded by an applicant tracking system.
• Use a clean and simple format. 

Companies increasingly  rely on software  to sort through applicants, which is why it is essential to tailor your résumé to ensure it makes the cut. Applicant tracking systems sort, scan and rank applicants by looking for keywords in applications. Although these programs can save time and money for employers, about 60% said such tools cause them to miss some qualified candidates, according to a 2016 survey of 1,200 job seekers and managers by CareerArc, a human-resources technology company, and Future Workplace, a research firm. Here’s how to make your résumé stand out to robots and humans alike. 

1. Highlight your achievements in your résumé. 

A common mistake job seekers make is believing a résumé is a recap of your career, when in reality, it should convey what you have accomplished, says Christy Noel, a career expert and author of “Your Personal Career Coach.” 

“I always say, spend less of your real estate describing your job, and more time describing your results,” says Ms. Noel.  

2. Customize your résumé.

Read over the job posting, and think about the work experience you have had that is most directly relevant to the position you are pursuing. You can leave out some past jobs and internships if the experience you had wasn’t related. Whatever you do: Don’t submit a generic résumé to dozens of postings. “Even if you have the best experience, if your résumé isn’t speaking directly to the position in which you are applying, there is a strong chance you’ll never even get an interview,” says Demisha Jennings, a certified professional résumé writer and founder and owner of She Assists LLC.  

The same applies to your cover letter. It is your chance to provide more detail on how your experience will help you succeed in the job.  Read our cover letter guide  for how to write one that makes you stand out.

3. Decide how to format your résumé.

Most of the time, a chronological résumé will work well for communicating your past experience. But, in some cases, a functional or hybrid résumé might be more appropriate.  Read more about résumé formats here.

4. Make your contact information easy to find.

Include your name, phone number, email address, city and state. It may also be appropriate to include the URL to your LinkedIn profile. You want it to be easy for hiring managers to reach out.

In addition to making it easy to connect with you, it is important to your job search that you grow your network.  Read our networking guide  for tips on how to do so.

5. Consider adding a summary. 

Many résumé templates leave space for an objective statement, outlining career goals, but that approach is outdated, says Ms. Jennings. Instead, consider a carefully worded summary. The summary is often the first place a hiring manager will look, and gives you an opportunity to introduce your skills high up on the page. You can also work in relevant keywords from the job description. “Recruiters are looking for what you can bring to the table and what you’ve done, rather than you saying, ‘I’m seeking a position,’” Ms. Jennings says. 

6. Great résumés should stand out to skim readers.

Most recruiters spend just a few seconds skimming through a résumé—with an average in one study of  7.4 seconds.  

To have the best chance of making an impression, ensure your job titles, company names and dates of employment are easy to read. The sections of your résumé should be adequately spaced, too, says Dana Leavy-Detrick, founder and director of Brooklyn Resume Studio. 

For additional ways to make a good impression on recruiters and headhunters, read  our guide on how to work with headhunters .

7. Make your résumé robot-friendly. 

Structure your résumé to meet the requirements of an applicant tracking system to give yourself the best chance of having it reach an actual human. Ms. Leavy-Detrick suggests the following:

• Optimize keywords.  Use the same words and language that are in the job description. For example, three different companies might describe the same role as “programmer,” “developer” or “software engineer.” 
• Use a straightforward format.  Avoid tables and text-based graphics, which might not get picked up by a scan of the résumé. Sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica are also best to ensure readability.
• Think about order.  When formatting each line item of work experience, list the company name first, followed by the job location (city, state), your job title, and your start and end dates. Some résumés can get lost if the dates are listed before the job title. 

8. Prioritize relevant keywords. 

Tailoring your skills to include language from the job posting is an important way to let both the applicant tracking system and, eventually, a hiring manager, see how your prior qualifications tie into the job requirements. But just because you have a résumé full of keywords doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get an interview. “The ATS isn’t there to help the job seeker, it is there to help the employer review your skills against their most important qualifications,” says Ashley Watkins, a career coach and résumé writer with Write Step Résumés LLC. 

9. Craft compelling and concise bullet points.

The goal of a résumé is to list your accomplishments, rather than every duty you performed in the role. Résumé-writing experts recommend including no more than five bullet points per prior job listed. 

• Don’t focus on tasks.  Many job seekers describe what they did every day, such as answering phones or creating marketing materials, Ms. Watkins says. “Simply copying and pasting the job description doesn’t account for the things you did great, that you did above and beyond your peers,” she says.
• Instead, explain what those tasks achieved.  Emphasize your results. Ms. Watkins suggests asking yourself “Did I save [the employer] money? Did I save time? Did I improve a process? Did I build a relationship?” These will help you format your bullet points.
• Use metrics.  Say what you achieved, then contextualize it—with figures if possible. You might not be able to put a monetary value on every accomplishment, but you can frame it by sharing details like the time it took or how many people were involved. “If you raised sales 50% in two months, that means a whole lot more than ‘I’m in charge of sales,’” Ms. Watkins says. 
• Don’t omit accomplishments that aren’t quantifiable.  Not every achievement will have metrics to show success. If there are figures, you might not always have access to them. But that shouldn’t stop you from including them, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. Perhaps you had a positive impact on the culture of an organization, or improved a struggling relationship with a client. These efforts could help to demonstrate your  soft skills.

10. Focus on transferable skills if you lack experience.

If you are applying for a job in a new field or you are an entry-level applicant and don’t have much direct experience, don’t worry. Highlight transferable skills you have developed in the past that will serve you well in the position, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. For example, you could play up leadership skills you developed participating in an extracurricular activity or time-management skills you learned in a prior job.

11. Go beyond your work history, and include all relevant experience.

If you are new to the workforce, or are job-hunting after being laid off, you could also include related experience that was outside of a traditional full-time job, says Ms. Watkins. For example, you can highlight volunteer work, consulting projects or educational training, all as part of making the case for your unique value, she says.

12. Don’t worry too much about gaps in your résumé.

The Covid-19 pandemic economy resulted in many people being laid off or furloughed. Ms. Watkins says the 2020 job market reminds her of 2008, when she worked as a recruiter. The expectation at that time, she says, was that candidates would have  gaps  on their résumés or list more short-term positions. While it isn’t necessary to directly address the gaps in your résumé, you should be  prepared to talk about them in an interview . “The focus should not be centered on the fact that you were furloughed or laid off, it should be focused on you and your skills and what you do that impacts the company’s bottom line in a positive way,” Ms. Watkins says.

While it is common to list the months and years you started and ended positions in the job history section, you could just use years. This will draw less attention to a six- or eight-month gap, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. 

13. Highlight relevant skills.

It is common to  add a skills section to your résumé , outlining expertise relevant to the position. You can include languages you speak, technical skills or courses you have done. If you lack experience, you can also complete some trainings, which you can find on LinkedIn and elsewhere, related to the job you are applying for and add the courses in this section, says Ms. Jennings.

14. Prioritize work experience over education.

The professional experience you have had is often more relevant to the position than your education history, which is why the work experience should be listed first. In the “Education” section, you should list where you attended college, if applicable, or the highest level of education you have attained. If you graduated with honors, you can flag that, but it isn’t necessary to list your GPA.

15. If you are early on in your career, a key résumé tip is to limit it to one page. 

If you are early on in your career, you should limit your résumé to one page. It is OK to start spilling onto a second page after you have eight to 10 years of experience, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. 

16. Add some color for a stylish résumé that sets you apart. 

Your résumé should look clean and professional and you should keep applicant tracking systems in mind when formatting the document. But, if it is appropriate, you can add subtle accents of color in the section headings or in bars that separate sections as a way to differentiate your résumé. Ms. Leavy-Detrick doesn’t overstress the need for good design with her clients. “But it can definitely help,” she says. “When I say design, I don’t mean crazy graphic design. I mean having a polished application,” she says. “Think of it the same way you would coming dressed to an interview, it is part of your presentation, and so many people overlook this on the résumé.”

It may be appropriate to incorporate a more creative and graphic-based layout depending on the field in which you work and where you are applying. If you are applying for a position in a creative field, and you are emailing your résumé directly to a hiring manager, then it can be appropriate to use more designs, says Ms. Jennings. But if you are applying to a large company that uses an applicant tracking system or job portal, she says it is best to avoid using graphics unless you are working with a résumé writer who can help you get your resume through the system.

17. Proofread and double-check the formatting.

You may be eager to send your résumé or submit your application, but you should take the time to first check for typos and grammatical errors. You could also have a friend or family member look over it. When you are checking for errors, be sure to double-check the formatting. Sometimes the spacing can get thrown off when you save the file, so check how it looks as a saved document and, if you can, save it as a PDF before sending. 

18. Make sure the saved file name includes your name. 

Make less work for the hiring manager by including your full name in the file name of the résumé document.

What to read next

• How to Prepare for a Job Interview
• What Questions to Ask During a Job Interview
• Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
• How to Dress for a Job Interview
• How to Write a Thank-You Email After a Job Interview  
• How to Negotiate and Counter a Job Offer
• How to Negotiate Salary for a New Job: The Do’s and Don’ts
• Severance Pay: What It Is and Why You Should Negotiate a Package Before Accepting a Job

Corrections & Amplifications Ashley Watkins is a résumé writer with Write Step Résumés LLC. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Write Steps LLC. (Corrected on Nov. 20)

Copyright ©2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Appeared in the November 23, 2020, print edition as '11 Résumé Tips to Help You Get Noticed

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Local editions

• Habari za Kenya Swahili

Career Coach Shares 5 Tips for Excellent CV and Resume When Applying for High-Paying Jobs in Kenya

• Emmanuel Makokha, a career coach with over 10 years of experience in the Kenyan job market, described the resume as a personal marketing tool
• Makokha said the resume is the difference between landing an interview and being overlooked for high-paying jobs due to competition in the job market
• He emphasised that resumes should be designed to capture the attention of recruiters and should aim to make them compelling, relevant, and to the point

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has more than three years of financial, business , and technology research expertise, providing insights into Kenyan and global trends.

The job market in Kenya has become very competitive, making it essential to write effective curriculum vitae and resumes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Emphasise strategic impact in your previous roles, outline leadership achievements, dont use generic cvs, include evidence of your achievements, tell recruiters how you will add value to their organisation, recently advertised jobs in kenya.

With the high number of college and university graduates as well as experienced individuals applying for senior roles due to the high compensation packages attached to them, the resume is understandably the difference between securing an interview for a dream job or being overlooked.

At least 12000 students appeal for re-categorisation in new government funding model

To guide job seekers through the process, TUKO.co.ke sought advice from Emmanuel Makokha, a prominent Kenyan career coach with over ten years of training and experience helping Kenyans land jobs across various levels.

Tips for an excellent resume

Makokha, who is also the founder of Fresh Jobs Kenya , a jobs search database, shared key strategies for crafting standout CVs and resumes, particularly when applying for senior positions.

According to Makokha, senior-level candidates must emphasise their extensive experience and showcase the strategic impact they have had throughout their careers.

"Your CV is more than just a list of jobs; it's a reflection of your leadership journey. It's important to highlight how you have driven significant organisational changes and delivered key projects that contributed to company growth," he said in an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke.

Absa Bank Kenya to expand its Agency Services Network to 17,000 outlets in two years

Senior roles are often leadership roles, and therefore, employers are often interested in seeing leadership achievements and abilities outlined in the resume.

"When applying for a senior role, the employer needs to see that you have the ability to lead and inspire teams. It’s important to provide examples of projects where your leadership made a measurable difference," Makokha said.

Furthermore, job seekers are encouraged to tailor their CVs to the specific role for which they are applying.

"Don't send out generic resumes. Take the time to understand the company and the position. Then, reflect on how your skills and experience align with the role's specific requirements," said the coach.

Another critical point Makokha raised is the importance of quantifiable results as evidence for your achievements.

"Employers want to see data that backs up your claims. Include numbers that demonstrate your success, such as percentage growth in revenue, cost savings achieved, or teams you've managed," Makokha advised.

Kenyan Bolt drivers to own cars on loan in new deal with Hakki Africa: "Own a car after 3.5 years"

He concluded by advising applicants to outline how they plan to add value to the hiring company to give the recruiters the satisfaction that they are ideal for the positions.

"Your CV should not only show where you've been but where you’re going and how you plan to add value to the organization," Makokha concluded.

The career coach stressed that job seekers should view their CVs or resumes as personal marketing tools designed to capture the attention of recruiters and should aim to make them compelling, relevant, and to the point.

• The Public Service Commission (PSC) advertised 142 job vacancies across various ministries and state departments.
• Tharaka Nithi County Public Service Board advertised several vacancies in the Department of Public Health and Medical Services.
• Kenya Commercial Bank, Co-operative Bank and NCBA Bank invited applications for job openings across different fields.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Elijah Ntongai (Business editor) Elijah Ntongai is an editor at TUKO.co.ke's business desk, covering stories on money, the economy, technology, and other business-angled stories. Ntongai graduated from Moi University with a Bachelor's in Linguistics, Media and Communication. Ntongai is trained and certified under the Google News Initiative and Reuters Digital Journalism. For any correspondence, contact Ntongai at [email protected].

Emmanuel Makokha (Career Development Coach) Emmanuel Makokha is a Certified Career Growth Coach and the Founder of Freshjobs Kenya, a leading job search and recruitment company. Over the years, Emmanuel has provided Career Growth Coaching, Interview Preps, Resume, and LinkedIn Writing Services to Mid and Senior Executives across 30 countries. He also provides redundancy and outplacement services and career guidance to high schools, colleges, and universities. He can be reached through LinkedIn or email- [email protected] and cc [email protected].