Academic CV: the sections, the order, and how it differs from a resume.
An academic CV is a complete record of your scholarly life: education, research, publications, teaching, grants and service. Unlike a resume it grows with your career, and its length is a feature rather than a problem.
An academic CV lists your education first, then research positions, publications, presentations, grants and awards, teaching, and service, each in reverse chronological order. It has no page limit, uses a consistent citation style and avoids a marketing summary. Tailor the order to the role: research first for research positions, teaching first for teaching-focused institutions.
How to build an academic CV
- Start with contact details and education. Degrees with institution, year, dissertation title and advisor.
- Add research positions and interests. Appointments with dates; a line of research interests if the field expects it.
- List publications properly. Separate peer-reviewed articles, chapters, preprints and works in progress, in one citation style.
- Add presentations, grants and awards. Conference talks, invited talks, funding you received, honours.
- Describe teaching. Courses taught or assisted, your role and level.
- Finish with service and skills. Reviewing, committees, outreach, languages and research methods.
Illustrative examples to adapt
Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.
Academic CV skeleton
When to use: Early-career researchers and doctoral candidates.
[Your name] [Department], [University] · [email] · [website] EDUCATION PhD, [Field], [University] | Expected [Year] Dissertation: [title]. Advisor: [name] [Earlier degree], [University] | [Year] PUBLICATIONS [Author list], [Year]. [Title]. [Journal], [volume]([issue]), [pages]. PRESENTATIONS [Title], [Conference], [City] | [Year] TEACHING Teaching assistant, [Course], [University] | [Term Year] GRANTS AND AWARDS [Award or grant], [Funder] | [Year] SERVICE Reviewer, [Journal] | [Year] to present
Industry resume line from an academic CV
When to use: Turning research into a one-page resume for a non-academic role.
Led a [number]-year research project on [topic], designing [method] and analysing [type of data] in [tool], with findings published in [venue].
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Academic CV vs resume
| Element | Academic CV | Resume |
|---|---|---|
| Length | No limit; grows over time | One to two pages |
| First section | Education | Summary or experience |
| Publications | Complete, in citation style | Selected, if any |
| Teaching and service | Full sections | Only if relevant |
| Summary | Usually none | Usually yes |
| Tailoring | Order of sections | Content and wording |
The same line, rewritten
Illustrative example with placeholders.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | Publications: several papers in good journals on machine learning topics. |
| Strong | [Author list], [Year]. [Title]. [Journal], [volume]([issue]), [pages]. (Every entry in one citation style.) |
Why it matters: An academic reader expects complete, checkable citations. A vague summary of publications looks like there is nothing specific to show.
Before you send it
- Education is at the top with dissertation details.
- Publications are complete and in one citation style.
- Works in progress are labelled honestly.
- Teaching, grants and service have their own sections.
- Section order matches the type of institution.
- Every date and title is accurate.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using a resume format with a marketing summary.
- Mixing citation styles.
- Listing a submitted paper as accepted.
- Leaving teaching out when applying to teaching-focused institutions.
- Cutting the CV to two pages when the role expects the full record.
Build yours
Questions people ask
What is an academic CV?
How long should an academic CV be?
What is the difference between a CV and a resume in the US?
How do I turn my academic CV into a resume?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. Advice is labelled as advice. Every sample uses a fictional person marked '(illustrative)' or a 'Your name' placeholder, and every employer, school, date and result is a bracketed placeholder for your own true details.
- What a specific employer screens for: always read the posting.
- Your results: we never invent numbers, and you should never copy a result you did not achieve.
- Outcomes: no resume, letter, profile or program can promise an interview or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 4, 2026.