Write a CV for jobs beyond academia

CVs for jobs outside academia are usually a maximum of two pages. 

Communicating what you can offer 

Not all employers will immediately recognise the value of a research degree or the skills you will have developed. You must use your CV to communicate the benefits of your experience clearly and effectively, and relate this to the requirements of the role you are applying for and the contribution you will be able to make.

Example CV for a role outside academia (CAHSS) (UoE login required)

Example CV for a role beyond academia (CSE) (UoE login required)

Sections on your CV  

The sections below are commonly found in CVs but they do not need to be presented in the order given below. Ask yourself which sections will have the most positive impact on the person reading the CV and order your CV accordingly. 

 Personal details: 

• these should be at the top of your CV. There is no need to include Curriculum Vitae as a heading. Your heading is simply your name

• provide your name and contact details, including email address and telephone number

• you may choose to include your LinkedIn or GitHub profile 

• other personal information, such as health, gender, marital status, and full postal address, is not expected in a UK CV unless it is a requirement for the job

 Education:  

• list your qualifications in reverse chronological order, starting with your PhD

• don’t include school education unless the employer specifically asks for it. Even then, you only need to mention Highers / A Levels or equivalent

When describing your research, you may wish to include: 

• the subject of your research  

• the research methods you used, e.g. technical skills, qualitative or quantitative methodology  

• the skills and attributes that enabled you to successfully undertake a PhD  

However, before you enter the complete title of your PhD thesis and a description of the subject area, ask yourself if this employer will understand the subject or be interested in that detail. If not, it may be more relevant to describe the approach you took towards your research or the skills you used.  

Work Experience: 

• consider the most effective way of organising and presenting this experience. While you can simply list your experience in reverse chronological order, it may have more impact if you choose section headings to suit each application, e.g. relevant experience, project management experience, teaching or training experience

• focus on outcomes and achievements, not just responsibilities, when describing your experience

• if your experience is not related to the role being applied for,  highlight the relevant skills you have gained from it

Interests / Positions of responsibility: 

• this section can demonstrate an interest in the career area and to supply evidence that you can offer some of the skills the employer is looking for

• all sorts of activities will make a good impression, including sports, volunteering, travel, clubs and societies and evening classes 

• give some detail on each activity, demonstrating the skills you gained and any special achievements

 Skills: 

• consider a skills section with sub-headings for the key skills that the employer is looking for

• provide examples of how you have developed and utilised the required skills in different contexts

• this approach works well if your education and work experience are not directly relevant to the role. Where you have relevant experience, a skills section can highlight technical skills of relevance to the position e.g. lab skills and techniques, IT skills including software you are familiar with, and language ability

Personal Profile / Career Objective:  

This is optional. It can be used to give the employer an immediate positive impression of you and a clear indication of what you are looking for. It goes at the start of your CV, immediately after your contact details. It should: 

• be clear, concise, positive, confident and specifically focussed for the role you are applying 

• use active vocabulary to describe both you and your achievements 

• be short - ideally just a few lines in length  

Publications: 

• this section is usually only necessary for academic posts.  

• in a non-academic CV, rather than adding a traditional publication list, it may be more appropriate to provide an overview showing the number and type of publications and where published (e.g. top-rated journal in your field)

• your publications can also be used to demonstrate relevant skills, e.g. ability to write for a specialist audience, personal impact, effective communication

 References: 

• See our page about referees and references 

       Referees and References  

Your CV should be accompanied by a cover letter outlining your motivation and aptitude for the job. It’s essential to write a different cover letter for each application. Key points to cover include:  

• why you are interested in this position and how it fits in with your career plans. You should pay particular attention to showing that this is a positive and logical career choice post-PhD  

• why you are interested in this company - they want to know that you are genuinely interested in working for them and are knowledgeable about the company and the market in which they operate

• what you have to offer in terms of experience, qualifications and skills. Use examples from all parts of your life including your PhD, any work experience and extra-curricular activities. You don’t need to repeat your CV, but you should draw attention to key points to encourage the employer to read it

Technologies such as ChatGPT can provide a reasonable basic structure for you to build upon, but what they give you is unlikely to be tailored convincingly and will be bland and generic, and unlikely to impress employers. Use them as a support and starting point if you like - but edit their product to make the end result your own.  

Remember these points:

• adapt the content generated, to make it more closely related to you -otherwise it will lack impact
• be cautious about submitting any personal data, as whatever you put in could be in the public domain 
• you may be risking plagiarism, as these systems incorporate, in their output, content produced by other people without acknowledging or referencing them 

The Bayes Centre at the University has produced general guidance on the use of AI.

AI guidance for staff and students - Bayes Centre, University of Edinburgh