Write an academic CV

An academic CV can be longer than the two pages which is standard in other sectors but it should still contain the most important information at the start. 

If the application is for a research only position then you should emphasise your research experience, publications, contributions at conferences, research funding you have won and any relevant technical skills. 

If it is for a research and teaching position (lectureship) then you should also give details of any teaching and tutoring experience. 

The headings below describe the typical content of an academic CV.  

Education  

• your PhD, first degree and Masters, if you have one  

• probably no need to list school qualifications, but if you do, put those that counted for entry to higher education only 

• for your PhD you should summarise your research to date, include the names of your supervisor(s) and details of any funding obtained. If you have a viva date or target submission date note that

• title, grade achieved, and dissertation title is usually enough for Masters and first degrees

• give more detail about courses you have taken if they demonstrate a wider subject knowledge that could be of use if applying for a teaching post

Experience (Research)  

• if you are including this section you can choose to give full details of your PhD research here, and only dates, title and supervisors under the education section

• include any research experience in addition to your PhD, such as research assistant or technician roles 

• give details of the subject area if relevant, and your methodology and technical skills  

• mention any funding obtained, and your supervisor or research leader

Experience (Teaching) 

• provide details of any tutoring, demonstrating or lecturing

• mention courses taught and level, e.g. Sociology 1 or Cell Biology 2

• show involvement with developing courses, marking and assessment  

• for a teaching application, you could include your teaching methods and philosophy, and any feedback received   

• invited or guest lectures could be included  

Additional experience  

The focus should be on your research and / or teaching experience but you can also include briefly other work that can: 

• demonstrate the skills being sought for the job

• show you can successfully manage work and study 

• fill any chronological gaps in your history

Experience (administration)  

• demonstrate that you will be a supportive colleague, willing to make a contribution to the administrative work of the department

• list any administrative experience you have such as helping to organise a seminar programme or conference or committee membership

Publications and presentations 

Published, peer-reviewed publications or monographs will often hold the most weight but early on in your career you will mention other things to illustrate your research activity and impact.  

• peer-reviewed publications

• contributions to books

• book reviews

• can include those accepted for publication but not yet published

• if this section is a bit slim you could include submitted articles to show your intention to publish

• inclusion in conference proceedings

• presentations or posters at conferences -mention if these have been invited presentations

Interests / other activities  

This section is not essential in an academic CV but could be used to include: 

• positions of responsibility that demonstrate some of the skills the employer is looking for that have not been covered elsewhere 

• hobbies and interests that say a bit about you, but only very brief details

References  

• when applying for advertised jobs, you will usually be expected to provide full contact details (name, relationship to you, address, e-mail and telephone) for 2 - 3 referees at least one of whom will be your PhD supervisor

• think carefully about who you ask to act as a referee. It can be useful to have someone who is well-known in your academic field but only if they know you well and can comment positively on your abilities

• make sure you brief your referees well on what you are applying for and give them an up-to-date copy of your CV to ensure they are aware of all the contributions you have made to your department / research area

• Watch our Quick Guide to academic CVs which covers the basics of what to include in an academic CV: 

In recent years, some research-funding applications have required submission of a CV in the narrative format. Read more in the Narrative CVs for research and innovation blog from our Research Office, which includes a link to the Resume for Researchers template developed by the Royal Society. Also, the Institute for Academic Development offers helpful information on narrative CVs and what steps to take to create your own.

Narrative CVs for research and innovation 

Narrative CVs - Institute of Academic Development

This is your opportunity to show your motivation for the position and demonstrate that you meet the person specification for the job. For academic jobs a covering letter may be longer than one page and should if at all possible be addressed to a named person rather than ‘Dear sir or madam’. You should use your covering letter to address:  

• why you are interested in this institution and department or research group - they want to know that you are genuinely interested in working for them and are knowledgeable about the teaching (if relevant) and research interests of staff within the department 

• why you are interested in this position and how it fits in with your career plans 

• what you have to offer in terms of research and / or teaching experience, qualifications and skills - use good examples to back this up

• your ideas for the future in terms of research direction, and your potential to attract funding and publish - particularly important for research-only jobs or teaching jobs at research-intensive universities

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