how to write cv for college application

How to Write a Resume for College – A CollegeAdvisor Guide

How to Write a Resume for College – Introduction

Standing out as a stellar applicant in the college admissions process is tough. One way to separate yourself from the crowd is by crafting a strong resume for college. Your college resume can highlight information about your background, activities, and achievements. Some of these might not be indicated elsewhere in your college application or recommendation letters . 

In this article, we will teach you how to write a college resume. We’ll highlight 5 simple steps to building your college application resume. We will also discuss what a college resume is and why you may need a resume for college. Additionally, we will provide examples on how to write a resume for college by reviewing college resume examples. Finally, we’ll walk you through some college resume templates in our example college resumes.

So, let’s look at how to write a college resume and explain what makes a good college resume, why you should include a resume for college in your applications, and more!

What is a college resume? 

A high school resume is typically a one-page document that complements your college application . Your high school resume (or college resume) can help you showcase your achievements and extracurriculars for college. It does this by sharing information that is not elsewhere within your college applications. The goal of a college resume is to show the college admissions officers who you are and how you spend your time outside of the classroom . 

Before we jump into how to write a college resume, let’s examine some things that make up a good college resume.

A good college resume should include: 

• Clear structure
• Concise language (bullet points over essay-style)
• Relevant details
• Strong formatting

As we discuss how to write a resume for college, you might wonder what purpose a college resume serves. In short, a college resume is a summary of experiences that you can use to add depth to your college applications. You can also think of a college resume as your high school resume, or a resume for college. Your college resume will include a brief description of each of your experiences and extracurriculars for college. 

While we examine how to write a resume for college, you should first note that your college resume should include key details like your educational details, GPA , extracurricular activities/jobs, and honors/awards. As we’ll discuss, your college resume will have other key features. We’ll go through each of these as we learn how to write a resume for college. 

Many colleges list a college resume within their college application requirements. But, even if a college resume is not listed in the college application requirements, we recommend creating one anyway. 

We will look at a sample college resume later in this article, along with a 5-step guide to creating a resume for college that you can use as you begin writing your college resume. 

Do I need a resume for my college applications? 

No, you do not necessarily need to include a college resume with your college applications. However, a high school resume or resume for college can be a helpful tool in the college admissions process. 

So, how could including a resume for college application be beneficial? First, including a college resume in your college applications can help highlight your skills, experiences, and qualifications to the admissions office of your dream school.  

Having a college resume can help you showcase your extracurricular activities in your college applications. You can highlight leadership positions, accomplishments, interests, and activities on your college resume that might not appear elsewhere in your college applications. 

Creating a resume for college application can also demonstrate your accomplishments and experiences to college admissions officers. Even if a high school resume is optional in the list of college application requirements, including one in your college applications can help you stand out. Standing out is incredibly important in the admissions process, especially if your ideal college is high on the list of college rankings . 

It is a good idea to start putting together your college resume as you near the end of high school.

You may forget the names of clubs, supervisors, mentors, teachers, etc. as you get ready to apply to college. So, the earlier you can gather all the information for your high school resume, the better! That way, all of your experiences are fresh in your mind, and you can create the strongest resume for college possible. 

When should I prepare my college resume? 

As you begin the process of applying to college, you might be wondering when to prepare your college resume. The ideal timeline for creating your high school resume can start as early as 9 th grade. 

In general, you won’t want to include anything on your high school resume before 9 th grade. Like other college application requirements, college admissions officers are only interested in the activities you have participated in during high school. 

Keep a list starting in 9th grade

As early as 9 th grade, you can start keeping a list of your accomplishments and activities. Even though you won’t need to format this list into a college resume yet, it will be the basis for your future college application resume.

As you begin the college admissions process, you can use the list you created and turn it into a college resume. As you apply to college and prepare your college resume, research which college resume format works best for you. Reviewing a sample college resume or college resume template can help you find the perfect college resume format. 

As you look through college resume examples, think about which aspects of the college resume template you like the best. Then, adapt things from those college resume examples to fit your college resume. Once you have decided on a college resume format, list your accomplishments, jobs, and activities within that college resume format. 

Summer before senior year

The best time to create your high school resume is during the summer before your senior year. This gives you plenty of time to perfect your college application resume. 

We’ll examine the necessary components of a successful college resume in the next section of this article. So, read on!

What should a high school student put on a resume? 

As you begin the college admissions process, you may be asking yourself what to include on your high school resume. You can start the college application resume writing process by brainstorming how you spend your time outside of your courses. 

Think about everything you have done or achieved since you started high school and write it down. Your high school resume should highlight your activities, interests, and skills. Pay particular attention to these factors as you consider what to include on your high school resume.

Your high school resume will be organized categorically. Some of the most common categories for a resume for college application include personal information, work experience, extracurricular activities, volunteer experience/community service, education, and skills.  In addition to the categories listed above, below is a list of some other things that high school students should list on their resume for college.

Top ten things to list on your college resume:

• School name and address
• Contact Info
• GPA or Class rank, if applicable
• Internships & volunteer roles
• Awards and honors
• Extracurricular activities
• Leadership positions
• Language competencies

As we mentioned earlier, you may not have information or experiences for every category listed above. That’s perfectly fine! Focus on what applies to you and what you can include on your high school resume as you learn how to write a college resume. 

What does not belong on my high school resume? 

Now that we have examined what to include on your high school resume, let’s discuss what does not belong on your college application resume. 

Keep it current

In general, you should avoid including any activity or achievement from before 9 th grade on your resume for college. However, it’s okay to include something that is particularly impressive and/or attached to a current activity. 

For example, if you have 12 years of experience in playing the violin, you will want to include that on your high school resume. However, if you joined your middle school band for a semester, you should likely leave that out of your college resume. Your resume for college should reflect activities that matter to you now.

Avoid listing daily duties

There is no need to include informal everyday activities on your college resume, such as cooking for your family or cleaning around the house. When you are crafting your resume for college, it’s best to stick to things that are relevant to admissions committees or future employers. 

Note that this is one area where your college resume differs from your activities list. For instance, if you spend considerable time caretaking your three siblings, you may choose to include that on your activities list within the Common App. However, the same responsibilities likely shouldn’t appear on your resume for college.

Keep it clear

As you examine college resume templates and college resume examples, take note of the language and structure in a sample college resume. It’s important to use concise language and clear structure throughout your resume for college. 

Additionally, do not include excessive text or overly detailed explanations on your college application resume. You want your resume for college to be simple and clear. In general, you should limit your high school resume to one page, or two at the absolute maximum. Most people who review your college resume will spend about 30 seconds with it. So, your resume for college should be easily scanned, above all. 

When you use concise language throughout your college resume, it will make it easier for your reader to understand your accomplishments. Because most people will skim your high school resume, having a clear structure throughout will make it easy to read. Keep it simple and keep it consistent. 

Steer clear of images and graphics

While you might come across this in your college resume format research, it’s best to avoid including images or graphics in your college application resume. Although this is a new trend and can be seen on multiple college resume examples and college resume templates, it can be distracting and take up valuable space on your high school resume.  

For instance, if you volunteered at twelve different soup kitchens, there is no need to list each one separately. That will become tedious and take up too much space on your essential resume for college application. 

Finally, you should never misrepresent your qualifications on your high school resume. Be honest about your involvements, however many you have. It’s not worth potentially getting caught in a lie or an exaggeration during a college interview.

Where do I submit my college application resume? 

While you apply to college, you might be wondering what to do with your resume for college applications. Many college application portals will include a section for your college resume, especially if a resume for college is listed as one of the college application requirements. 

Most college application portals list the high school resume section as optional. While you are applying to college, you might notice that most colleges require that you fill out an activities section as part of the application process. The activities section will ask you to list your extracurriculars for college. Often, your activities section will serve the same purpose as your college resume. 

If you choose to include a high school resume with your college application, it should reflect your accomplishments in more detail than your activities section. Additionally, if you choose to include a resume for college with your application, make sure it adds something new to your activities list. 

You will receive access to your college’s application portal once you have completed the process of applying to college but before you receive a college acceptance letter and officially enroll . When it’s time to upload your high school resume, be sure to upload it as a PDF rather than a Word document. That way, you can ensure that your formatting of your college resume stays consistent on every application. 

We’ll provide more details about the college resume format later in this article, when we examine college resume examples and college resume templates. 

How often should I update my college resume? 

It may be helpful to update your resume (or other records) every six months to a year in order to avoid missing any important details. You can use your college resume for more than just your college application requirements. In fact, there may be internships or other opportunities you seek out in high school that will ask you to submit a high school resume. Updating your college resume often will help you keep track of your experiences and accomplishments. 

In general, you should update your high school resume as often as it works for you. However, when you are almost done applying to college , you will want to make sure that your college resume is up-to-date and accurate before including it with your application. 

No matter how often you update your resume for college applications, we encourage you to keep copies of any old college resume examples you might have. Having old copies of your college resume can help you in the future as you begin to tailor your college resume for potential reviewers. 

How to write a resume for college

Now that we have a better understanding of what makes up a college resume, let’s focus on how to write a resume for college. You can begin writing your college resume by creating a list of your key details . Your key details will be the starting point for your college resume. 

First, you will include information about where you go to school, as well as your current GPA and any Honors statuses. You will also want to list your academic interests on your high school resume, including what you hope to study or pursue beyond high school. 

You will also include your extracurricular activities and the years you engaged in them on your resume for college. Additionally, you will want to add any jobs or internships you have had and the dates you held them. You can also list any leadership positions and the years you held them on your college resume. 

Finally, you will want to include any special skills you have on your resume for college. This can include certifications as well. 

Once you have a list of your key details, you will want to organize these details into sections on your high school resume. For some, these sections might include Objective, Education, Leadership Positions, Work and Internship History, and Special Skills.  

College Resume Walkthrough

Linked about is our college resume walkthrough. Let’s do another walkthrough of these sections here to see what kind of information to include in each one. 

Your objective is the reason why you are writing your college resume. This section will vary depending on where you send your resume. 

If you are creating a resume for college applications, you should include information about your intended major or future career in this section. However, if you are sending your high school resume to a potential employer, your objective section will include information about why you are uniquely skilled for the job. 

Education 

The education section of your college resume should include all high schools you have attended, along with your GPA and anticipated date of graduation. 

If your high school provides you with a class rank, you can also include that piece of information within this section of your resume for college. 

Additionally, you can include your SAT or ACT score within this section, especially if you are submitting your resume for college applications. 

Leadership Positions 

Be sure to highlight any leadership positions you have held in your college resume. This includes any appointed positions you have received and even informal leadership positions. 

For example, if you were voted Class President of your Student Council, you can include that information here. Or maybe you are a peer mentor on your soccer team—you can include those details within this section of your college resume. 

Work and Internship History 

This section of your high school resume will list your whole work history, including internships , summer jobs , or part-time jobs. 

You will want to include the job title, company, dates of employment, and a brief outline of your duties for each of the work or internship experiences in this section of your resume for college. 

Special Skills 

Finally, this section of your college resume will outline any technical or soft skills you might have. Soft skills include things like teamwork, communication skills, and conflict resolution. 

In this section of your resume for college, you can also include any languages you speak or certifications you have. 

After you have organized your high school resume into sections, you will want to include a bulleted list detailing your responsibilities within each of your engagements/leadership roles. Be sure to include only relevant details in your descriptions, as it’s important to be concise on your college resume.  

Remember to include the years for every role/activity on your college resume. You will want to list them with the most recent positions/activities at the top of your resume for college. 

College resume format

Your college resume format is one of the most important features to consider as you apply to college. As you construct your college resume format, make sure that it’s readable. 

Most people won’t look at your college resume for more than 30 seconds. So, any reader should be able to skim your high school resume and come away with a relatively clear idea of your qualifications and background. 

The ideal college resume format will have the name of the student clearly listed at the top of the college resume. Another aspect of a strong college resume format will have clear sections with strong headlines. Additionally, the best college resume format will include bulleted lists where appropriate. 

We will look at the college resume format in action as we review some college resume examples and college resume templates. 

College resume examples

As we review our sample college resume, we will explain how to use it to craft your own college resume when you apply to college. Use this sample college resume as a reference point for your resume for college. Then, adapt it to fit your own unique needs. 

We will discuss the sample college resume in the next two sections of this article. As we review the sample college resume, pay particular attention to what makes this college resume clear and effective. You can use this sample college resume as a college resume builder while you apply to college. 

At first glance, you can see that this college resume is organized. This resume for college has clear sections and a concise structure. What makes this college resume clear and effective is its formatting, language, and length. Be sure to incorporate these same elements into your own high school resume as you apply to college. 

Remember, this sample college resume is just one of many college resume examples available. Figure out what you like best about this sample college resume and use it to craft your own college resume. 

Sample college resume – What works? 

The key features of this sample college resume are its formatting, language, and length. Focusing on these in your own college resume will ensure that your resume for college stands out. 

Clear delineated sections

The formatting in this college resume works so well because it includes clearly delineated sections and organized by year. Keeping your information and experiences organized by year is an effective format for a resume for college applications. 

Simple and straightforward language

Another feature of this college resume that works well is the language. There is clear language and details throughout this resume for college that provide context for each role and accomplishment. For example, each of the work experiences in this high school resume feature a brief description of the student’s role and duties/responsibilities. 

Concise structure

Additionally, this resume for college application features a concise structure that helps the reader clearly understand the purpose of each section. The descriptions within this college resume are brief but comprehensive. Having a concise structure and clear language throughout your college resume is key. 

The final key feature that works well in this college resume is the length. This resume for college is just one page in length. Ideally, you want your college resume to fit on one page, but that is not a hard and fast rule. If you have a wealth of experiences and extracurriculars for college, your college resume can go over the typical one-page length. 

Even though this high school resume is a little over one page, it does not have any irrelevant details or extraneous information on it. As you begin writing your college resume, be sure to only include relevant details on it. 

As you learn how to write a college resume, keep track of what features work well and incorporate them into your own college resume. If you are unsure if the sample college resume will work for your college resume, don’t worry. There are plenty of college resume examples and college resume templates to choose from as you are applying to college. 

College resume template

There are multiple college resume examples that you can review as you start your college resume or college application letter . Looking at a college resume template can help you decide on the formatting, language, and length that works best for you. 

Hunter College has a web page with college resume examples and college resume templates. Use it as a resource as you build your high school resume. 

If possible, you should avoid using form templates as you construct your college resume. Instead, think of the college resume template as a guide. You should aim to format your resume for college in the way that works best for you. 

It’s best to be a bit unique as you create your high school resume. Looking at a college resume template can help you find your own distinct style. You can also incorporate different aspects from a college resume template into your own college resume. 

However, be sure to avoid any hard-to-read fonts or unnecessary details in your formatting as you learn how to write a college resume. While your resume shouldn’t look like it was made using a stock college resume template, it also should not be overly crowded.

College resume builder

There are also college resume builder resources, like this one from Wheaton College , that will help students build their college resumes. You can use a college resume builder to format your own resume for college. 

At CollegeAdvisor.com, we host webinars on topics that help you apply to college. We have a webinar on how to write a resume for college, with plenty of college resume examples. We also have a webinar with advice from former Admissions Officers on how to build your college resume. 

Once again, you should generally avoid a pre-formatted college resume builder or college resume template. Instead, use these college resume examples as a jumping off point as you begin the college admissions process. 

Formatting your high school resume yourself makes it easier to make any quick edits or fix any formatting quirks. If you were to use a college resume builder or college resume template, these adjustments may be a challenge. 

Build your College Resume in 5 Simple Steps

Having examined some college resume examples, let’s review 5 simple steps for how to write a resume for college. 

Five Steps to Build your College Resume

Make an accurate list of your experiences, awards, education, and qualifications. You will use this list as the outline for your resume for college. 

Choose the best college resume format for the job. Before you finalize your choice of college resume format , review a college resume template or college resume examples for guidance. Then, create a resume header for your college resume. 

Add your accurate information by section on your resume for college. Reference the college resume examples you reviewed previously to choose the sections you will use on your high school resume. Organize each list by year, placing the most recent item at the top of your resume for college. Be sure to separate your extracurricular experiences from your awards/honors, creating two lists (or more if necessary). 

Format your lists to be clear and readable , and add your name and contact information as the header of your college resume. 

Ask a friend, family member, or mentor to copy edit your resume for college! Having another set of eyes on your high school resume will help you create the strongest resume for college possible. 

How to write a college resume – Final Thoughts

In this article, we reviewed how to write a college resume. As we discussed the purpose of a college application resume, we examined college resume examples and described key features that work in a college resume. We hope the college resume examples we featured in our article on how to write a resume for college help you craft your high school resume as you apply to college.

Need help crafting the perfect college application resume? CollegeAdvisor.com can teach you how to write a resume for college. Register for a free CollegeAdvisor.com account and receive access to hundreds of articles and webinars. These resources will help you craft your college resume as you begin applying to college.

This article was written by  Claire Babbs . If you want to get help with your college applications from Claire or other  CollegeAdvisor.com  Admissions Experts , click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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6 Tips for Your College Application Resume

Your resume will be an important part of your career life, serving as a catalog of your professional accomplishments, experience, and achievements. But even before you’re a full-fledged working adult, it’s still a good idea to start building your resume.

Many high school students use this space to record and describe their accomplishments, such as awards, volunteer and paid work, prestigious program participation, and more.

So, if you’ve taken the time to create a resume, can you submit it to colleges to augment your application? In some cases, yes. Keep reading to find out how to craft the ideal resume for colleges.

Which Schools Allow You to Submit Your Resume?

The schools allow you to submit your resume via the Common Application. This list is not exhaustive; it includes the top 20 universities and liberal arts colleges that allow you to do so.

•     Brown University
•     Claremont McKenna College
•     Cornell University
•     Dartmouth College
•     Johns Hopkins University
•     Northwestern University
•     University of Pennsylvania
•     Vanderbilt University
•     Vassar College
•     Washington and Lee University
•     Washington University in St. Louis

Should You Submit Your Resume?

It’s a good idea to submit your resume if there is important information you’re unable to include on the rest of your application, such as professional experiences or special projects.

If you don’t have something new to say, then you shouldn’t include a resume. That is, you shouldn’t regurgitate information the adcom can find elsewhere on your application. You can, however, use it as a space to expand on or illustrate accomplishments if you don’t feel you’ve been able to in the activities section or your essays.

How to Write a Resume for College Applications

1. include information you feel isn’t represented elsewhere..

As you’ll find in your career, not every experience relates to the opportunity you have at hand. When you enter the job market, you’ll learn to tailor your resume to specific positions based on how your work history relates to them. This is true of your college applications, too. For each experience you include, consider how it bolsters your overall profile — and only add the ones that do to your resume.

First, here’s the essential info you should include on your resume:

• Name and email address (no need to include your actual address)
• Education/high school info, like your GPA and test scores 

Other info you may include:

• Special projects related to your interests (if you’re a writer, this could be a list of pieces you’ve written with a description, or if you’re a programmer, you could also describe your projects).
• Publications (scientific, literary, etc.)
• Non-traditional coursework or academic activities (legitimate online certificates/courses, academic programs, etc.)
• Extracurriculars, hobbies, and skills and interests
• Professional and work experience
• Family responsibilities

2. Don’t rehash your activities section.

Again, don’t use this space to regurgitate information you’ve presented elsewhere on your application. Instead, it should be a space to share unique facets of yourself that don’t fit into other places.

For example, perhaps there’s a specific job you held that you couldn’t properly describe in the activities section. You can use this space to elaborate on the responsibilities you held. Or, as mentioned in the previous section, you can describe specific projects you’ve completed related to your interests. This is especially helpful for more self-driven pursuits, like independent writing.

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3. Keep it brief (one page) and easy to read.

Your resume should be concise. Since you probably haven’t accumulated a significant amount of experience as a teenager, you should keep it to one page (if you’re an adult student, that’s a different story). At the same time, avoid using teensy font and ultra-slim margins to cram everything into a single page — the resume should be easy to scan and read. Remember: be selective to ensure you have enough room.

Part of making your resume readable means formatting it such that it’s presentable. Use space to your advantages, along with a clear system for organizing the information; the traditional format is chronological, but you may choose to use an alternative format instead. Use headings, too, and make sure your formatting is consistent throughout.

4. Use active and specific language.

Use the active voice when cataloging your achievements. You should also be offering clear evidence. If you can, use numbers and facts to support your experiences.

For example, rather than saying, “Started tutoring business,” you might instead write, “Built a tutoring business by recruiting 15 student tutors and initiating a social media campaign targeting students in need of STEM support; personally worked with 25 students, who improved their GPAs by an average of X points.”

5. Talk yourself up, but don’t be dishonest or unreasonable.

Some students are eager to share their accomplishments. If you’re ever going to talk yourself up, this is the time to do it. You can’t be shy or reluctant to, well, brag a little. Other students will be talking themselves up, and you don’t want it to appear as though you don’t have anything to show for yourself.

At the same time, be careful of hyperbolizing your achievements. Colleges can easily verify the facts on your resume. If your accomplishments seem unfathomable, it will raise a red flag. This will lead colleges to question other aspects of your application, too.

Just as you should with the rest of your application, you’ll need to proofread your resume many times to catch any errors or typos. You should also read it over for clarity and to ensure that it’s as concise as it can be.

If you can, get another set of eyes on your resume before you upload it to your application. A peer, teacher, or guidance counselor can help you make sure your achievements are coming across the way you want them to and that you’re presenting yourself authentically.

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How to Write a Resume for College

High school and college students need a resume when applying for academic and career opportunities.

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Students should include standardized test scores, Advanced Placement and honors courses, awards, activities and talents that show depth in educational endeavors.

A resume is no longer reserved for after graduation. Students may want to craft one as early as the ninth grade for everything from college admissions to scholarships and internship opportunities.

Impress College Admissions Counselors

Arlene Weintraub Sept. 13, 2017

The resume should continue to evolve over the course of one's academic career, shaped by experiences and reflecting the student's interests and activities, experts say. Both high school and college students should keep a well-polished resume up to date.

"It's a really valuable thing for a student to have," says Kelly Fraser, owner and principal consultant at Green Apple College Guidance & Education, which has offices in Boston and the Washington, D.C., area.

Some colleges require a resume with the application, while others welcome the document in the supplemental materials section. Some internship, scholarship and study-abroad applications also require resumes.

Fraser says a high school resume should be complementary to a college application but students should avoid repetition and cramming all of the same information onto the document.

"Each document that you submit to a college does not have to have everything about you in it, but all of the pieces of the puzzle should come together to make a nice picture," Fraser says.

Resumes for High School Students

While a resume in ninth grade isn't an absolute must, students should at least be thinking about it, says Nancy Polin, president and senior college counselor at Educational Excellence in Florida. "It doesn't have to be a formal resume, but I recommend that they start some sort of formal record-keeping system in the summer before ninth grade," Polin says.

Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, founder and director of adMISSION POSSIBLE in California, sees resumes as pieces of information that allow students to communicate who they are.

"More and more, college admissions officers are now looking for how and where people spend their time, including the quality, depth and length of involvement," Shaevitz says, noting that the value of a good resume is the ability to compile this information succinctly.

She recommends that students include standardized test scores, if available, Advanced Placement and honors courses, awards, activities and talents that show depth in educational endeavors. Grade point averages and other accomplishments also should be highlighted, such as leadership roles and work experience.

"Colleges want to know who you are," Shaevitz says, adding that the same is true for students who may have family responsibilities such as caring for younger siblings or working.

"There are many students who have to work, who have to go home to family responsibilities. Colleges understand that, and (students) should put those on their resume," Fraser says.

And in the time of COVID-19, when many extracurriculars melted away during the pandemic, colleges want to know how students waxed creative. What opportunities did they pursue on their own? What interests emerged during the pandemic? As one example, Shaevitz points to virtual dance classes created by two of her students with the aim of bringing the arts to underpriveleged kids.

Experts advise high school students to mine their entire academic career for experiences and accomplishments.

Yuridia Nava, who works in college and career counseling for the Riverside County Office of Education in California, wrote in an email that she asks her students to reflect all the way back to kindergarten for their experiences, urging them to consider lengthy volunteer commitments and passions they've held for years.

Advisers also insist on sincerity, cautioning students to not embellish their resumes.

"If you're applying to a college and you're submitting anything in your application that's not true, then it's a big problem," Fraser says, adding that students also should avoid listing experiences that they will have trouble talking about in a college admissions interview .

Nava also cautions students against including social media profiles "unless it's clean of any negative images or memes" and to avoid using email addresses with unprofessional language.

Resumes for College Students

Experts encourage college students to continue to build their resume and keep it current with recent and relevant experiences. As they gain skills through classes and student organizations, those should be added to their resume, as should job experiences.

Jeremy Fisher, director of the John P. Fahey Career Center at Creighton University in Nebraska, says resumes for college students may be more career-specific than in high school.

"A college-level resume will be more focused on relevant experiences, skills, leadership, service and other activities that may be more important to a potential employer," Fisher wrote in an email.

For high school and college resumes alike, students should follow many of the same rules. Experts emphasize writing clearly and concisely, personalizing the resume for applications, proofreading diligently for spelling and grammar, and soliciting feedback. Resumes should also contain clearly identifiable information so readers know who is presenting themselves and how to contact them.

Experts also encourage students to keep it simple and straightforward, avoiding flashy text or graphics. Generally, they suggest a one-page resume as the standard for college students, though a high school activities resume may have some leeway to stretch a bit longer.

"Employers scan and review resumes very quickly – typically in 15 to 30 seconds or less initially, so it is important to have a resume that looks professional (style, format, font, etc.) and is very easy to read," Fisher says. "The use of proper spacing, bullet points for descriptions, bolding, underlining, or italicizing important information such as the resume categories, school, degree, major, employer name, job titles, etc. is very helpful."

Some consultants and counselors provide model resumes for students to follow, though templates are typically discouraged at the college level, according to Fisher.

Fisher says templates can be helpful as a guide, but resumes created from templates are not unique and don't stand out.

"Why would you want your resume to look exactly like hundreds of others?" he says.

Creighton lists guidance on its website showing resume examples for those early in their academic careers as well as those in graduate and professional programs. For first- and second-year students, Creighton's career center offers a simple one-page example that focuses on education, including major and GPA, experience, and activities and service.

Whether for high school or college, experts stress the need to have a resume handy.

"The earlier a student has a professional resume developed," Fisher says, "the more ready they will be to pursue opportunities as they arise."

Steps to Building a Resume

Need to develop a resume for college admissions or other oppotunities? Use the basic details below as a starting point.

• Identify activities and accomplishments to include.
• Detail relevant academic accomplishments and work, internship or volunteer experience.
• Include high school or college information and contact details.
• Verify key dates and details for accuracy.
• Spell check and proofread.

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How To Write A College Application Resume (With Examples)

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Often college applications ask for or recommend including a resume . But how do you write a resume if you’re still in high school and have minimal work experience?

In this article, we’ll go over what to include in a college admissions resume, as well as an example resume you can use as a reference.

Key Takeaways

Include your contact information, education, and any work or volunteer experience, extracurricular activities, or other achievements on your college application resume.

A college application resume gives college admissions boards a quick overview of what you’d bring to their school.

Use your college application resume to highlight any unique skills, interests, or achievements that you believe make you stand out as an applicant.

What to Include in a College Admissions Resume

Example of a high school resume for college applications, how to build a college application resume, why write a resume for a college application, tips for writing an effective resume for a college application, final thoughts.

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Your college admissions resume highlights your most important professional or academic achievements and involvements. Include only high school experiences or achievements, unless there is an exceedingly impressive exception.

If you take a little time and brain energy to create a great, well-organized high school resume, your future self will thank you . Your resume can be saved as a template and record of your experiences and built upon during and after your time in college , or even fashioned into a great cover letter .

You could include any of the following sections; feel free to combine similar sections as necessary:

A Header With Your Contact Information (Required). Name, email address, and address.

Education (Required). Graduation date, weighted GPA, class rank, standardized test scores (ACT/SAT).

Achievements. Academic and scholastic awards, honors, medals, publications, and any other achievements.

Work. Summer jobs, part-time jobs, or entrepreneurship.

Volunteer Work. Community service, long and short term volunteer commitments, and any work you weren’t paid for.

Extracurricular Activities. Sports, clubs, theatre, student government, and other involvements.

Projects. Art projects, web or technology projects, activism, and any impressive creation of your own.

Leadership Positions. Include any activity or title in which you served as a leader or mentor .

Special Skills. Fluently-spoken languages , coding, web-developing, or other skills that set you apart.

Interests. Hobbies, creative activities, interests , and passions.

This example can be used as a rough guide for structuring your high school resume. You can use it as inspiration in creating your own resume, or you could even have a little bit of fun practicing by using this template to write yourself a resume to Hogwarts .

However you choose to do it, you can refer back to this example to create the perfect high school resume:

Elizabeth Bueno 216 Old Charlotte Hwy. Asheville, NC 28803 | Email: [email protected] | Phone: (219) 886-2538 EDUCATION: Asheville High School 2016-2020 GPA: 4.2/4.5 Graduated second in a class of 200 students Participated in post-secondary college classes from grades 9-12 ACHIEVEMENTS: Won first place in North Carolina State Legal Writing Competition Published two Op-Eds in Asheville Citizen-Times Achieved perfect attendance during all four years of high school VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE: Served as a volunteer animal companion at Asheville East Animal Shelter, a weekly commitment from grades 10-12 EXTRACURRICULARS: Co-captain of Asheville High School Women’s Lacrosse Team, from Fall 2018 – Spring 2020 Participated in drama club four hours per week from grades 9-12 Won lead roles in two high school theater productions HOBBIES: Avid reader and writer . Read, logged, and reviewed over 100 books on my literature-devoted Instagram (@Lizreadsbook) Pursued passion for animal welfare by becoming a registered dog foster-parent

How your resume looks is ultimately your decision and plays a part in demonstrating your unique character. However, it’s best to stick with the following conventions for an organized and professional look :

Include Contact Information. Such as your name, email, phone number, address, and any other relevant information so that they can reach out to you if needed.

Include at Least Three Sections. Seeing as though you are a high school student applying to a college, one of these sections will need to be an “education” section , and this will have to be the star of the show.

Use Bullet Points. Organize the different items on your list in a clean, easily understandable way with bullet points.

Use Active Verbs. Begin each bullet point with an action word that describes the kind of work you did or do to help the readers create a concrete picture in their head. Use a variety of engaging verbs.

Have a Clear Organization. Use an organizational structure that is easy to follow and highlights your best achievements. A great standby is reverse-chronological order (listing most recent first).

Keep it Consistent. The formatting and style need to be consistent throughout. Use the same font (something like Helvetica works great), and be consistent with capitalization, punctuation, and spacing throughout each section.

Your resume will give college admission boards a quick look at your academic achievement, jobs, leadership roles , awards, creative endeavors, special hobbies, and interpersonal skills , as well as showcasing your presentation and writing capabilities.

The purpose of this resume is to demonstrate that you are the right fit for a college environment. They want to know that you can thrive in their academic and social environment, and they want to see how dedicated you are to their university.

You may be a bit stressed now, thinking, “I don’t have any skills or experience to show off,” but you probably have more to work with than you think. Any experience, hobby, interest, or achievement that is significant to you can be fashioned into a great high school resume.

Use Specific Details. Include the details of your experiences to help colleges understand them better and make your resume stand out .

Show Off Unique Things That Didn’t Make it into The College Essay. Colleges have to process a tremendous amount of applicants, especially colleges with a prestigious reputation. Half the battle of your application is standing out from the crowd and establishing yourself as a one-of-a-kind candidate .

Highlight One or Two Commitments You Were Really Involved in. Rather than overloading your resume with every extracurricular, club, or activity you did for a short time or were semi-involved with, showcase the commitments you were deeply involved with.

Be Concise and Direct. You don’t have to mention everything you’ve ever done, and, in fact, you really shouldn’t. Including every small-time hobby, achievement, or commitment clogs up your resume and makes it more difficult to see and recognize the areas where you really shine.

Have The Right Formatting. The contents of your resume will only impress if you have an organized, visually appealing format and layout.

Keep your resume to one page , and organize it by section headings with bullet points underneath . Make sure it is easy to follow and understand with a clear organizational structure. Use consistent tenses on your resume.

Don’t Exaggerate or Make Up Details. Colleges want to use your application to get to know who you are, so don’t include inaccuracies or misleading information. Your prospective college can verify any information that seems inconsistent and it doesn’t reflect well on you.

Proofread, and Let Someone Else Read it Over. Your final step is to proofread and then proofread again. Be sure the spelling and grammar are spot-on so that you make a professional first impression . If you are using this resume to apply to multiple colleges, be sure to include all the correct college information.

Don’t Neglect the Rest of Your Application. While creating a resume is the large majority of the work, organizing your application process is crucial. Keep track of the deadlines and due dates for all of your prospective colleges, and make a plan for when and how to submit your final resume and application.

Use a Professional Email Address. If you don’t have a professional-sounding email address, make one. In fact, it can be helpful to have an email address dedicated to college applications so that you don’t miss anything.

Resumes aren’t just for landing the right job; they can also help you get admitted to your dream school. A high school resume highlighting your academic achievement, volunteer or work history, extracurriculars, and interests can help colleges get to know you in a personal and professional way.

The main goal of submitting a high school resume to a prospective college is to show off your unique and distinguished character and prove you are the type of student who will go on to make your alma mater proud. If this doesn’t sound like you, that’s okay. Crafting your resume is all about bringing out the best and most professional in yourself.

High school resumes can also be given to teachers or others for help in writing letters of recommendation , and they can even be used in landing you a part-time job or summer internship .

After you’ve started college, you can save your high school resume and update it for help in applying to internships or getting a job after you’ve graduated .

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Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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Academic CV Example [Full Guide, Free Template + Tips!]

Whether you’re looking to start your Ph.D. or you’re an experienced professional in your academic field, navigating academic expectations and standards can feel overwhelming when preparing your CV.

And, like it or not, a CV can be the difference between landing the position you have your eyes set on or your application going completely unnoticed.

But there’s good news.

We’ve prepared a detailed guide to turn your CV into a compelling presentation of your accomplishments and academic potential and help you take the next step in your academic career.

Some things we’re going to cover include:

Academic CV Example

How to format an academic cv, 11 academic cv layout tips, academic cv templates, what to include in an academic cv.

Let’s get started!

Here’s a great academic CV example made with our very own CV builder :

The CV example above covers the candidate’s entire educational history, is formatted the right way, and has all the other essential experiences documented.

Want your academic CV to look just as impressive?

Browse our free templates!

The first thing you want to do is pick the right format for your academic CV.

You want your CV to be well-structured and easy to read, as well as to highlight your greatest achievements to date.

This is where the reverse-chronological CV format comes in. 

It’s the most popular format out there, and since it starts with your most recent experiences and works its way back, it also does a great job showing off your most recent achievements first.

While different formats may apply to other job hunts, academics should always stick to this classic CV format .

Academic CV Vs Resume

If this is your first time preparing an academic CV, you might be wondering - what is a CV anyway?

The term CV is an abbreviation of the Latin words Curriculum Vitae, and it means “the course of your life”.

Across most of the world, the differences between a CV and a resume are superficial if you’re applying for most jobs.

But in the academic context, a CV is a very in-depth document.

Essentially, your CV is a comprehensive description of everything you’ve ever done. It details your work experience, education, all the achievements you’re proud of, and any publications you have to your name.

Any time you accomplish something new, you should add it to your CV . This includes when you earn a new certificate, finish a new publication, or get a new job.

An academic CV is typically used for applying to post-graduate or graduate institutions, either as a student or as a faculty member. For some colleges, if it isn’t specified that a CV is necessary, you can use a college application resume instead.

Here’s a visual representation of how a CV is different from a resume:

In academic CVs, education comes before work experience, which is the opposite of the typical resume rule. In fact, work experience might not even make the cut if it isn’t relevant to the academic position you’re applying for.

There are several things you should keep in mind when making your academic CV, starting with:

• Keep it visually simple. An academic CV is not the place to show how creative you are with design and colors. Keep the background plain white, with only one or two complementary colors at most to highlight section headings, icons, and links.
• Use the right font style and size. Some CV fonts should never make it to an academic CV. Sticking to a professional font is the way to go. When it comes to size, use 10-12 pt for the main body of your text. Your headings and subheadings can be between 14 and 16 pt, but make sure to keep the font size consistent throughout the CV.
• Make the CV as long as necessary. The goal of an academic CV is to list your whole career path, so there’s no limit to how long a CV should be . Use as many pages as you need to show everything relevant to your career so far.
• Tailor the CV to the position. Research your employer beforehand. Find out what the department you’re applying for values and is looking for, and emphasize that in your CV. Your most impressive and relevant accomplishments should always go first, so if they want experienced educators, put your professional appointments or teaching experience before your other achievements.
• Stay concise. There’s no need to overexplain your academic record or use bullet points to list all your achievements in each education or work entry. A couple of short sentences that convey the point are enough.
• Skip irrelevant information. If you had a part-time job while getting through college, you shouldn’t list it unless it’s related to your field of study. When applying for a position as a professor of mathematics, mentioning your brief teenage gig as a cashier is irrelevant. But your time spent tutoring classmates could make the cut.
• Avoid field jargon. Everyone should have an easy time reading your CV, not just experts in your field. University admissions departments, grant reviewers, and hiring committees alike may not be well-versed in your field but they will be reviewing your application, so make it as accessible as possible.
• Touch base with advisors. Every academic department has a slightly different way of doing things when it comes to CVs. After all, arts and humanities differ from economics, sciences, and mathematics. Expand your professional network and talk to someone more experienced in the field you’re applying for to clear up any confusion.
• Save your CV in the right format.  Unless stated otherwise, always save your CV as a PDF . It’s the best file format guaranteed to keep your CV looking as you intended it across any software or device, whereas Word or Google Doc files might be skewed.
• Name the file appropriately. This might be a no-brainer but it’s worth mentioning. The file containing your CV should be named some variation of your full name, rather than a placeholder name. E.g. John-Doe-Academic-CV.pdf , not draft1final.pdf
• Adjust the file size. If you’re sending your CV through an application portal, there might be a file size limit. Consider compressing your documents with a tool like ILOVEPDF .

You can gain a competitive advantage not just from what your academic CV contains, but also from how it looks .

So, if you really want to stand out from the crowd, take your CV design to the next level with one of our templates.

Our professional CV builder comes with a dozen of modern and professional CV templates you can choose from to easily make a detailed CV while keeping your formatting intact. 

Any of Novorésumé’s templates can be adapted to suit your needs, whether you’re a research candidate or an academic looking to become a tenured professor.

The academic CV has many of the same sections as a resume. They include:

• Contact Information
• Work Experience

But there are also some critical differences between the two. 

For starters, academic CVs put education above work experience. This is especially important when it comes to Ph.D. candidates since research is at the forefront of their position.

Some sections which are considered optional for resumes are mandatory for an academic CV. Examples of this include publications, conferences, or research experience.

Overall, an academic CV should include the following sections, in this order:

• Personal Profile/Research Objective
• Professional Appointments
• Publications
• Grants and Fellowships
• Awards and Honors
• Conferences and Talks
• Teaching Experience
• Research Experience
• Other Activities
• Hobbies and Interests

If you don’t have enough experience in one of the sections listed, there’s no need to add those to your CV. For example, if you don’t have any fellowships or conferences to showcase, you can just skip those sections.

Now, let’s break down how each CV section should be written:

#1. Contact Information

This section should be the easiest to spot, so it should always go at the top of your CV.

Here’s what you should include in the contact information section of an academic CV:

• Full Name. It’s recommended that you use your name as it is in your passport, including any middle names, particularly if you’re a Ph.D. candidate. Adding your middle name or even just the initial to your CV is only optional if you’re already an established academic, and it’s necessary if your middle name is included in your formal academic name.
• Professional Title and Affiliation. If you’re a professor, this is where you should list your title, as well as the institution you’re affiliated with.
• Institutional Address. This should be the mailing address of the institution you’re formally affiliated with or based in. For example, if you’re an assistant researcher at the University of Columbia, you want to give the university’s exact mailing address.
• Home address. Provide your home mailing address.
• Email address. If you have a formal email address provided by the institution you’re affiliated with, you should list that. If not, use a personal email address with some variation of your first and last name (e.g. [email protected]).
• Telephone number. Be sure to include the international dialing code for your number, especially if you’re applying for a position abroad.
• Optional links. For some fields, such as business and marketing, a LinkedIn profile fits in, while for IT-related departments, GitHub can be more appropriate. Other academics could benefit from adding a Google Scholar or ORCiD profile.

Your academic name should be consistent throughout your career as that’s how you’ll be credited when your research is used. If you legally change your name during the course of your career, you might want to keep your academic name the same as it was when you started.

#2. Personal Statement or Research Objective

The next thing you want the admissions committee to see is a short paragraph at the top of your CV, similar to a resume profile .

This short pitch can be a personal statement or research objective , depending on what you’re applying for exactly.

If you’re applying for a research position, such as a Ph.D. or a grant, you should write a research objective. Even if you’ve provided a different document that already details your research goals, your CV’s objective should provide a concise summary that outlines your plans.

Here’s an example of a research objective on an academic CV:

Nutrition and Dietology MA student at Harvard University. Graduated BA in Psychology magna cum laude. Looking to undertake postgraduate research on the connection between digestive inflammation and mental health in adolescents in the USA in the twenty-first century.

A personal statement, on the other hand, consists of a few brief sentences that summarize your academic background and biggest achievements. It’s meant to highlight the essential experiences, skills, and qualities that make you the right candidate for the position.

Take a look at this personal statement for inspiration:

Innovative researcher and lecturer with 6+ years of experience teaching courses on undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Supervised 11 BA theses, 4 MA theses, and 1 Ph.D. dissertation. Published over 17 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 3 books.

#3. Education

The most important part of any academic CV is the education section .

It’s no coincidence that this comes listed before any practical work experience. Academic achievements are valued in academia, and your CV is the place to make yours shine.

Your education should always be listed chronologically, with your most recent degree at the top.

List the information on each entry in the following order:

• Name of the degree. E.g. B.A. English Language, Literature, and Culture
• Name of the department. (Optional) E.g. Department of Linguistics and Literature
• Name of the educational institution. E.g. University of Groningen
• Years attended. If you haven’t graduated yet, you can write down the year of expected graduation. E.g. 2020 - 2024
• Honors. While honors are optional in other fields, academics would do well to include them. E.g. Magna Cum Laude.
• Relevant courses. (Optional) The courses you’ve taken could be useful if they’re relevant to the exact position you’re applying for.
• Dissertation. Provide the full title of your dissertation or project.
• Location of the program. (Optional) If the university or school you attended is less renowned, you can specify its location. E.g. University of Marmara, Istanbul, Turkey
• GPA. (Optional) You should only list your GPA if it’s over 3.5, otherwise, it won’t add to your CV’s academic shine. But adding your GPA isn’t necessary for an experienced candidate at all. If it’s been more than five years since you graduated, or you already have honors listed, it’s not something that you should add to your CV.

Here’s an example of education listed on an academic CV:

Education Ph.D. in French Literature

Department of Linguistics and Literature

University of Maine

2021 - Present  

MA in Literary Theory

Magna Cum Laude

2019 - 2021

Dissertation: The blend of culture, activism, and art in the early work of Richard Guidry  

BA in English Language, Literature, and Culture

Louisiana State University

2016 - 2019

- Literary analysis, Phonology, Cultural Theory, French language, Cajun Poetry

#4. Professional Appointments

If you already have the necessary experience in academia under your belt, make a section for your professional appointments.

This should include:

• Position. E.g. Professor of History.
• Name of the institution. E.g. King’s College, London
• Dates employed. E.g. 2015 - 2022
• Description and achievements. Use short paragraphs to describe your professional appointments, not bullet points.

Professor of Architecture

The University of Montana, 2017 - 2023

• Taught 15 undergraduate and 12 postgraduate courses, mainly focused on the history of architecture and principles of interior design.
• Supervised 9 BA and 5 MA theses.

As you can see, this section is similar to how a work experience section would be formatted in a resume.

It’s important to remember that this section pertains exclusively to contracted, professional appointments in universities and similar institutions.

It’s not meant to describe all of your teaching experience , so don’t detail your time as a Teaching Assistant (TA), adjunct professor, or any part-time teaching job. You have the opportunity to do that in a separate section later on in your CV.

Professional appointments take years, hard work, and academic recognition to achieve, so this section is where your career progression can shine. While most academics have experience teaching as TAs during the pursuit of their Ph.D., that experience should be in a separate teaching experience section further down your academic CV.

Has one of your former students reached out to you for help with their postgrad application? Check out our guide on how to write a stellar letter of recommendation .

#5. Publications

Having published research brings a lot of value to your academic reputation and, by extension, to your CV. Publications show you’ve done research that’s given back to your field and that you’re a dedicated academic.

In fact, if you’re already an established expert in your field, this section can even be listed ahead of professional appointments or education. Publications in peer-reviewed journals have a lot of value since they’re difficult to achieve.

Your publications should be divided by “peer-reviewed” and “other”, and then further subcategorized by where they were published. Examples include:

• Book chapters
• Book reviews
• Contributions to edited volumes
• Web-based publications

Provide full citations for each of your publications, and list them in their respective categories by year of publication.

When citing journals and edited volumes, authorship is usually listed by order of contribution. If your paper is the third in the publication listed, your name should be third in the citation. You can underline your name for each of your publications to highlight which contribution is yours.

However, some fields, like mathematics, always list authors alphabetically. In any case, ensure you’re consistent with your citation format throughout your whole academic CV.

If you have publications under review, you can still list them on your CV. Provide the citation as you usually would but swap out the year of publication for “in press”.

But your publications section shouldn’t necessarily include a full bibliography. If you’re a frequently published writer , make sure to limit your listed publications to the most relevant and recent titles.

Let’s see how this section looks on an academic CV:

Publications:

• Smith, J. (in press). The Mythical Beasts of French Literature: Uncovering Symbolism and Allegory in Magical Creatures. Journal of French Literary Studies, 46(3), 157-179.
• Rousseau, P., Smith, J. , & Dubois, M. (2022). Love, Longing, and Lost Letters: Exploring Epistolary Narratives in 18th-Century French Literature. Studies in French Literature and Culture, 27(2), 82-102.
• Smith, J. , Martin, L., & Dupont, C. (2021). From Boulevards to Backstreets: Urban Imagery and Identity in Contemporary French Literature. Modern French Studies, 58(4), 223-245.

#6. Grants and Fellowships

This section showcases that your research is deemed valuable enough to fund.

Grants and fellowships on an academic CV are must-haves, as they show agencies and admissions committees that you’re equipped to conduct future research projects successfully.

Depending on how many grants you’ve received or applied for, you can divide them into subcategories for “Active Grants”, “Pending Grants”, and “Completed Grants”.

In each subsection, list the grants in reverse chronological order with the following information:

• Name of institution. Provide the name of the institution which provided the funding.
• Duration of funding. Use the dd/mm/yyyy format. E.g. 15/03/2020 - 15/06/2023
• Role and effort. (Optional) If applicable, give the specific role you were given on the approved grant and what percentage of the total work was designated to you.
• Monetary value. (Optional) Mentioning the monetary value is field-specific, so consider checking in with other experts in your field before adding it.

Simple enough, right? Now let’s see it in practice.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) - “Challenge America”

01/2021 - 07/2021

• Project Title: Sunshine Street
• Project summary: Facilitated outdoor workshops and organized art programs for children from families below the poverty line in Middleton, NY.

#7. Awards and Honors

A little showing-off never hurts when it comes to an academic CV.

Take your time to list the awards and honors you’ve received so far, including any scholarships . Start with the latest additions first and work your way back.

Be sure to include:

• Name of the award. E.g. The RSPB medal
• Year it was received. E.g. 2023
• The institution it was presented by. E.g. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• A brief description. (Optional) If the name isn’t clear enough, you can give a brief introduction to what the award was for.

Here’s an example:

The RSPB medal, 2023

• The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ most prestigious medal, which is awarded annually to a single individual in recognition of wild bird protection and countryside conservation.
• Awarded for research on the decline of the hawfinch and proposals for reintroduction to its once-native woodlands. The project was successful, with over 45 hawfinch families now nested in Leicestershire.

#8. Conferences and Talks

If you’ve been invited to speak at conferences or as a guest lecturer at other institutions, you should dedicate a special section to it in your CV.

Use subcategories to list them, such as:

• Campus Talks. You lectured at your home institution’s campus.
• Invited Talks. You lectured at other institutions or conferences.
• Conference attendance. You participated in a conference but didn’t give a lecture. 

Then list each talk and conference, including the following information:

• Name of the institution. E.g. Queen Mary University of London
• Location. E.g. London, United Kingdom
• Department. If applicable, such as in the case of a university guest talk. E.g. The Department of History.
• Dates. Use the dd/mm/yyyy format.
• Title or brief description. Usually, the title is descriptive enough but if you have space, you can clarify the topic of the event.
• Presentation type. (Optional) This applies to conferences, as they can be a session talk, plenary lecture, or other.

Depending on the amount of experience you have with conferences and talks, you could separate them into one section for Conferences, and a separate section for Talks. Keep one section for conferences where you participated but weren’t a speaker, and one for events where you lectured.

Do you have an upcoming conference or talk? Plan ahead and check out 12 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills [for Work & Life] !

#9. Teaching Experience

With academic CVs, work experience is divided into distinct sections, such as:

• Professional appointments
• Teaching experience
• Research experience
• Other work experience

If you already have experience as a contracted professor, that should be listed in your professional appointments section at the start of your CV.

For aspiring professors, though, the first of these sections should be teaching experience.

This is where you can list any TA or adjunct professor positions in reverse chronological order, and mention the courses you’ve taught. 

Provide the following information for each entry:

• Name of the institution. E.g. University of Ohio
• Department. E.g. The Department of History and Classics
• Courses. E.g. Roman Poetry of the Republican Period
• Dates taught. Use the mm/yyyy format. E.g. 09/2017 - 06/2020
• Type. Specify if the course was undergraduate or graduate , and whether the course was taught in person or online.
• Duties. (Optional) For TA positions, you should only include your duties if your institution required you to create and teach your own courses.

If you have a lot of experience in this section, tailor it according to your application.

There’s no need to include all the courses you’ve taught if their number is in the double digits. Focus only on the top ten courses that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Alternatively, if you’re an experienced academic and your professional appointments section already details enough courses, you can be brief here. Just list the institutions where you were a TA and the dates you taught there.

Here’s an example of how to list teaching experience:

Teaching Assistant

Queen Mary’s College, London

Department of History and Classics

01/2022 - present

• Designed courses on Ancient Roman History and Culture, adjusted to students majoring in Art History, Classics, and Theology. Supervised undergraduate dissertations and assessed students’ performance in class.
• Postgraduate courses: Late Roman Mithraism, Imperial Symbolism in Eastern Roman Mosaics
• Undergraduate courses: Roman Poetry of the Republican Period, Latin Grammar, Introduction to Catullus
• Online courses: Roman Orientalism: The Allure of the East

If you’re using your CV to apply for a position at the beginning of your academic career, you might not have any teaching experience yet.

In that case, you can either list informal experience, such as tutoring, or you can remove the section altogether.

Thinking of applying for a job as a teacher? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a teacher resume with examples and templates.

#10. Research Experience

Any academic research position is welcome in this section. Start with your most recent post and work your way back.

• Name of the institution. E.g. Lund University
• Position. E.g. Research Assistant.
• Dates. E.g. 06/2019 - 08/2021
• Description. Specify the research question and explain how the research was conducted, and what methodologies you used.

If you’re an experienced researcher, you should only list the following positions:

• Full-time Researcher
• Research Associate

Research Assistant

Here’s how to list it on your academic CV:

Columbia University

09/2017 - 07/2019

• Collected field samples of fungi on expeditions.
• Analyzed mycelium production in different environments.
• Conducted detailed reports on the effects of fungal spores on the human respiratory system and their potential medicinal uses.

For graduates who don’t have experience yet, any research projects can be listed, not just formal research positions.

#11. Other Activities

This is a versatile section where you can list other optional but relevant information. You can divide your entries here into as many subsections as you deem necessary.

Some activities you can list are:

• Professional service. This can include conferences you’ve organized, journals you review for, students you’ve mentored, public outreach programs, and more.
• Professional memberships. If you’re a member of an association or council, you can mention it in this section. E.g. Voting member of ICOM (International Council of Museums) since 2016.
• Other qualifications. All other certifications , licenses, or qualifications go here.
• Extracurricular university activities . Any clubs or communities you were part of while pursuing your degree can make an appearance here.
• Media coverage. Any coverage you’ve received in the media, including talk show attendance or magazine interviews.
• Non-academic work. If you worked in a corporate environment before switching to academia, any of that work experience would be listed here.

Since these sections are all optional, it’s best to only add impressive activities. Your time as an au pair during your gap year isn’t as interesting as the time you were interviewed for your innovative research.

#12. Languages

The rule of thumb for language skills is that you should only list those you know well enough to read academic texts.

List languages by including your proficiency, starting with your native language. Depending on your field or country of origin, you might want to use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERFL) to indicate your level of proficiency.

If you’ve studied one or two foreign languages, you can list your fluency level for reading, writing, and speaking for each. If you’ve studied more than that, you can summarize your fluency with the appropriate CERFL score.

It’s generally best not to list a language if you’re a complete beginner in it. This section is also optional, so if you don’t know any foreign languages, you can skip it entirely.

#13. Skills

As a general rule, academic CVs shouldn’t list any skills.

Unlike in the corporate world, where adding skills to your resume is crucial , in academia, it might seem unprofessional.

However, exceptions are made for scientific and technical fields. If the position you’re applying for requires specialized methods that are worth listing, dedicate a section to highlight those skills.

#14. Hobbies and Interests

Another optional section is hobbies and interests .

These can be personal, professional, or research interests. Generally, it’s best to only mention hobbies and interests that are relevant to your field, if any at all.

For example, if you’re interested in historical reenactments, it might add more value to your application to the Department of History. But for a mathematician, it’s irrelevant.

#15. References

At the end of your academic CV, you can optionally include a list of references .

Choose a few people who are familiar with your work and can refer you. List them vertically and provide the following information for each entry:

• Full name and title. E.g. Jane Donovan, Ph.D.
• Mailing address. This should be a work address, rather than a personal one.
• Telephone number. Be sure to include the country dial code, especially if your CV is going to be reviewed abroad.
• Email address. List their professional email address, not a personal email.

Here’s how it should look on your CV:

Jane Donovan, Ph.D.

Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Massachusetts

73 Einkorn street

Amherst, MA 94720-3840

+1 907-212-6234

[email protected]

Attach an Academic Cover Letter

An academic CV is only one part of your application. Make sure to also include an academic cover letter so you come across as a professional and well-prepared candidate.

Depending on the nature of your application and your field, you might have to write an academic personal statement or an academic cover letter.

The difference between the two is that an academic personal statement focuses primarily on the applicant, and is meant to highlight your knowledge, expertise, and strengths. 

The academic cover letter, on the other hand, focuses on the job you are applying for and on what makes you the proper candidate for that job.

Here are the steps you need to follow to write one:

• Choose a cover letter template that matches your CV.
• Provide all the essential details in the header. These should include your contact information, such as your full name, phone number, mailing address, and email address.
• Address the letter to the admissions officer or other appropriate recipient. Include their title, email address, institution name and department, and mailing address. Then add a date to your letter right after.
• Start with a formal opening line, such as “To whom it may concern.”
• Write an attention-grabbing introduction explaining why you’re writing.
• In the body of your cover letter, expand on why you’re the right candidate for the position and why you’re a good choice for the institution you’re applying to.
• Summarize your key points, and use a call to action that asks the reader to take some sort of action, such as calling or otherwise contacting you.
• Finish your letter with the appropriate closing line, such as “Best Regards,” or “Sincerely.”

Are you applying for your postgraduate research degree? Check out our detailed guide to writing a motivational letter for a Ph.D. candidate !

Key Takeaways

And that’s our guide to academic CVs! Hopefully, you’ll be more confident when writing your CV and applying for that academic position you have your eye on.

To be on the safe side, let’s recap some of the main points we discussed:

• Academic CVs are used for faculty and research applications in universities. These CVs should highlight education, publications, teaching, research, and other experiences and achievements relevant to the position, not skills or general work experience.
• There’s no page limit you have to be wary of when writing your CV. Academics don’t have to worry about Applicant Tracking Systems rejecting their CV or that a hiring manager might only skim through the contents and discard it without reading. 
• The sections on your CV are listed in order of importance, depending on the position you’re applying for. The top sections are usually Education, Publications, Professional appointments, and Teaching or Research experience.
• Be sure to pair your CV with an appropriate Motivational Letter, Personal Statement, or any other document relevant to your application.

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Undergraduate CV example

So you want to secure a good job and kick-start your career, but you’re struggling to write an undergraduate CV?

Use our Undergraduate CV example and writing guide to learn exactly how you can create an effective CV and make the right impression on recruiters

Guide contents

Undergraduate CV example

• Structuring and formatting your CV
• Writing your CV profile
• Detailing work experience
• Your education

CV templates 

Before you start writing your CV, take a look at the example Undergraduate CV above to give yourself a good idea 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, to ensure it gets noticed.

Undergraduate CV structure and format

Recruiters and employers are busy, and if they can’t find the information they’re looking for in a few seconds, it could be game over for your application.

You need to format and structure your CV in a way which allows the reader to pick out your key information with ease, even if they’re strapped for time.

It should be clear, easily legible, well-organised and scannable – check out some simple tips and tricks below:

Formatting Tips

• Length: Whether you’ve got one year or three decades of experience, your CV should never be more than two sides of A4. Recruiters are busy people who’re often juggling numerous roles and tasks, so they don’t have time to read lengthy applications. If you’re a recent graduate or don’t have much industry experience, one side of A4 is fine.
• Readability : By clearly formatting your section headings (bold, or a different colour font, do the trick) and breaking up big chunks of text into snappy bullet points, time-strapped recruiters will be able to skim through your CV with ease.
• Design: While it’s okay to add your own spin to your CV, avoid overdoing the design. If you go for something elaborate, you might end up frustrating recruiters who, above anything, value simplicity and clarity.
• Avoid photos: Don’t add photos, images or profile pictures to your CV. Not only do they take up much-needed CV space, but they’re actually completely unnecessary and won’t boost your CV at all.

Structuring your CV

Divide your CV into the following major sections when writing it:

• Name and contact details  – Head your CV with your name and contact details, to let the reader know who you are and how to contact you.
• CV profile – A brief paragraph which summarises your skills and experience and highlights why you’re a good match for the role.
• Core skills list – A snappy, bullet-pointed list of your most relevant skills.
• Work experience – A structured list of your work experience in reverse chronological order.
• Education – A summary of any relevant qualifications or professional training you’ve completed.
• Hobbies and interests – An optional section, which should only be used if your hobbies are relevant to the jobs you’re applying to.

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

CV Contact Details

Write your contact details in the top corner of your CV, so that they’re easy to find but don’t take up too much space.

You only need to list your basic details, such as:

• Mobile number
• Email address
• Location – Don’t list your full address. Your town or city, such as ‘Norwich’ or ‘Coventry’ is perfect.
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Remember to update these before listing them on an application.

Undergraduate CV Profile

Your CV profile is basically a short introductory paragraph, which summarises your key selling points and highlights why you’d make a good hire.

So, write a well-rounded summary of what you do, what your key skills are, and what relevant experience you have.

It needs to be short, snappy and punchy and, ultimately, entice the reader to read the rest of your CV.

Tips for creating an impactful CV profile:

• Keep it brief: The best CV profiles are short, sharp and highly relevant to the target role. For this reason, it’s best to write 3-4 lines of high-level information, as anything over might be missed.
• Tailor it: No matter how much time you put into your CV profile, it won’t impress if it’s irrelevant to the role you’re applying for. Before you start writing, make a list of the skills, knowledge and experience your target employer is looking for. Then, make sure to mention them in your CV profile and throughout the rest of your application.
• Don’t add an objective: Avoid discussing your career goals in your CV profile – if you think they’re necessary, briefly mention them in your cover letter instead.
• Avoid cliches: Focus on fact, not fluff. Phrases like “Committed and enthusiastic thought-leader” and “Dynamic problem solver” might sound fancy, but they’ll do nothing for your application. Not only do they sound cheesy, but they have no substance – stick to real skills and facts

What to include in your Undergraduate CV profile?

• Summary of experience: To give employers an idea of your capabilities, show them your track record by giving an overview of the types of companies you have worked for in the past and the roles you have carried out for previous employers – but keep it high level and save the details for your experience section.
• Relevant skills: Highlight your skills which are most relevant to Undergraduate jobs, to ensure that recruiters see your most in-demand skills as soon as they open your CV.
• Essential qualifications: Be sure to outline your relevant Undergraduate qualifications, so that anyone reading the CV can instantly see you are qualified for the jobs you are applying to.

Quick tip: If spelling and grammar are not a strong point of yours, Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to add pre-written content that has been created by recruitment experts, and proofread by our team.

Core skills section

In addition to your CV profile, your core skills section provides an easily digestible snapshot of your skills – perfect for grabbing the attention of busy hiring managers.

As Undergraduate jobs might receive a huge pile of applications, this is a great way to stand out and show off your suitability for the role.

It should be made up of 2-3 columns of bullet points and be made up of skills that are highly relevant to the jobs you are targeting.

Work experience/Career history

By now, you’ll have hooked the reader’s attention and need to show them how you apply your skills and knowledge in the workplace, to benefit your employers.

So, starting with your most recent role and working backwards to your older roles, create a thorough summary of your career history to date.

If you’ve held several roles and are struggling for space, cut down the descriptions for your oldest jobs.

Structuring your roles

Lengthy, unbroken chunks of text is a recruiters worst nightmare, but your work experience section can easily end up looking like that if you are not careful.

To avoid this, use my tried-and-tested 3-step structure, as illustrated below:

Start with a solid introduction to your role as a whole, in order to build some context.

Explain the nature of the organisation you worked for, the size of the team you were part of, who you reported to and what the overarching purpose of your job was.

Key responsibilities

Follow with a snappy list of bullet points, detailing your daily duties and responsibilities.

Tailor it to the role you’re applying for by mentioning how you put the target employer’s desired hard skills and knowledge to use in this role.

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.

In your education section, make any degrees, qualifications or training which are relevant to Undergraduate roles a focal point.

As well as mentioning the name of the organisation, qualification titles and dates of study, you should showcase any particularly relevant modules, assignments or projects.

Interests and hobbies

This section is entirely optional, so you’ll have to use your own judgement to figure out if it’s worth including.

If your hobbies and interests could make you appear more suitable for your dream job, then they are definitely worth adding.

Interests which are related to the industry, or hobbies like sports teams or volunteering, which display valuable transferable skills might be worth including.

Writing your Undergraduate CV

When putting together your Undergraduate CV, there are a few key points to remember

Always tailor your CV to the target role, even if it means creating several versions for different roles.

Additionally, remember that the structure and format of your CV needs just as much attention as the content.

Good luck with your job search!

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How to Make a Resume: 2024 Resume Writing Guide

Learn how to identify important resume keywords, format your resume, and write each section in this comprehensive guide.

Your resume is a document that encompasses your entire professional journey, showing where you currently are in your career, how you got there, and where you hope to go next. Since it’s meant to be a concise brief—condensed to just one or two pages—that can feel like a lot of storytelling for a small space.

To make a resume showing your experiences and goals, you must be strategic with the language, format, and sections you include. In general, there are three broad steps to making your resume:

Identifying keywords and important skills

Choosing a format

Writing each section

In this resume guide, we’ll offer tips and resources to ease you through the process.

Free resume templates

If you’re starting with a blank page, use free customisable templates for either a chronological resume or a functional resume to make your resume in a Google Doc. Log into your Google account and select the ‘Make a copy’ prompt.

How to write a resume

The key to making an effective resume is keeping your audience in mind. First, consider who the people (and technologies) who will be reading your resume are.

When applying for jobs online, your first audience member will often be an applicant tracking system (ATS). This screening program uses an algorithm to 'read' incoming resumes and sort qualified candidates. After the ATS deems you qualified for a role, a human recruiter—your second audience member—will review your application materials and decide whether to invite you to interview.

Now that we’ve established your likely audience, let’s take a closer look at how to determine the information the ATS and human recruiters may be looking for and how they will best receive that information.

1. Identify keywords and important skills.

You can find much information about a role directly from the job description. Within the listed responsibilities and qualifications, you can get a strong sense of the language and experience a successful candidate will have on their resume.

As you read a job description, highlight the action words, keywords, and specific workplace and technical skills mentioned. The ATS is likely programmed to look for the same or similar language as that which appears in the job description, so this analysis can help shape the way you approach writing your resume.

2. Select a resume format.

Regarding formatting, there are three common types of resumes—chronological, functional, and combination—along with several more specialised options. With your audience in mind, choose the format that best demonstrates how your experience aligns with your desired role’s job description.

If you’re applying for jobs online, ATS software is generally programmed to interpret chronological resumes. The software may still identify important keywords in alternative formats but potentially less accurately.

If you’re unsure of the resume format you should choose, a chronological resume with standard 1-inch margins, black text, and a common font like Times New Roman or Arial is typically a safe choice.

3. Write your resume sections.

Guided by your keyword list and format, you’re ready to start filling out your resume sections. You’ll typically want to include sections for your header, work experience, education, and skills, but there are optional sections you can add to amplify the story you want to tell.

Resume checklist

At this point, you are almost ready to submit your resume. Before you do, let’s do one final check. Ask yourself:

Did I write my resume with my audience in mind?

Did I strategically select action words and keywords?

Have I demonstrated my relevant skills and experience?

Are my margins set to 1 inch on all sides?

Is my font easy to read?

Did I include all of the key resume sections?

Did I edit for proper spelling and grammar?

If you can answer 'yes' to all these questions, save your resume as a PDF file with a title that includes your name and 'resume'. Check that the file is saved correctly, then prepare to submit your resume.

Add a new credential to your resume with a Professional Certificate from industry leaders like Google, Meta, and IBM on Coursera. Learn key skills to prepare for entry-level roles in digital marketing, web development, data analytics, and more. Sign up for a free 7-day trial and start learning today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many pages should a resume be‎ ‎.

A resume should ideally be no more than two pages unless you write an academic CV. A page may be sufficient if you are a recent graduate or applying for an entry-level role. ‎

How far back should your resume go?‎ ‎

Typically, the time you include on your resume depends on your relevant job experience. You should include the experience you have that is relevant to the role you’re applying for. However, if you have 10 or more years of work experience, you may be able to shed some of those earlier experiences from your resume to highlight your advanced skill set better. ‎

Should you list references on a resume?‎ ‎

It’s generally not recommended to list your references directly on your resume. Instead, use that space to highlight what makes you a great candidate. As you progress through the hiring process, the hiring manager or recruiter will request your references when they can contact them. ‎

Keep reading

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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

Want free help with your college essay?

UPchieve connects you with knowledgeable and friendly college advisors—online, 24/7, and completely free. Get 1:1 help brainstorming topics, outlining your essay, revising a draft, or editing grammar.

Writing a strong college admissions essay

Learn about the elements of a solid admissions essay.

Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes

Learn some of the most common mistakes made on college essays

Brainstorming tips for your college essay

Stuck on what to write your college essay about? Here are some exercises to help you get started.

How formal should the tone of your college essay be?

Learn how formal your college essay should be and get tips on how to bring out your natural voice.

Taking your college essay to the next level

Hear an admissions expert discuss the appropriate level of depth necessary in your college essay.

Student Stories

Student Story: Admissions essay about a formative experience

Get the perspective of a current college student on how he approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about personal identity

Get the perspective of a current college student on how she approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about community impact

Student story: admissions essay about a past mistake, how to write a college application essay, tips for writing an effective application essay, sample college essay 1 with feedback, sample college essay 2 with feedback.

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