A CV can be two different things depending on the role you’re after. For academic roles, it’s often a long, detailed document. For jobs, it’s usually a shorter summary of your experience.
In this article we’ll walk you through how to write either version.
Our CV builder can make you a CV in as little as 5 minutes. Just pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.
What is a CV?
A CV, short for curriculum vitae (Latin for “course of life”), is a document that outlines your professional and educational history. CVs are different from resumes in length, level of detail, and usage depending on where you are in the world.
In the United States, the term CV typically refers to an academic CV, which is used when applying for roles in research, higher education, or fellowships. Academic CVs are comprehensive documents that include publications, research, teaching experience, presentations, grants, and more.
However, in most other countries, the term CV is used more broadly to describe the document you submit when applying for any job — essentially what Americans call a resume.
How to write a CV for a job or academic role
Different goals call for different CVs. Here’s what to include and what to emphasize whether you’re applying for a job or an academic position.
1. Choose an appropriate CV format
Before you start writing, it’s important to choose a CV format that matches both your career goals and the expectations of your industry.
If you’re writing an academic CV, opt for a formal, traditional layout. Academic CVs are expected to look professional and straightforward, with an emphasis on clarity over visual creativity.
For job-focused CVs, you have more flexibility. The level of formality should reflect your field — CVs for finance, law, or government roles should remain formal, while industries like marketing, design, or tech may welcome a more creative style.
2. Clearly list your contact information at the top
Employers need to know how to contact you if they want to offer you an interview.
Make it easy to find that information by including the following in the header of your CV:
- First and last name (in a large font)
- Phone number
- Email address
- City and state (optional)
- Portfolio or website (if applicable)
- LinkedIn profile (optional)
3. Open with a strong professional summary
A professional summary is a brief paragraph at the beginning of your CV that highlights your most relevant experience and skills. The goal of your summary is to convince employers to keep reading your CV.
This section should be concise (2–5 sentences) and tailored to the specific role you’re applying for, showcasing how your skills and experiences make you an ideal candidate.
4. List your experience in chronological order
Your experience section is one of the most important parts of your CV—and how you structure it depends on the type of role you’re applying for.
If you’re applying for a professional job, list your work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position. For each job, include the following information:
- Company name
- Job title
- Dates of employment
- 3–5 bullet points outlining your key responsibilities and achievements
If you’re applying for an academic role, replace work experience with an Academic Appointments, Teaching Experience, or Research Experience section, depending on the type of role you’re targeting. Again, list positions in reverse chronological order, including:
- Your title (e.g., Teaching Assistant, Research Fellow)
- The institution name and location
- Dates
- Bullet points that describe your contributions (e.g., courses taught, research projects, lab responsibilities, or publications)
Whichever path you’re on, emphasize achievements over duties, and tailor your content to the role you want next rather than just describing the role you had last. Use action verbs and quantifiable achievements to demonstrate the impact you had in past roles.
5. Detail your education
Your education section should give employers a clear view of your academic background. How much detail you include depends on the type of role you’re targeting.
For professional job applications, keep this section concise. List your most recent degree first, followed by the institution name, location, graduation date, and the degree earned. If you’re a recent graduate, you can also include:
- Your GPA (if it’s 3.5 or above)
- Relevant coursework
- Academic honors
- Extracurricular activities that are relevant to your career goals
For academic roles, your education section should be more detailed. In addition to the basics, include:
- Your dissertation or thesis title
- Research focus or specialization
- Advisor’s name (if relevant in your field)
- Relevant coursework
- Academic honors, scholarships, or fellowships you received
This information helps demonstrate your readiness for research or teaching positions. If you’ve completed multiple degrees, be sure to list them in reverse chronological order, from the most recent to the earliest.
6. Add additional sections that highlight your strengths
One of the biggest advantages of a CV over a resume is its flexibility. Unlike resumes, which are typically limited to one page, CVs can be as long as necessary to fully showcase your qualifications. That means you can (and should) include additional sections that support your candidacy and reflect your strengths.
If you’re writing a CV for a job, you might include:
- Skills
- Certifications & licenses
- Volunteer work
- Languages
- Hobbies and interests (if relevant to the company or role)
- Professional memberships
If you’re applying for an academic role, consider including:
- Publications
- Research experience
- Relevant coursework
- Projects
- Conferences & presentations
- Grants & fellowships
- Awards & honors
- References
CV template for a job
Your CV should be tailored to the role you’re applying for, so feel free to add, remove, or rearrange sections based on what’s most relevant.
Here’s a flexible CV template to use as a starting point:
Month Year–Month Year
- Key responsibility or achievement
- Key responsibility or achievement
- Quantifiable result or impact
(Repeat for 3–4 recent roles)
School Name, City, State
- GPA (if you’re a recent graduate and it’s above 3.5)
- Relevant coursework, honors, or thesis (optional)
- Skill 1
- Skill 2
- Skill 3
Certification Name
Issuing Body or Institution Name
Date earned (month and year)
Expiration (if applicable)
Academic CV template
An academic CV is typically longer and more detailed than a CV for a job, and it should reflect the qualifications most relevant to the teaching, research, or fellowship opportunity you’re pursuing.
While many academic CVs follow a similar structure, you can add, remove, or rearrange sections depending on your field, experience level, and the role you’re applying for.
Below is a flexible academic CV template you can adapt to your needs:
[Your Name, Degrees (e.g., PhD, MA)]
[Email Address] | [Phone Number] | [LinkedIn or ORCID iD] | [Departmental Website or Personal Site]
2–3 sentences summarizing your academic focus, research interests, and teaching philosophy.
Degree Title
Institution, City, State/Country
Graduation month and year
- Dissertation/Thesis Title
- Advisor (if relevant)
- Honors, GPA (optional)
Institution Name, City, State
Month/Year–Month/Year
- Course(s) taught or responsibilities
- Instructional methods or curricular contributions
(Repeat for as many positions as necessary)
Project or Lab Name, Institution
Month/Year–Month/Year
- Description of research focus, methodologies, and outcomes
- Author(s). Title. Journal Name, Year.
(Use citation style appropriate to your field)
- “Title of Presentation,” Conference Name, Location, Date.
- Name of Grant or Fellowship, Granting Body, Year(s)
- Name of Award, Institution or Organization, Year
Available upon request (or list 3–5 referees with full contact information)
CV examples for different roles
To help you get a better idea of what your finished CV should look like, here some professional CV examples for different roles:
Sample CV for a job application
linkedin.com/in/emmacollins | emmacollinsportfolio.com
- Digital marketing strategy
- Content creation
- SEO
- Email marketing (Mailchimp, HubSpot)
- Social media management
- Google Analytics
- WordPress
- HTML/CSS
- A/B Testing
- CRM Platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Led development and execution of multi-channel campaigns that increased qualified leads by 37% YoY
- Manage content calendar and blog strategy, resulting in a 60% increase in organic web traffic within 12 months
- Coordinate product launches and collaborated with design, dev, and sales teams to align messaging
- Monitor campaign performance and created monthly reports using Google Analytics and HubSpot
- Supported email marketing and paid ad campaigns; helped reduce cost-per-lead by 22%
- Created customer case studies and email drip sequences to support product education and retention
- Tracked campaign performance metrics and assisted in A/B testing initiatives
- Maintained CRM database and segmented contacts for targeted outreach
- Wrote and scheduled weekly social media posts across Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook
- Helped design infographics and promotional materials using Canva
- Analyzed engagement data to optimize future content strategy
University of California, Santa Barbara
Graduated: May 20XX
- Minor in Digital Media
- Dean’s List (4 semesters)
- Google Analytics Certification – Google, June 20XX
- HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification – HubSpot Academy, March 20XX
- Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate – Meta Blueprint, September 20XX
Sample CV for a research role
Dr. Sarah A. Nguyen
sarah.nguyen@univmail.edu | (617) 555-3842
Boston, MA
linkedin.com/in/sarahanguyen | ORCID: 0000-0002-3847-192X
Ecological genomics, avian migration patterns, climate change adaptation, conservation biology, quantitative field methods
Ph.D. in Biology
University of California, Davis — Davis, CA
Completed: May 20XX
- Dissertation: “Genetic Adaptation in Migratory Bird Populations Across Climate Gradients in Western North America”
- Advisor: Dr. Michael J. Ramirez
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, magna cum laude
Tufts University — Medford, MA
Graduated: May 20XX
- Senior Thesis: “Urban Ecology and Birdsong Variation in Fragmented Landscapes”
- GPA: 3.89
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan — Ann Arbor, MI
June 20XX–Present
- Conducted whole-genome sequencing and population structure analyses of migratory bird populations
- Led a 3-year field study tracking environmental influences on migratory timing
- Supervised two graduate research assistants and collaborated with researchers in Canada and Germany on data sharing initiatives
- Published findings in Ecology Letters and presented at the American Ornithological Society’s annual conference
UC Davis Center for Population Biology — Davis, CA
20XX–20XX
- Designed and implemented a multi-site field study involving capture, tagging, and sampling of over 500 individuals
- Used R and Python for ecological modeling and landscape genomics analysis
- Received NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (20XX–20XX)
Department of Biology, UC Davis
20XX–20XX
- Introduction to Ecology – Led weekly lab sessions, graded assignments, and held office hours
- Scientific Writing for Biologists – Assisted students in developing research reports and lab writeups
- Received “Excellence in Teaching” recognition in 20XX
Nguyen, S.A., Garcia, M.L., & Ramirez, M.J. (20XX). Genome-wide selection in migratory birds facing climate shifts. Ecology Letters, 26(4), 587–599.
Nguyen, S.A. (20XX). Genetic signals of habitat fragmentation in Western warblers. Molecular Ecology, 31(10), 2341–2355.
Nguyen, S.A., & Thompson, A.J. (20XX). Field-based methods in avian sampling: A review. Avian Research Journal, 14(3), 201–213.
CV example for graduate students
[Your Address]
[Your Email Address] | [Your Phone Number]
[LinkedIn Profile] (optional)
Recent Economics graduate with excellent educational credentials and progressive experience in data analytics and reporting. Aspiring to pursue a Master’s degree in Finance from a renowned institution to expand knowledge in quantitative finance, investments, financial markets, financial reporting, and analysis.
San Francisco State University
Bachelor of Arts in Economics, May 20XX
Honors: Cum Laude (3.7/4.0)
Relevant Coursework: Introduction to Microeconomic & Macroeconomic Analysis, Intermediate Microeconomic & Macroeconomic Theory, Calculus, Mathematics, Quantitative Reasoning
Awards and Honors:
President’s List, 20XX | Dean’s List for 4 semesters | Pathways Scholarship Recipient, 20XX
- Evaluated and organized 1995-2019 US personal income data by gender, race, education, and prognosis 2020-2040 gender income gap trend
- Worked closely with the professor and 4+ team members to develop a detailed gender income gap report of gender inequality studies
- Conducted detailed research to identify trends and formulate forecast models
- Maintained 100% accuracy in analyzing large economic and statistical data to derive results and achieve desired outcomes
- Managed youth football programs in the country with 400+ annual participants, $300k annual budget, and 8+ direct reports
- Represented the organization at local, regional, and national level
- Employed best practices to handle all aspects of discipline, as well as all marketing, financial and special event functions
- Leadership
- Problem solving
- Research & analysis
- Data gathering
- Forecasting
- Public speaking
- Communication
Academic CV example for a professor
Chicago, IL
linkedin.com/in/elenajmartinez | emartinezphd.com
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Urbana, IL
Completed: May 20XX
- Dissertation: “Rewriting the Canon: Southern Identity and Narrative Form in Contemporary American Fiction”
- Advisor: Dr. Samuel Ingram
M.A. in English
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Urbana, IL
Completed: May 20XX
B.A. in English, magna cum laude
St. Mary’s College of Maryland — St. Mary’s City, MD
Graduated: May 20XX
- Minor in Education Studies
August 20XX–Present
- Designed and taught 4–5 courses per semester, including Introduction to Literature, Contemporary American Fiction, and Critical Writing and Analysis
- Served as faculty advisor for English majors and capstone research projects
- Led department-wide curriculum redesign for general education literature requirement
- Organized annual student writing symposium and chaired the Inclusive Teaching Committee
August 20XX–May 20XX
- Taught freshman composition and literature survey courses to diverse student populations
- Created scaffolded assignments emphasizing revision, peer review, and digital literacy
- Participated in department teaching observations and professional development workshops
20XX– 20XX
- Independently taught 6 sections of Rhetoric 101/102 and 4 sections of Introduction to Fiction
- Received departmental award for Outstanding Teaching in 20XX
Martinez, E. (20XX). “Regionalism Rewritten: Gender and Space in Contemporary Southern Fiction.” Southern Literary Journal, 49(1), 88–103.
- “Teaching Intersectionality through Literature,” Modern Language Association (MLA) Annual Convention – Philadelphia, PA, 20XX
- “Reclaiming Regionalism in the Undergraduate Classroom,” American Literature Association – Boston, MA, 20XX
- “The Inclusive Canon: Decolonizing the Reading List,” Teaching Literature Conference – 20XX (virtual)

Lauren Mastroni
Digital Content Writer
Lauren Mastroni is a Digital Content Writer dedicated to creating engaging content and providing actionable advice that empowers people in their job searches. An enthusiastic contributor to the Resume Genius team, Lauren has a passion for developing valuable resources for job seekers. Lauren holds an M.S. in Psychology from University of Derby and currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan. She enjoys learning all she can about the career space, and is committed to helping job seekers of all experience levels navigate the job hunt and advance their careers. You can reach Lauren at lauren@resumegenius.com.
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