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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

How to write a CV for the Academic Job Market?

The Academic Job market refers to that aspect of the market which is concerned with academicians, teachers and researchers. It involves jobs ranging from Teaching Assistants (TA’s) to Fellow Researchers in places like Universities, Laboratories, Colleges etc.

At first glance, it may seem that this side of the market is an easy game because few people seem to be opting for higher studies, thereby leading to reduced competition, but that is not the case. For instance, consider the fact that universities and colleges are ever-growing in the country, with many vacancies for teaching assistants, scholars and researchers. It only results in an ever-growing need for such academically inclined people and so the Academic Job Market is not really as easy as it seems.

So how to write a CV so that you may get selected in this academic job market? The short answer would be: To keep it precise, relevant and clean. But don’t we all know that? So let’s dive deep and see what makes a CV really good so as to be considered for a vacancy in the academic market. Keep in mind that the following points don’t guarantee you a position at your desired job profile, but it will definitely help you get considered in cases where there are large applicants for a lucrative position. It will be highly useful, especially for graduate students who are considering such jobs as they lack the knowledge of creating an effective CV in this professional field.

  • The first step begins with introspection. You need to be very clear about your goals in your own head so that you can effectively pen them down in the CV. Double-check the information you’ve gathered about the vacancy, the job profile you imagine yourself working in and the institution you’ll be applying to. Make a rough draft about the goals if need be.
  • Surround yourself with people you look up to in your department. These people could be your mentors, your peers and such. They help you in collecting relevant information about your CV and most importantly, they review it. Feedback is crucial when it comes to creating a well-defined CV. Apply for a review even if you think that the CV is good enough because no matter how hard you try, one cannot judge his own CV. Some kind of bias is bound to plague the creator.
  • Make sure to include all your publications and research papers. These are the currencies of the job market, which makes them of utmost importance. The order of their placement in the CV should ideally be after the education section and before the interests section. However, it is advised to include it at the top part (beginning) of the CV to get the most pertinent information readily available.
  • Include experience (if any) as some institutions prefer to admit experienced candidates. This might not be the case with most universities but it is advisable to refer to alumni of the applying college to get a better understanding of the kind of candidate they expect and whether the experience field plays a major factor in the application or not.
  • Be very transparent about achievements and publications. People tend to “pad” their CVs with extra, unnecessary information to make it look loaded. However, such a CV is immediately recognizable and rejected most of the times. Do not add publications that are not yet published and are still under review and be precise & clear about your achievements. A clear, transparent CV is the modern way of making it sleek and presentable.
  • Distinguish the sections effectively and mention any minute differences (if any). Do not aggregate information into a bundle of academic achievements only to reflect poorly on your organizational skills. Create different sections to mention the different kinds of grants you may have received so far or to mention the teaching experience you’ve had at different universities.
  • Do not include personal details like citizenship, marital status or a photo. A CV is meant to look professional and any kind of informal attempt is frowned upon that usually results in rejection. Although some countries may practice it, it is not recommended.
  • Mention any noteworthy achievement (if any) at the beginning, especially if it is a publication in a highly renowned journal. Publishing research is not a big a deal as of now, but publishing a research at a recognized journal is noteworthy enough, so much so that it just might help you get your CV noticed. Mention a few details about it, if required, but be very brief about it. So where do you put the details about your projects and achievements? The next point addresses it.
  • Do not write essays. Keep your descriptions very brief and precise. Blabbering about it only clutters the CV resulting in a bad format and degrading the quality. Mention your website, other links etc. where a further description is available. If the reviewer is interested, he/she will definitely check out the links for further evaluation.
  • Finally, don’t mention your aspirations or your “to do’s” in the CV. It is good to have high expectations and set a high bar for yourself, but unless you’ve achieved a goal, there’s no point in mentioning the unreal. Such aspirations and goals are better left for cover letters.

Thus, it is not easy to create an effective CV. Various points (the few of which is mentioned above) have to be kept in mind to furnish a complete, clean & concise CV for the modern undergrad (or any aspirant, for that matter). However, do keep in mind that a CV is only a part of what you are and the things you have accomplished. It is not a neatly arranged description of yourself and who you are, and thankfully, it never will be. So do not be disheartened if the CV you desired to create is unachievable as of now or if you get rejected. Best of luck!

Author Bio: Kristy is a content marketing professional at GoAssignmentHelp, a company which works to provide Assignment Writing Service and Online Essay Help. She is a champion of writing articles on, how could develop your business. Her articles concentrate on instructive substance in regard to the development of business by giving an engaging read.