Moving from a CV to a Resume may seem overwhelming. While CVs focus on academia including research and teaching, resumes focus on skills and qualifications specific to a job. In this section, we go over transitioning your CV to a resume. From here, check out our update and tailoring resume sections to fine tune your new resume.
Watch this webinar to learn more about converting your CV to a resume.Visit Versatile PhD for industry-specific resources.
Structure + Formatting
Page Set-up
Margins .5”-1” all around
Font 10-12pt
Easy-to-read font
Name should be 16+ font size
Spacing- consistent, balance text
Sections
Keep existing sections like Education, Skills, Work Experience, Volunteer and Leadership Experience.
Adjust existing section headings based on industry specifics. For example, if research will not be primary part of the work you are applying to, incorporate your research experience into a work or related experience section where appropriate.
Focus on the primary skill(s) you want the employer to see based on the job or internship opportunity you are applying to.
Edit your accomplishment statements to include skills and key words mentioned in the job or internship posting.
Must Dos
Tailor your resume to the role you are applying for. Review the posting closely for key words and phrases to incorporate into you accomplishment statements (bullet points).
Review your accomplishment statements closely for a strong action verb, what you did, and 1-2 of the following: why you did what you did, how you did what you did, for whom, outcomes of your work and/or impact of your work.
Use past tense in your accomplishment statements (bullet points) unless you are currently involved in the experience.
Review and improve your action verbs. View the table below for examples. Check out this list of action verb options.
Good
Better
Best
Worked
Contributed
Improved
Did
Performed
Produced
Responsible for
Managed
Spearheaded
Attended
Participated
Orchestrated
Saw
Observed
Analyzed
Learned
Gained Experience
Implemented
Tried
Tested
Developed
Examples of good, better, best action verbs.
Avoid
Avoid the phrases “responsible for” or “duties include.”
Unless you’re applying to a research role within industry, avoid including your PI or Advisor’s name on the resume. The focus is on the impact/outcomes of the work/research you’ve done.
Tips
Visit VersatilePhD, the online resources that supports humanities, social science, and STEM graduate students and Ph.D.s in all fields identify, prepare for, and succeed in non-academic careers.
Keep your resume to one page in length unless you have 2 full pages of relevant/transferable experience.
Consider a summary statement or profile to highlight your skills, qualifications, and experience at the beginning of the resume. This is a concise, 2-3 line maximum statement that provides an overview of what your resume details.
Have a master resume. Master resumes include all of your experiences from University forward and, there is no page limit. It’s just for your personal use to keep everything in one place for easy access and updating.
