PhD Resume—Examples and 25+ Expert Writing Tips

You’ve been hitting the books with a vengeance, but now you need to bust out and join the workforce. Reference PhD resume examples better than most, get more interviews than ever.

Career Expert

PhD Resume—Examples and 25+ Expert Writing Tips

Looking around for PhD resume examples you’ve probably noticed a common point of confusion: A doctoral student CV, doctoral student resume, and a resume for a doctoral program are all very different things.

A PhD resume is what you want if you’re looking for a job outside of academia. A CV is the way to go if you’re applying for a post, grant, fellowship, place, etc. at a university.

In this guide:

Save hours of work and get a job-winning resume like this. Try our resume builder for free. Start by choosing a resume template.

PhD resume example

What users say about ResumeLab:

I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.”
Patrick

I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work!
Dylan

My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful!
George

A PhD opens so many doors, a lot depends on your field of study, what stage you’re at, and what you want to do. Check out some of our other guides, whether you’re:

Moving into these non-academic fields:

Entering one of the professions:

Sticking with teaching and research:

Or still working towards or supplementing a PhD:

Finally, if you’re on an academic track, then an academic CV is what you’re after:

Doctoral Resume Sample

Patrick Labarge

Personal Info

Summary

Passionate design engineer with 3+ years’ experience working in the industry, currently completing doctoral studies in industrial engineering and operations research. At GDC Allstorm, increased compliance by 17% while reducing manufacturing costs by up to $140,000 p.a. Seeking opportunity to apply proven PCB design and PM skills in helping RottenFruit increase margins.

Experience

Design Engineer

Senior Tutor

University of Illinois, Chicago, IL

September 2016–June 2018

Education

PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

University of Illinois, Chicago, IL

MS in Electronics Engineering

University of Illinois, Chicago, IL

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL

Software

Programming Languages

Key Skills

Now here’s how to write a PhD resume they’ll love:

1. Choose the Right Doctoral Resume Format

You’ve got non-academic friends. You know how their eyes glaze over when you start talking about grad-school politics or your plans for a monograph.

Don’t do that to the hiring managers who pick up your doctoral resume. Make your resume format as quick and clear as a three-minute thesis final. Here’s how:

Doctoral Resume Format

Life (and Microsoft) has taught you that the answer to the PDF versus *.docx debate for your resume is PDF.

Always check the job ad and go with any file-type preferences listed there. Some organizations usedeprecated ATSs (Applicant Tracking Systems) that can’t handle PDF. Keep that in mind when writing your ATS resume. If the jod ad asks for a *.docx file, just send them a *.docx file.

2. Summarize Your Candidature With a Doctoral Resume Profile

This is the elevator-pitch version of your resume. Short and sweet and basically complete. Write a career summary if you have some experience that’s relevant to the job at hand.

Use:

  1. One adjective (efficient, productive, passionate)
  2. Job title (PhD Candidate, Mechanical Engineer)
  3. Years of experience (3+, 4+)
  4. How you’ll help (help Company X reduce costs)
  5. Two or three of your most impressive achievements (maintained 94% TEVAL score, received Catafalque Award for best design)

PhD Resume Summary

create your resume now

Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.

4. Handle Your Education the Right Way

Whatever your motivation for getting into doctoral studiesDo your education justice. Here’s how you can make sure it has maximum impact:

List degree names (including majors), school names, and years graduated. Then, add a couple of bullet points that prove key skills or detail your theses. This PhD resume example shows how:

Education Section for a Doctoral Candidate Resume

create your cover letter now

Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Key Points

For a doctoral resume that gets interviews:

Need more guidance on how to write a doctoral candidate resume? Not sure how to list doctoral candidate on a resume? Leave a comment, we’ll be glad to reply.

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Written by Bart Turczynski

Bart Turczynski’s career advice and commentary have been published by Glassdoor, The Chicago Tribune, Workopolis, The Financial Times, Hewlett-Packard, and CareerBuilder, among others. Bart’s mission is to promote the best, data-informed, and up-to-date career advice through numerous online communities and publications. Bart’s lifelong passion for politics and a strong background in psychology make all the advice he publishes unique and supported by detailed research.

Was it interesting? Here are similar articles

Grad School Resume Examples, Templates & How-to

Grad School Resume Examples, Templates & How-to

Admission counselors are on the lookout for well-rounded candidates. Show them you’re diverse with accomplishments and extracurriculars in a jaw-dropping grad school resume.

Roger Maftean, Ph.D

Tutor Resume Example, Description, and Skills for Resume

Tutor Resume Example, Description, and Skills for Resume

You have the knowledge of a small library and the patience of a saint. Learn to show these skills on your tutor resume. Just follow the tips and check our tutoring resume example.

Adjunct Professor Cover Letter Example—2024 Guide

Adjunct Professor Cover Letter Example—2024 Guide

You have experience, education, and the will to help others become experts like yourself. Now all you need to do is write the perfect cover letter for adjunct professor position.

* The names and logos of the companies referred to above are all trademarks of their respective holders. Unless specifically stated otherwise, such references are not intended to imply any affiliation or association with ResumeLab

Choose a region

© 2024 Labs Limited. All rights reserved.