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5 PhD Resume Examples Made to Work for 2024

• PhD Student Resumes by Type
• PhD Student Resumes by Role
• Write Your PhD Resume

With the role of a PhD student, you’re the intellectual powerhouse driving groundbreaking research and contributing to the advancement of knowledge. Your expertise allows you to dive deep into complex subjects, developing innovative solutions and pushing the boundaries of what’s already known. 

At the same time, you’ll need to balance your responsibilities as a teacher as well, imparting your knowledge to the undergraduates at your institution. Crafting a resume and creating a cover letter that demonstrate your ability to shine in this diverse role is no easy task.

Luckily, we’re here to guide you through the maze of showcasing your academic journey. With our varied PhD application resume examples , you’ll find the ideal resume template to help you craft your own winning resume in no time.

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Why this resume works

• Thankfully, Liam does a great job highlighting his internship and project achievements and how both are applicable in helping sustainably improve production.

PhD Student Resume

• One strategy you can use to boost the chances of your PhD student resume to clinch an enrolment slot into the health sciences department is by harnessing the achievements from a volunteer project that brought screening services to a marginalized community.

PhD Application Resume

• Therefore, achievements in increasing student participation and engagement accompanied by metrics in improved grades and assessment scores would go a long way to prop your suitability.

Engineering PhD Resume

• Hence, including it in your engineering PhD resume will do wonders and show that you’re a state-approved individual who knows what they’re doing. Employers will almost always prefer a licensed professional over an unlicensed one.

PhD Scientist Resume

• That’s where you’re going to include some numbers to add readability to your PhD scientist resume. Now, don’t be random and use metrics for impactful bullet points like decreasing experimental errors or analyzing a large number of samples.

Related resume examples

• Research Assistant

Adapt Your PhD Resume to the School You’re Applying to

As an aspiring PhD student, your resume is your scholarly calling card, showcasing the intellectual artillery you bring to the academic battlefield. 

This is where you can showcase your skills and express why you’re the right person to join the program. To do this, tailor your skills section to align with the specific requirements of your desired program and department. 

Highlight your expertise in research methodologies, statistical analysis, and any specialized software or equipment you’ve mastered. For the more technically inclined, don’t shy away from showcasing hard skills like Python, Matlab, Java, or Tableau.

You can also include a couple of soft skills because they’re essential for giving lectures and mentoring students. Just remember to reinforce them with demonstrable examples in the experience section later. 

Want some pointers?

15 top PhD skills

• Microsoft Office
• Google Sheets
• Research Methodologies 
• Academic Writing
• Public Speaking
• Lesson Planning
• Grant Proposals
• Grading Essays
• Collaborative Research

Your PhD work experience bullet points

From conducting groundbreaking research to publishing papers, your journey as an academic is about more than just the day-to-day grind. In the experience section of your resume, the real spotlight should be on your transformative contributions. 

If this isn’t your first PhD, highlight achievements from your previous studies like securing research grants, publishing impactful papers, or successfully leading research projects. If you’re moving up from postgraduate studies, highlight the best and most impressive accomplishments from your master’s and bachelor’s degrees. 

Add some numbers to make your accomplishments pop. This could be the number of students mentored, successful experiments and research projects, or the reach of your published work. 

• Highlight the number of your articles or research papers that were published in reputable journals.
• Quantify the success of research projects with metrics such as project scope, budget management, or studies carried out.
• Demonstrate your ability to secure research funding by specifying the number and value of grants obtained.
• Showcase your impact as a mentor or tutor by talking about the number of students you’ve guided or the way they were able to improve their grades through your help.

See what we mean?

• Created engaging course materials using Articulate Storyline, resulting in a 39% increase in student engagement and comprehension
• Managed EHR software to document patient assessments, vital signs, and medication administration, maintaining 99.99% accuracy in recordkeeping
• Partnered with farmers to develop customized crop management plans, resulting in a 31% increase in yields
• Assisted in the development and implementation of assessments, leading to a 33% reduction in student dropout rates

9 active verbs to start your PhD work experience bullet points

• Innovated 
• Collaborated

3 Tips for Writing a PhD Resume With Little Prior Experience

• Mention your involvement in conferences and workshops. This will showcase your ability to engage with and contribute to the broader scholarly community.
• Echo your passion for knowledge throughout your resume, and look into the future. Outline your career objectives , illustrating your commitment to making a lasting impact through your PhD studies.
• Any and all academic achievements look great on a PhD resume, so make sure to add them. Talk about your GPA, awards won, or competitions you’ve participated in to show your drive as a college student.

3 Tips for Writing a PhD Resume for Your Second PhD

• Research is often independent, and academics are sometimes considered lone wolves. That’s why it’s important to emphasize your leadership and collaboration skills explicitly. The school needs to know you can mentor students and collaborate with other colleagues effectively—so turn up the enthusiasm for this area!
• If you’re going for a research role, it’s essential to be at the forefront of your field—following all the latest papers and studies. You can show this by mentioning your participation in research initiatives or the conferences you like to attend. 
• Show that you put just as much effort into your students as you put into your research by sharing student performance and engagement metrics. You can also discuss your favorite lecture and seminar-planning techniques to convey your passion and commitment. 

Absolutely! While not mandatory, a tailored career summary can be a powerful tool. Customize it for the PhD position, mentioning the specific program and academic role. Don’t forget to highlight things like research methodologies, data analysis, and any unique contributions to your academic field.

Choose a clean and professional format that prioritizes your academic achievements and research experience. Use clear headings, bullet points, and a consistent structure, much like you would in a research paper. 

Include skills that align with the specific requirements of the PhD program and your academic discipline. Highlight technical and soft skills relevant to research, teaching, fieldwork, and collaboration.

How to Write A Great PhD Resume (With a Template)

We share tips on how write an excellent PhD resume, as well as a free PhD CV example.

• Student Tips

Page Content

✨ 5-second summary.

• Understand your audience and highlight relevant academic and professional history accordingly.
• Use a professional layout, concise language, bullet points for achievements, clear headings, and consistent presentation.
• Customize your resume for each application, balance academic achievements with transferable skills, ensure clarity and conciseness, quantify achievements, and avoid using graphical skill assessments to prevent misinterpretation of your capabilities.

Unlike a traditional resume, a PhD resume must showcase an individual's scholarly credentials, research acumen, and potential for academic contribution. With the right approach, your resume can open doors to prestigious fellowships, research assistant positions, and esteemed academic roles.

That said, many people dread having to put together a document like this because it can be overwhelming. Read on to learn how to write an excellent PhD resume without losing your mind!

Ready to start applying for PhD programs?

Browse phd programs worldwide, understand who you're writing the phd resume for.

Before you begin writing your PhD resume, it's essential to understand who will be reading it. Your audience may be one of the following:

• Admissions committees comprised of faculty members from the department you're applying to
• Research supervisors or principal investigators (PIs) if you're applying for a research position, such as a research assistantship or a postdoctoral role
• Funding bodies and scholarship panels if you're applying for scholarships, grants, or other forms of funding
• Human resources (HR) in academic institutions for roles that are more administrative or if the application process is managed through the university's HR department
• Conference organizers and journal editors if you're submitting an abstract for a conference presentation or a manuscript for publication
• Industry professionals like hiring managers, team leaders or department heads

Your PhD resume needs to resonate with the relevant audience. This means that you should highlight different aspects of your academic and professional history depending on who you're writing for.

For example:

• If you're applying for a PhD program, you should highlight your academic and research achievements, as well as any fundraising experience.
• If you're looking for an industry job, make sure to show how your knowledge and experience has helped solve real-world problems in the industry of the company you're applying for.

How to format and structure your PhD resume

Creating a PhD resume that effectively showcases your academic accomplishments, research experience, and relevant skills is crucial for advancing your career, whether in academia or industry.

Below are formatting and structuring tips to ensure your PhD resume stands out.

Formatting tips

Keep it professional

Use a clean, professional layout with a standard font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, sized between 10 and 12 points. Maintain uniform margins around the document.

Limit your resume to 1-2 pages if you're applying for industry roles.

An academic CV for faculty or research positions can be longer to include comprehensive details of your academic achievements.

Use bullet points

Break up text and highlight specific achievements using bullet points, making the resume easier to skim.

Include clear headings

Use bold or slightly larger font sizes for section headings such as Education, Research Experience, Publications, Teaching Experience and others to organize your resume logically.

Avoid including irrelevant information like your hobbies or interests, unless they're directly related to the industry or research areas of the company or institution you're applying for.

Stay consistent

Ensure consistency in how you present information. For example, if you start listing dates on the right side of the page, continue this format throughout.

What to include in your PhD resume

Header: Your name and contact information, including your email address, phone number, and LinkedIn profile or personal website/portfolio if applicable.

Summary: Briefly summarize your qualifications and why you're applying to that company/program.

Education: List your degrees in reverse chronological order . Include the institution, location, degree, and date of completion or expected completion.

Research experience: Detail your research projects, lab experience, and any significant findings. Mention the institution, your role, and a brief description of your contributions and outcomes.

Publications and presentations: Include a list of your published work and presentations at conferences.

Teaching experience: If applicable, list teaching positions, courses taught, and any innovations you introduced or teaching accolades you received.

• Highlight technical skills (e.g., laboratory techniques, programming languages, statistical software) and soft skills (e.g., leadership, project management) relevant to the position you're applying for.
• Don't include obvious things like time management, critical skills, teamwork and Microsoft Word - everyone already expects you to have those.

Awards and honors: List scholarships, grants, and other recognitions that underscore your academic excellence and research potential.

References: While not always necessary to include in the resume, be prepared to provide references if requested.

PhD resume example / PhD CV example

Below is a free PhD CV example you can use in your own application.

Common PhD resume mistakes

Here are the 4 most common PhD resume mistake s to avoid:

1. Not tailoring for the specific role or program

Mistake: Using a one-size-fits-all resume for every application.

Solution: Customize your resume for each position or program to highlight the experiences and skills most relevant to the specific role or academic opportunity. Research the institution or company and the role to understand what they value most in candidates.

2. Only focusing on academic achievements at the expense of transferable skills

Mistake: Concentrating solely on academic accomplishments, such as publications and conferences, without emphasizing skills that are transferable to non-academic settings.

Solution: While academic achievements are important, also showcase soft skills (like leadership, teamwork, and communication) and technical skills (like data analysis, programming languages, or laboratory techniques) that demonstrate your versatility and readiness for diverse roles.

3. Neglecting the importance of clarity and conciseness

Mistake: Submitting overly long resumes filled with jargon and unnecessary detail that obscure key information.

Solution: Keep your resume clear and concise. Use layman's terms to explain research projects and achievements so that non-specialists can understand your work's significance. Aim for a two-page maximum for industry roles, but academic CVs can be longer to comprehensively cover your academic career.

4. Failing to quantify achievements

Mistake: Listing duties and responsibilities without providing concrete outcomes or quantifying achievements.

Solution: Wherever possible, quantify your achievements with metrics, such as the number of people trained, the amount of funding secured, or the impact factor of journals where your work was published. This provides tangible evidence of your contributions and capabilities.

Don't use graphs to showcase your skill level

Lots of modern resume templates include stars, percentage graphs, progression lines like the ones here:

While wanting to make your PhD resume more visually appealing, these could ruin your chance to be accepted at a company or institution you're applying for.

There are two main reasons why these kinds of graphs could work against you:

• The same "skill percentage" means different things to different people. What you consider 50% of JavaScript knowledge could very well be 75% or even 80% to the person looking at your application.
• You don't always need to know 100% of a software/skill to do well in a role. If you add these graphs, you're indirectly communicating a lack of confidence in your ability.

SOLUTION : What you should do instead is simply list the skill on your resume, and you can always elaborate on your exact skill level later in the application or interview process.

A PhD resume differs from a standard resume in that it needs to highlight one's academic achievements, research capabilities, and capacity for scholarly contributions.

With a strategic approach, your resume can pave the way to distinguished fellowships, research assistant roles, and respected positions in academia.

• Writing the Perfect Personal Statement for your PhD Application
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Phd/postdoc resume samples

phd Resume examples, templates & guide for 2024

Phd resume examples.

Discover how to craft a compelling PhD resume that effectively showcases your academic achievements, research prowess, and professional skills. Our guide offers clear, tailored advice and fresh examples, designed to boost your chances of landing that coveted role. Whether you're venturing into academia, industry, or consulting, we're here to help you articulate your unique qualifications and experiences in an impactful way.

• Junior level

Personal Information

Name: Theodore Roosevelt Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 (555) 555-5555 Location: New York, NY, USA

Resume Summary

Highly motivated Junior PhD candidate with a strong background in Physics. Proven ability to conduct high-quality research and deliver comprehensive reports. Adept at statistical analysis, theoretical modeling, and experimental design. Strong dedication to academic excellence and a demonstrated history of achieving academic goals.

Professional Experience

Research Assistant University of New York, New York, NY August 2018 – Present

• Conducted comprehensive research in Quantum Physics, contributing significantly to three published papers.
• Performed data analysis using statistical software to interpret results and draw conclusions.
• Collaborated with a team of researchers to design and execute experiments.
• Assisted with course preparation, including developing course materials and delivering lectures.

Teaching Assistant University of New York, New York, NY August 2016 – August 2018

• Assisted professors in preparing course materials and setting up laboratory experiments.
• Conducted tutoring sessions for undergraduate students, improving their understanding of complex concepts.
• Graded assignments and provided constructive feedback to students.

PhD in Physics University of New York, New York, NY Expected Graduation: May 2022

Master of Science in Physics University of New York, New York, NY Graduated: May 2016

Bachelor of Science in Physics University of New York, New York, NY Graduated: May 2014

• Theoretical Modeling
• Statistical Data Analysis
• Experimental Design
• Research & Development
• Teaching & Tutoring
• Problem Solving
• Team Collaboration

Publications

“Quantum States and Interactions” Physical Review Letters, 2019

“Statistical Analysis in Quantum Physics” Physics Letters A, 2020

“The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Modern Physics” Nature Physics, 2021

James A. Mitchell

1234 Elm Street, Boston, MA 02116 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]

Highly motivated and experienced professional with a PhD in Physics and over 10 years of experience in research and data analysis. Proven ability to design, execute, and manage complex research projects with a focus on innovation and problem-solving. Excellent communication and leadership skills, with a strong record of successful team collaboration and project management.

Senior Research Scientist | ABC Corporation, Boston, MA | June 2016 – Present

• Lead a team of 5 researchers in the design and execution of complex research projects.
• Published 10+ research papers in high-impact scientific journals.
• Developed and implemented innovative data analysis methods, resulting in a 20% increase in efficiency.
• Presented research findings at national and international conferences.

Research Scientist | XYZ Inc., Boston, MA | July 2010 – May 2016

• Conducted extensive research in the field of quantum mechanics, contributing to 5 major projects.
• Collaborated with a team of researchers to publish 7 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
• Managed data collection and analysis, ensuring accuracy and integrity of data.
• Assisted in securing $500,000 in grant funding for research projects.

PhD in Physics | Harvard University, Cambridge, MA | 2006 – 2010

Dissertation: “Quantum Mechanics and Its Applications in Modern Physics”

Bachelor of Science in Physics | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA | 2002 – 2006

• Data Analysis
• Project Management
• Team Leadership
• Research Design and Execution
• Communication
• Mitchell, J.A., et al. (2019). “Title of Publication.” Journal Name.
• Mitchell, J.A., et al. (2017). “Title of Publication.” Journal Name.

Professional Affiliations

• American Physical Society, Member
• Association for the Advancement of Science, Member

James K. Washington

1234 Elm Street, Los Angeles, CA 90001 Phone: (123) 456-7890 Email: [email protected]

Highly motivated and experienced professional with a Ph.D. in Computer Science. Over 10 years of extensive research and teaching experience in the field of computer science. Proven track record in managing complex research projects, publishing in high-impact journals, and teaching a variety of computer science courses. Strong problem-solving, project management, and communication skills.

Senior Research Scientist Google AI, Mountain View, CA (2018-Present)

• Managed a team of 6 researchers in exploring machine learning algorithms for improving search engine efficiency.
• Published 3 papers in top-tier computer science conferences and journals.
• Contributed to the development of a machine learning algorithm that improved search engine performance by 20%.

Assistant Professor Stanford University, Stanford, CA (2012-2018)

• Taught advanced computer science courses including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
• Supervised 4 Ph.D. students, with their dissertations receiving top university awards.
• Published 10 papers in high-impact computer science journals.

Ph.D., Computer Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (2007-2012)

Bachelor’s in Computer Science University of California, Berkeley, CA (2003-2007)

• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
• Statistical Analysis
• Python, Java, and C++
• Research and Publication
• Teaching and Mentoring
• Washington, J.K., Smith, A. (2021). Improving Search Engine Efficiency Using Machine Learning. Journal of Computer Science, 57(6), 1234-1250.
• Washington, J.K., Johnson, B. (2018). A New Approach to Artificial Intelligence. Journal of Artificial Intelligence, 32(2), 345-367.
• Best Paper Award, Top-tier Computer Science Conference, 2020
• Outstanding Young Researcher Award, Stanford University, 2017

Selecting the Right Format for Your PhD Resume

Choosing the right format for your PhD resume is crucial. Consider your work history, skills, and academic achievements. For a linear, chronological work history, use a reverse-chronological format. If you want to highlight skills over experience, use a functional format. For a mix of both, use a combination format.

Writing Your PhD Resume Summary or Objective

Your PhD resume objective or summary should be concise yet impactful. It should highlight your areas of expertise, key achievements, and career objectives. Tailor it to the specific role or industry you’re targeting, emphasizing relevant skills and experiences.

For a summary, focus on your achievements and skills you’ve gained throughout your academic journey.

For an objective, state your career goals and how you plan to utilize your PhD to contribute to the prospective organization.

Professional Experience Section

Your professional experience is a critical component of your PhD resume. This is where you showcase your relevant work history and achievements. Start by listing your job title, the name of the organization, its location, and your working period. Each role should be followed by a bullet list of your key responsibilities and achievements.

Remember to use action verbs and quantify your achievements wherever possible. This will demonstrate your direct impact and effectiveness in your previous roles. For instance:

• Managed a research team of 5, leading to 3 publications in high-impact journals.
• Presented research findings at 4 international conferences.

If you have extensive experience, focus on the most recent and relevant roles. For those with less experience, consider including relevant internships, part-time roles, or volunteer positions. Always tailor your professional experience to match the job requirements of the position you are applying for.

Education & Certifications

Your education and certifications play a key role in your PhD resume, showcasing your academic achievements and qualifications. This section helps potential employers gauge your level of expertise and commitment to your field of study.

Start by listing your most recent degree first, followed by previous degrees in reverse chronological order. Include the name of the institutions, the dates of attendance, your major, and the degree earned. For example:

PhD in [Your Field of Study], [University Name], [Years of Attendance]

MSc in [Your Field of Study], [University Name], [Years of Attendance]

BA/BS in [Your Field of Study], [University Name], [Years of Attendance]

If you have relevant certifications, list each one including the certifying authority and the date you earned it. Certifications can demonstrate commitment to professional development and expertise in specific areas related to your field. For instance:

Certified [Certification Name], [Certifying Authority], [Date]

Remember, your goal is to present yourself as the most qualified candidate for the job, so highlight your highest achievements and relevant credentials.

Related Resume Examples

Hr coordinator, regional sales manager, outside sales, executive chef, high school teacher, data entry clerk, senior business analyst, call center representative, academic advisor, pastry chef, dental hygienist, key soft and hard skills.

Your PhD resume should highlight both soft and hard skills. Soft skills demonstrate your interpersonal abilities and work ethic, while hard skills showcase your technical knowledge and capabilities. Both are crucial in illustrating your overall competence and suitability for the role.

Soft skills for your phd resume

• Effective Communication
• Problem-Solving
• Time Management
• Adaptability
• Critical Thinking
• Conflict Resolution

Hard skills for your phd resume

• Quantitative Research
• Statistical Software Proficiency (SPSS, R, SAS)
• Technical Writing
• Public Speaking
• Academic Tutoring
• Grant Writing
• Advanced Mathematics

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PhD Resume Template

Choose your desired option(s).

If you a PhD student, you should try this template, which will lift your resume over a bunch of others. You can easily create the academic resume with clean, minimalist and elegant look

An easy-to-use interface will help you do this in a matter of seconds. Big thanks to  Reychelle Ann  for providing us with this template.

• A4/Letter paper size Bleed
• Print Ready
• Fully editable
• For PhD student
• Minimal Design

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September 1, 2018

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Life After My Ph.D.

Ph.d. to industry resume template, example & tips.

An industry resume is nothing like an academic CV.

It’s not an exhaustive list of your achievements.

It’s not about length.

It’s not about prestige.

It’s all about fit and being exactly what the recruiter is looking for.

Other stuff that you did during grad school simply doesn’t matter .

An industry resume is clear, concise, and effective.

Let’s take a look at the resume I used to get the recruiters to want to talk to me.

Industry Resume Format (Generic)

This is the exact resume format that I used for my industry job applications, including the one I ended up landing. Clear, concise, and effective, with plenty of white space.

This isn’t going to be exactly how a resume will be structured for everyone that reads this. But, the general outline and format worked very well for me when I was applying to jobs.

You know that the recruiter is skimming through dozens of resumes on any given day. The moment they come across your resume, they have to be convinced you’re worth speaking with.

This resume format worked for me because regardless of the role that I was applying for (I applied for mainly 2 types of roles, Support Scientist and Medical Writer), I made it extremely, extremely clear to the recruiter that I was a good fit for the position and worth interviewing.

I’ll go through each section of the resume in a bit more detail below:

Full Name and Exact Position Name From Job Listing

So I didn’t always do this.

At the beginning, I only put my full name at the top and not the job name. I thought it was super presumptuous to pretend like I could call myself that, having it so high up in the resume like it was my current title.

Sure, it made sense to me if people were already in a similar position and therefore used that job name up top, but coming out of grad school or a postdoc, not having had that actual job yet, I had a weird aversion to putting the job name smack dab at the top of my resume. It was a weird mental block that I think some readers can relate to.

Well, as a famous actor and athletic brand once said, just do it.

It’ll help the recruiter remember which position you’re applying to, and allow them to more easily associate your name with that role. It’s okay you haven’t actually had that job before! Putting it at the very top of your resume isn’t about labeling yourself as someone already having had that role. Think of it more as an organizational thing to help the recruiter.

Contact Information & Socials

I kept my resume super basic with only my city, state, and Zip, the phone number, and email address at the top. My resume was seriously no frills, no fuss.

Qualifications Summary

This is a really important section that the recruiter is going to immediately read to get a sense of who you are. You like skimming stuff and getting to the good bits, right? Same goes for these recruiters.

This is where you make your first impression and you want to make sure it’s a good one. Fill this section with lots of technical and soft skills that you see listed on the job listing and that you can infer from the job listing.

I think the free tips from Cheeky Scientist’s Free Resume Guide are incredible for this section. It should be a 3-liner, where the first line is the first impression you’re going to make, and should be a line that describes your fit for the role using key skills from the job listing. The second line should be about your most technical skills and experiences that fit the role. The third line should be more soft skills and other things like project management and public speaking.

Experience Sections

So, this can look totally different depending on the role you’re going for.

If your desired role is totally lab-based and benchwork-oriented, it might be one big section named “Research Experience” with all the job-relevant lab experiences you’ve done listed in reverse chronological order.

If you’re going for a medical writer or science writer role, then the section won’t be about labwork. It’ll be titled “Writing Experience” and be about all the things you’ve written while being in those workplaces (so yep, you’d still list the lab as the lab and department and all that).

The bullet points really need to reflect the job listing and the things you did during grad school or your postdoc that match the listing’s needs. You might be tempted to mention really cool technical things you did that you are proud of, like learning a new programming language to statistically analyze something big for your project. But try not to use precious resume space unless it’s really relevant to the job and you are genuinely convinced the recruiter will see it as beneficial to know about you.

It’s also super helpful to write your bullet points in a way that shows real, measurable outcomes, and not just “I know how to do this thing”. As you can see from how I structured them, you should try to include some sort of measured outcome in each bullet point so the recruiter sees how you were able to use that skill you claim to know and actually get results. What are they going to be paying you for, if not results?

What worked for me was to put the Education section towards the bottom where it’s still visible but not the very first thing that the recruiter sees. I think this helped distance me from giving off an academic impression and allowed me to really showcase my skills and fit for the role with the Qualifications on top.

Education is obviously really important for a lot of jobs because recruiters can screen for education and use that as a cutoff, but it’s not as important as you demonstrating you have the skills you need to do the job right.

I genuinely saw a massive increase in the number of responses once I started structuring my resume in this way.

This is pretty self-explanatory. Any skills you have that fit the role you’re trying to get would be great to list here. Be simple, and use short words rather than descriptive phrases, so that it’s easy to scan.

Soft skills are great as well, because you don’t want to come across like a nerd that doesn’t know how to get along with coworkers.

I liked the look of having 2 columns in my Skills section.

Support Scientist Resume Template Example

Now, I’ll show you an example of the above generic resume being used as an actual, useful template for a position I was interested in: Support Scientist.

One of the roles I was really interested in was the Support Scientist, or Technical Support Scientist. Large life science research supply companies have these roles that help the researchers who are customers do their experiments and troubleshoot things that come up.

You’ve probably spoken with, emailed, or chatted online with someone who’s a Support Scientist for a company you bought some sort of research tool or reagent from. It’s not a Field Application Scientist position where you have to physically go into their labs. It’s all virtual, either by phone, chat or email, and that appealed to me.

The reason I was super interested in this role was because I had a lot of experience working with clients already from my tutoring days (I have a whole blog post about my tutoring side hustle during grad school if you’re curious, $500 a month, baby!) and I genuinely enjoyed working with and educating them.

Sure, I tutored kids and Support Scientists work with adult scientific researchers.

But the literal years of experience I had from interacting with the students and parents to identify areas of improvement, plan ways to help them through their knowledge gaps, and allow them to meet their goals all while being professional and knowledgeable was super appealing to recruiters.

In all the phone screens I got, they all asked about my tutoring experience way more than they asked about my research experience.

It’s important to be able to prove that you’re not just a nerdy scientist who knows their science, but that you’re also a well-adjusted individual who can communicate professionally with people. I think this will ring true for many other positions, not just this particular one.

Here’s the exact resume template that got me Support Scientist interviews at 4 major laboratory research supply companies here in the U.S….ones that your lab has probably purchased from.

As you can see, I organized it by starting out with the Qualifications Summary, like I covered for the generic resume format above. I really wanted to showcase an equal contribution of my technical prowess as well as my genuinely client-focused, “loves to work with others” side. I wanted to make sure that the recruiter saw I was not only a scientist, but also one that can work with clients in a troubleshooting manner very easily and effectively.

I then made sure to include my “Scientific & Technical Experience” section, and then the “Customer-Facing Experience” section, as I knew they were both very important for the role. Oh yeah, Company 2 was me being a campus tour guide during undergrad ! Fits the theme of this job, right?

As for the skills, I included all the skills related to the company’s product line. Sometimes job descriptions will give you specifics on which category of products you’ll cover, work on, research, sell, oversee, etc., so that will give you information on what to definitely include in your skills section.

Resume Preparation Steps

That was just one example above, and it might not be the exact role you’re looking for. That’s okay, because these next steps will hopefully help you develop a great resume for whatever industry role you’re looking for.

You’ve probably heard people say to not use the same resume for a bunch of jobs, and that’s totally true! You want to tweak your resume to fit the job you’re applying for. When it comes to preparing your resume to fit the job you’re interested in, here’s the general workflow I used:

1. Having a pre-phrased, mostly-done resume template saved

I had something like the above Support Scientist resume template already saved on my computer. It was in my Job Search folder and was named something pretty basic, like “SupportScientist”. All the basic sentences about troubleshooting something or cultivating relationships with clients were all in there, because those sentences applied well to the type of role I wanted to apply to.

Sure, you can tweak those too here and there depending on the role! Overall, though, I had a template ready to fill in with details from the job listing.

2. Finding jobs to apply to

I found jobs on LinkedIn and Indeed. I didn’t need to buy LinkedIn Premium, but the 1-month free trial was pretty interesting so I do recommend you check it out. I didn’t need Premium to get the job I got and I don’t think it’s necessary to get a job. The job I actually got was listed on Indeed!

You can set up notifications to get new job listings that are the types of roles you’re interested in every day by email. You can also use the Save tools on LinkedIn and Indeed to save jobs to your “My Jobs” list to have them all in one place.

I’ll get more into this and how I got my job in another post but those two sites were where I looked for and applied for jobs. I honestly didn’t use any other sites or job boards. I didn’t network at all, either.

If you’re not entirely sure about what job role you’d like to have in industry, check out my post with general tips on how to figure that out for yourself and approach the industry job search process in general!

3. Figure out the job’s key skill requirements

Next, I looked at the exact wording of the description of the job listing to see which techniques they wanted me to be the best at.

Some companies were looking for applicants that were very experienced with cell stuff, like mammalian cell culture and cell enrichment/dead cell removal. Other companies were interested in applicants that were very experienced with RNA isolation, rtPCR, and in-situ hybridization.

It’s important to take some time to carefully read through the job listing’s description to get a good sense of the key skills, both technical skills as well as soft skills, that you’d want to write in your resume.

The more familiar with the job listing’s description, the better prepared you’ll be to create a resume that fits that role.

4. Tweak the resume template

Finally, I opened up the template I had saved, and tweaked it by filling in the details using the information I had gleaned from the job listing.

5. Save the resume as a PDF with a unique name

Once I made all the job-specific changes I needed for the resume, I saved it as a PDF. Saving it as a PDF helps you maintain the formatting of the original document. Sometimes when I used a Word file and sent it through LinkedIn and then looked at it after the fact from the LinkedIn page where I applied for the job, it looked all squished and terribly formatted.

I also made sure to give it a unique name that was specific to that company. Usually, something along the lines of “YourFullNameCompanyNameResume” worked for me. So for example if your name was Leslie Knope, and the company was named Cryo-Glad, you could make the file name “LeslieKnopeCryoGladResume”.

I put the company name in the file name because if the recruiter downloaded it, I wanted to make sure they saw I wasn’t using any old resume that was lying around to waste their time. I wanted to show I actually made that resume specifically for that role at that company. No clue if that helps in any significant way but it kept me organized, too!

The Recruiter

In order to prepare a winning resume, it’s important to understand this concept of the “recruiter”. Yes, we hear it here and there as we begin to explore the world of industry jobs. But like with experiments that we want to get done properly, it’s important to understand every element of the process to get it right, and that includes understanding who a recruiter is, and what a recruiter does.

A recruiter is someone who works for the company you want to work at, usually in the HR department, and is responsible for advertising the open position, as well as selecting, screening, and facilitating the hiring of candidates for jobs. Recruiters are your main line of communication throughout the job application process.

A recruiter can also be someone that works for a company called a staffing agency (or similar name) that helps companies find potential hires.

Either way, recruiters benefit from finding the best of the best applicants to spend their time and energy on. They only have a certain number of hours in a day to screen applicants. When they feel confident about an applicant, they’ll even provide them with tips on how to do well in interviews with their company and inform the applicant about expectations and impressions.

Your job when preparing a resume is to make it crystal clear to the recruiter that you’re worth talking to and moving forward in the process. You need to relieve them of the burden of flipping through dozens of job applications hoping to find suitable candidates to fill the role.

Another thing to remember about recruiters is that they can be a scientist or they can be a regular recruiter. Scientific recruiters have scientific training in the area that you want to get a job in. That makes sense if the company wants to recruit for an especially technical position that requires the recruiter to assess if the candidates really know what they’re talking about.

A regular recruiter tends to be a bit more of a generalist and is still very aware of the requirements of the role, but may not “talk shop” with you as much from the get-go. They tend to ask more general questions to see if you match the description of the role.

You can try to check if the recruiter is a scientific recruiter or a normal recruiter by identifying them from the job listing and then looking them up. That can inform how you communicate with them through your resume and cover letter. Connecting with the scientific recruiter by saying things that you can both relate to about research, labwork, or leaving academia, can help give a positive impression if done well!

However, it’s very common that you won’t be able to find the name of the recruiter anywhere and that’s totally okay . You can still fill your resume with key skills and outcomes that pique their interest, regardless of their background.

The resume format that I shared in this post worked wonders for me.

It takes a little bit of time to get into that industry mindset where the point of a resume isn’t to brag about everything you’ve ever done (like in a CV), but is to make it as easy as possible for the recruiter to think that you’re a good fit.

The contents of your resume, and perhaps the structure of some aspects of it, are going to be very different from mine if you’re considering other roles. Have no fear! The same general techniques apply.

What you can do right now is to start making a resume “template”, like I did, for the role that you want, and filling it with key phrases that really showcase your talents in the context of that role. Once you have that on hand, half the work is done! Tweaking it for every job listing will get easier and easier the more you do it. Good luck!

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Share this:, 8 responses to “ph.d. to industry resume template, example & tips”.

[…] an entire blog post I wrote that has my generic industry resume template, an example industry resume, and resume […]

[…] which positions I applied to so I don’t waste my own time. I seriously re-vamped my resume to what it is now, using tools like the Cheeky Scientist Free Resume Guide and Zety Ph.D. Resume Example and Guide […]

[…] Figuring out what to write in each paragraph will be pretty straightforward given you’ve already completed your resume (resume template and tips are available in this post)! […]

[…] of stuff, the better of an idea you’ll have of what roles to go for and that can help you design your resume and tailor it to fit those […]

[…] is kind of a bonus little tip, but like I mentioned in my industry resume tips blog post, even though I had a general template for my resume, the details were always tailored to each job I […]

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[…] transferable skills. I also go through the exact phrasing for the bullet points on my resumes in my Industry Resume Template, Example & Tips […]

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Tips for writing your resume

To land the perfect job, you need the perfect resume. In today’s crowded job market, it is more important than ever to stand out among the competition. When you write your resume, it is vital that you get everything right, from the organization of the template to the details of your work experience. To make sure your resume is flawless, here are some tips for writing the best resume possible.

Let them know where to contact you

Your resume should begin with your contact information. It is very important that potential employers, having read your resume, know how to contact you! At the top of your resume, include your name, phone number, email address, and city.

Introduce yourself

A personal summary, though optional, is a great way to introduce yourself to an employer with your resume. This section is comprised of one or two paragraphs where you can feature your notable accomplishments and highlight your most valuable skills. Your summary should give employers a brief outline of your experience and capabilities and intrigue them to keep reading.

What do you do best?

Shorter than a work history section, in a skills section you can efficiently list your core competencies in a way that is direct and easy to read. Showcase the skills and abilities that you bring to the job, focussing on those which distinguish you from the competition. The more useful and unique your skills are, the more you will stand out to an employer.

Showcase your achievements

Display your work experience in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your most recent position at the top of the section. Describe for each job your title, responsibilities, and accomplishments, with a focus on performance and results rather than duties. Use action words like ‘developed, ‘produced’, and ‘delivered’ when describing your work history to create compelling and impactful descriptions of your experience. Highlighting quantifiable information, like performance metrics and revenue, is a great way to demonstrate your abilities.

What did you learn, and where did you learn it?

Your education section should include the name of any post-secondary schools you attended, the degrees you earned, and any academic distinctions you achieved that you deem worth featuring. If they are particularly relevant, you can also include major areas of study and important projects that you participated in. Like the work experience section, your education should be displayed in reverse-chronological order.

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