Academic CV Example & Writing Guide

CV Headers

Your header is one of the most important parts of your CV. Effective headers grab your employer’s attention and persuade them to read more of your professional profile. Poorly formatted headers can turn employers off and dissuade them from learning more about you. For this reason, all of our CV designs come with clean, professionally-designed formatting to convince employers that you’re the ideal candidate for the job role.

Your CV header should display your contact details, including your name, address, phone number and email address. You can also include your mailing address and any links to professional portfolios with examples of your work. If you’re not comfortable sharing your full mailing address with potential employers, you can always opt to just include your city and region. 

From an aesthetic point of view, your header should be optimally designed and attractive to the eye. If you don’t have much experience with design or would rather save time by using a pre-designed template, you’re in luck! Whether you’re looking for a modern, creative, professional or simple template, we have something for everyone. 

Academic CV Personal Statement

Consider your CV's Personal Statement as a brief summary of why you are interested in the position as well as any relevant goals, achievements and qualifications that make you suitable for the job. Your CV shouldn’t be too lengthy – you can go into further detail about any of these elements in your cover letter. We have plenty of advice and tips in our cover letter guides! Check out the cvapp.nz website for more on our epic cover letters. 

In your Personal Statement, you’ll want to include concise, well-crafted sentences that help promote your professional strengths. Think about the features that made you stand out and would encourage employers to hire you, then summarize them into a fun, brief summary that outlines your achievements and skill sets. 

Work History

The work history section of your CV should provide an overview of your previous work experience. You should include a chronological listing of your past employers along with the job positions you held and the duration of time you held each position. It’s also a great idea to include a brief description of the duties and responsibilities you performed in each job and any relevant accomplishments. It’s always best to be as specific as possible when you write about your work history. 

You can find plenty of CV advice on the cvapp.nz website, including links to our CV guides for certain jobs. We’ll walk you through different CV formats, including Reverse Chronological, Functional and Combination CVs. Curious as to which CV suits you? Go check it out now! 

Education Section

As an academic, you’ll be very familiar with the importance of education. Your potential employers are also interested in your educational background! You should list the institutions you earned your qualifications from in a reverse chronological format. For example, if you graduated from The University of Auckland in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in 2016, list your Master of Arts degree first. 

If you achieved any outstanding accomplishments related to your education, include them on your CV. This means that if you received any scholarships, prizes or awards that are outstanding or relevant to the job position, don’t forget to mention them! For example, if you’re applying to become a Research Assistant at Victoria University of Wellington and you received an award for your research skills, including this is a must. Honour societies you’re affiliated with or leadership positions may also be worth including, depending on the job description. 

CV Skills

Every employer is looking for skilled applicants to fill the job position. What are your skills? Which of them are relevant to the job posting? Including your skills on your CV will help you get noticed by employers and hired faster! Skills can also indicate your expertise and how you’ll be able to contribute value in the workplace.

Be sure that the skills you include are relevant to the position. For example, if you can knit and make some mean banana muffins, ka pai! However, employers will be looking for skills that will be helpful and beneficial to the role description and the company. Don’t be afraid to highlight your skills and strengths!