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An academic CV is fundamentally different from a corporate resume. While a resume is a one-page marketing document, a CV is a comprehensive record of your scholarly work — and it can run to 5, 10, or even 20 pages for senior academics. If you are applying for faculty positions at IITs, IISc, central universities, or research fellowships, this guide covers everything you need.
CV vs Resume for Academics
In India, the terms CV and resume are often used interchangeably in corporate settings. In academia, they are not. A CV includes your complete publication list, conference presentations, grants received, courses taught, students supervised, and committee service. A resume summarises your career in one to two pages. When a university asks for a CV, they mean the long-form document.
Essential CV Sections
- Contact Information: Name, institution, department, email, ORCID ID, Google Scholar profile
- Education: All degrees with institution, year, thesis title, and supervisor name
- Research Interests: Three to five specific areas, not vague categories
- Publications: Peer-reviewed journals, conference papers, book chapters — list in reverse chronological order with full citations
- Grants and Funding: Title, funding agency (DST, CSIR, UGC, SERB), amount, duration, your role (PI or Co-PI)
- Teaching Experience: Courses taught with level (UG/PG), institution, and semester
- Students Supervised: PhD, M.Tech, and M.Sc students with thesis titles and completion status
- Conference Presentations: Invited talks, keynotes, and paper presentations
- Awards and Fellowships: Best paper awards, young scientist awards, fellowships
- Professional Service: Journal reviewing, conference organising, committee memberships
Publications and Research
List publications in standard citation format (IEEE, APA, or your field's convention). Bold your name in the author list. Include DOI links where available. Separate peer-reviewed journal papers from conference papers. Indian academic hiring committees pay close attention to publication count, journal impact factors, and h-index.
CV for PhD Applications
A PhD application CV is shorter — typically 2-3 pages. Focus on: research experience (lab work, thesis, projects), relevant coursework, publications if any, programming or technical skills relevant to the research area, and a clear statement of research interests. Include your GRE/GATE score if applicable.
Common Mistakes
- Using a one-page resume format for an academic application — committees expect a full CV
- Omitting your thesis title and supervisor — these are essential context
- Listing publications without proper citations or DOI links
- Including irrelevant work experience (that summer retail job does not belong here)
- Not updating your CV before each application — stale CVs signal disinterest