Harvard Resumes and Cover Letters for PhD Students - Handout 4 - Usage and Formatting Guide

Sep 10, 2026

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Harvard Graduate Student Information provides guidance for PhD students on selecting between a resume and a CV based on the hiring context and reader familiarity. It explains how different job targets may require tailored versions of the application documents. The handout also covers practical formatting expectations, including font choice, size consistency, margins, and avoiding decorative elements like text boxes. Finally, it notes available OCS review options and suggests action verbs to strengthen achievement and experience descriptions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Resumes and Cover Letters for PhD Students

When to use a resume vs a CV

CV vs resume differences

Tailoring documents for different job types

Resume length expectations

Formatting guidelines

OCS resume/CV review options

Action verbs for experience descriptions

OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES GSAS: Resumes and Cover Letters Harvard University • Harvard College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 54 Dunster Street • Cambridge, MA 02138 Telephone: (617) 495-2595 • [www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu](www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu) GSAS: Graduate Student Information Resumes & Cover Letters for PhD Students [www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu](www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu) © 2021 Harvard University All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the express written permission of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts & Sciences Office of Career Services. 8/21 Office of Career Services Harvard University Faculty of Arts & Sciences Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone: (617) 495-2595 [www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu](www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu) Resumes and Cover Letters For PhD Students When should I use a resume, and when should I use a CV? Think about who will be reading your resume. For academic jobs, you use a CV so that people in your field will appreciate the specifics of your research and your accomplishments within your field. If you’re applying for a nonacademic job where people doing the hiring will have a background similar to your own—say, a research institute, or a research position in industry—then your academic CV is probably fine to use. However, if you’re applying for positions for which a PhD isn’t necessarily required, or if you can’t count on your reader's familiarity with your research, then you’ll likely want to use a resume. For most non-research-oriented, non-academic jobs, you will want to use a resume. What is the difference between a CV and a resume? A resume is typically shorter, 1-2 pages at most, and will dedicate more space to your experience while focusing less on academic awards, conference presentations, and publications. Depending on your intended reader, you will likely go into less detail on the specifics of your research and teaching topics, but rather highlight the transferable and relevant skills you developed through this work. I’m planning on applying to several different types of jobs. Will I be expected to write a different resume for each one? Again, it is important to think about your reader. Let’s say you are receiving a PhD in applied physics, and you are applying for R&D jobs in industry, as well as for quantitative positions in investment banks, and generalist positions in big consulting firms. You will want to have three different versions of your resume for these three fields. You might use a version of your academic CV for industry, though perhaps emphasizing practical applications of your research. The investment banks will be more interested in quantitative analysis skills, so you’d want to be clear how you developed those skills in the course of your research. Consulting firms will be concerned with how you’ve developed leadership and problem solving skills; in that case, you might include less detail about your research experience, but include more information about involvement with student groups, volunteer work, or internships that may have allowed you to develop these skills. A friend of mine, who is in business school, told me I need to have a one page resume. Is that true? It depends. If you are a doctoral candidate applying for jobs that require a PhD degree, or if you are being recruited because of your PhD, then having a two page resume is fine. However, if you will be applying for positions that do not require a PhD, then having a two page resume may send a signal that you’re “overqualified” or otherwise not fitting the mold of a typical candidate for entry to mid-level jobs in business. For BA/BS and MBA candidates, a one page resume is the norm. It is important to follow the directions ofthe employers. If they ask for a one page resume, be sure to submit what they ask for. When in doubt, ask one of the GSAS advisers at OCS. Are there formatting guidelines I should keep in mind? Stick to a co

FAQs

When should a PhD student use a resume versus a CV?

Use a CV for academic jobs so readers value research specifics and field accomplishments. Use a resume for nonacademic roles, especially when the hiring reader may not be familiar with the research context.

What are the key differences between a resume and a CV?

A resume is typically shorter (about 1–2 pages) and emphasizes experience over academic awards, conference presentations, and publications. It highlights transferable and relevant skills with less detail on research and teaching specifics.

How should PhD students adjust their resume for different job types?

Different job fields usually need different versions. Industry roles may emphasize practical research applications, investment bank roles may highlight quantitative analysis skills, and consulting roles may focus more on leadership and problem-solving evidence, including student groups, volunteer work, or internships.

Sep 10, 2026

Upload by Patrick