Postgraduate CV

A postgraduate CV is usually your first step into the professional world.  While some new graduates have undertaken a little work experience during the course of their studies, many have focused solely on their studies and have never been in a workplace environment.  If you lack any professional experience, an effective postgraduate CV and accompanying cover letter are vital to employment success.

Using the wrong type of CV will significantly lower your chances.  Almost all employers or institutions expect your CV to adhere to common standards.  Therefore, it is vitally important that you understand which type of CV to use and what the standard expectations that apply to each.  There are essentially 3 main types of postgraduate CV.

• Academic Postgraduate CV
• Discipline Related Postgraduate CV
• Non-Discipline Related Postgraduate CV

Academic Postgraduate CV

An academic postgraduate CV is used predominantly for academic instutions when seeking a research post or an academic teaching post.  With an academic CV the focus should be on your academic credibility, research, teaching  and administrative experience.   You must include detailed information about your academic background, your thesis and where applicable the major projects.  You should also include any publications, affiliations with relevant professional bodies and a detailed research profile.  An academic CV is expected to be slightly longer than a standard CV but care should be taken to keep the information concise and relevant.

Discipline Related Postgraduate CV

A discipline related postgraduate CV is used when you are seeking a position in enterprise, industry of the public sector that is related to your academic field.   An effective discipline related CV will include a very focused profile and skills summary that enables the prospective employer to quickly establish if you have skills that are relevant to their business.

It is not necessary to list every module in this time of postgraduate CV, but you should include those that are highly relevant to the industry  in which you are applying and if you have any distinctions, these should also be included.  Finally, highlight any relevant technical skills such as proficiency with higher level software packages, lab techniques etc.

Non-Discipline Related Postgraduate CV

If you are planning changing your career focus, the main purpose of your postgraduate CV will be to bring together the knowledge and experience you have gained during your studies and those required in your chosen career field.   A non-discipline related postgraduate CV should not include a module by module breakdown and should focus on the transferable skills you have acquired.

A skill-based postgraduate CV usually contains a bulleted list of relevant skills.  Keep content relating to your education to a minimum and evidence your interest in the field.  Always remember that an employer will question why you have an academic background in one area yet you are applying for a position in another field.   They may feel that you are indecisive and uncertain about your long term career goals.  While it is difficult to overcome this assumption, use both your postgraduate CV and your cover letter to evidence that you acting on a well-founded interest not a whim.