Your CV should make a reader quickly understand your academic preparation, research contributions, and evidence of research potential.

Essential sections

The sections you should generally include are:

  • Header with name, email, phone, and personal website;
  • Education;
  • Publications;
  • Presentations and posters;
  • Research/Work Experience;
  • Awards & Honors;
  • Outreach;
  • Professional Development.

Some sections may be irrelevant to you, so exclude them if so. Research-relevant accomplishments should appear before less relevant activities. When writing your CV, describe each research or work experience in two to three sentences. There is no page limit, but I recommend keeping your CV to one to two pages because the graduate admissions committee has limited time to review each application. Date the items on your CV and order them in reverse chronological order.

The research-bullet test

Every bullet under a research experience should answer three questions:

  1. What problem, question, or motivation was behind the work?
  2. What did you specifically contribute?
  3. What was the outcome?

Weak

"Conducted research in neuroscience studying memory formation."

Stronger

"Designed and analyzed behavioral experiments measuring memory recall in [model/system], identifying [specific finding or pattern]."

The stronger version signals contribution and outcome, not merely participation.

Language to watch for

Words like "assisted," "helped," "worked on," "learned about," and "conducted research" can hide what you actually did.

They are not always wrong, but they should be followed by precise detail: methods used, analyses completed, questions addressed, results produced, or responsibilities owned.

Final checks

  • Is your most relevant research easy to locate in seconds?
  • Do your bullets show contribution rather than attendance?
  • Are publications, posters, and presentations visible near the top?
  • Is each experience described with concrete verbs and outcomes?
  • Does the document reinforce the research direction in your Statement of Purpose?

If you need help with writing your CV, feel free to book my CV editing service at ultimatephdguide.com