Why academics keep the CV in plain text
Academic CVs grow for decades and are frequently reformatted for different institutions and grant bodies. Keeping the source in Markdown means the structure stays consistent while the emphasis changes, and long publication lists remain easy to maintain and reorder.
What search committees look for
Teaching evidence, if it is a teaching post. Courses taught with level and enrolment, student evaluation scores, curriculum you designed, and supervision of dissertations or theses. Teaching-focused roles are frequently filled by candidates who submit research CVs, which reads as a poor fit.
Publications, formatted conventionally. Full citations in your field’s style, grouped by type — peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, conference proceedings — and in reverse chronological order. Indicate authorship position where your discipline weights it.
Funding. Grants held, amounts, funder and your role. This is often the sharpest differentiator at the shortlisting stage.
Service and administration. Committee work, admissions, programme coordination, accreditation. Departments hire colleagues, not only scholars.
Terms search committees and portals match
- Credentials: PhD, terminal degree, postdoctoral, fellowship
- Teaching: curriculum design, module leadership, lecture, seminar, laboratory instruction, assessment design, student evaluation, dissertation supervision, learning outcomes, blended and online delivery
- Research: peer-reviewed publications, principal investigator, co-investigator, grant funding, conference presentation, peer review, editorial board
- Systems: Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle
- Service: curriculum committee, accreditation, admissions, programme coordination, mentoring
What weakens an academic CV
Undifferentiated publication lists. If the post is teaching-led, put teaching first. The ordering of an academic CV is itself an argument about who you are.
No enrolment figures. Teaching a seminar of eight and a lecture of four hundred are different accomplishments.
Omitting non-tenure detail. Adjunct, sessional and fixed-term work is normal and should be presented plainly with institution and dates.
Ignoring pedagogy. Evidence of teaching development — a qualification, a fellowship, redesign informed by student feedback — is increasingly requested and rarely supplied.
Silence on collaboration. Interdisciplinary work, industry partnerships and public engagement matter more in hiring than they did a decade ago.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this college lecturer resume template free? +
Yes. Edit it in your browser and export to PDF, DOCX, or HTML with no account, no watermark, and no usage limit.
How is an academic CV different from a resume? +
Academic CVs are longer and include teaching, research, publications, and service. This template covers those sections; expand publications and add grants or presentations for a full academic CV.
Should I include teaching evaluations? +
Yes, if strong. Instructor ratings and teaching awards are compelling evidence for lecturer and teaching-focused roles — the sample bolds them.