Academic / Lecturer CV Example
An academic CV should present publications, modules taught, grant experience and citation indicators in a clear hierarchy. For lectureship applications, publication quality (peer-reviewed, REF-eligible) and grant leadership are as decisive as teaching.
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Dr James Whitfield
Lecturer — Mechanical Engineering
Sheffield, UK
Summary
Academic working in energy systems and heat transfer; I have 14 peer-reviewed journal articles and 300+ citations. I have served as principal investigator on one research grant and co-investigator on two others; I teach at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Experience
Lecturer · Russell Group university, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sep 2021 – Present- ›Deliver 3-4 modules per term in Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, with an average teaching load of 12 hours per week.
- ›Lead a 3-year EPSRC-funded research project on waste heat recovery as principal investigator.
- ›Supervise 4 master's and 1 PhD student.
- ›Serve on the assessment and evaluation committee for departmental accreditation (Engineering Council / IMechE) work.
Postdoctoral Researcher · Russell Group university, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Oct 2015 – Aug 2021- ›Published 5 peer-reviewed articles on heat exchanger optimisation as part of my doctoral research.
- ›Carried out experimental setup and data analysis as a researcher on two UKRI-funded projects.
- ›Ran undergraduate laboratory modules as demonstrator, working with 60+ students per term.
Skills
Education
PhD — Mechanical Engineering · University of Sheffield (2015 – 2021)
MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Bristol (2009 – 2013)
What to Highlight in a Academic / Lecturer CV
- ✓Group publications into categories: peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, book chapters — a mixed list is unreadable.
- ✓Add your h-index, citation count and ORCID/Scholar link to the header section.
- ✓State your role in grants clearly: principal investigator, co-investigator and researcher carry different weight.
- ✓Quantify your teaching load and the number of students you supervise.
- ✓Do not use the same CV for an academic post and an industry role; for industry, shorten the publication list and lead with applied skills.
Technical Skills
- •Academic writing & the publication process
- •Research methods & experimental design
- •Statistical analysis
- •Grant writing & budgeting
- •Domain software (e.g. ANSYS, MATLAB)
- •Curriculum & module development
- •Peer review & editorial processes
Soft Skills
- •Presentation & lecturing skill
- •Student mentoring
- •Long-term project discipline
- •Critical thinking
- •Academic collaboration & networking
Common Mistakes
- ✕Listing all publications in a single list regardless of quality.
- ✕Not stating your role in projects (PI/co-investigator).
- ✕Never writing about teaching load and supervision experience.
- ✕Not including ORCID, Scholar and citation information.
- ✕Submitting a disorganised 10-page dump; a CV not tailored to the type of application gets screened out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an academic CV and a normal job CV?
An academic CV can be long and is built around publications, grants, teaching and supervision sections; a job CV is impact-focused on 1-2 pages. When applying to industry, shorten the publication list to "selected publications" and lead with applied skills.
How should the publication list be formatted on a CV?
In reverse chronological order, under category headings (journal article, conference paper, book chapter), with journal name + year and, where relevant, quartile (Q1/Q2). In multi-author work you can show your own name in bold.
What should you watch for in a CV for promotion or a permanent post?
Create sections that map directly onto the headings in the relevant criteria and job advert (publications, citations, grants, teaching activity); the reviewer should find what they are looking for in seconds. Have evidence ready for every item you state.
How do you show citation count and h-index on a CV?
Right under the header on a single line: "Citations: 300+ (WoS), h-index: 9, ORCID: xxxx" is enough. Stating the source (WoS/Scopus/Scholar) builds trust, because the numbers differ across platforms.
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