How to write a professor resume
A professor resume leads with teaching, research, and service in the priority the role demands. Name your PhD, courses taught with load and evaluations, peer-reviewed publications, and grant funding with amounts. Note that academia expects a full CV - use a tight 2-page resume only for industry, teaching-college, or administrative roles.
What recruiters and ATS look for in a professor resume
Professor hiring weighs research output, teaching record, and funding. ATS and search committees look for the PhD, named courses, publication counts, grant agencies and amounts, and the right document length for the posting.
Section order: Summary → Experience (Teaching & Research) → Publications → Grants → Education → Service.
ATS keywords for a professor resume
These are the keywords most professor job descriptions use as ATS-filter inputs. Include the ones you genuinely have evidence for in your Skills section.
Starter Skills section
A starting point for your Skills section. Prune to what you genuinely have evidence for.
Best action verbs for professor bullets
Lead every bullet with a strong, specific verb. For this role, the strongest openers are:
Example bullet points (before → after)
Three rewrites following the action-verb / quantified-outcome pattern. Replace the specifics with your own. Never invent numbers.
More professor bullet examples
Three more starter bullets in the same pattern. Swap the bracketed placeholders for your real numbers.
Common professor resume mistakes
The patterns that get professor resumes filtered out, and what to do instead.
Professor resume FAQ
Academia expects a full CV, but a tight 1-2 page resume is used for industry, teaching-college, or administrative roles. Match the posting.
In a dedicated Publications section, in a consistent citation style, with peer-reviewed work listed first.
Yes. Name the agency, your role, and the dollar amount - external funding is a top signal for research roles.
Related guides: How to write a instructional designer resume · How to write a school counselor resume · How to write a office manager resume · How to write a paralegal resume
Build it free, score it instantly
Free forever for one resume, no expiry, no credit card. Or check your current resume against 60+ ATS checks, no sign-up needed.