It is important you know how to create a mind-blowing CV for Graduate school so you can get an On-Campus job, even to catch the best-paying Campus jobs. Nigerian students must know how to create a mind-blowing CV for the best paying Campus job for Graduate school.
The order of information and level of detail you include in every element of your CV should be somewhat flexible and this ultimately depends on you.
The best catching CVs will be those that highlight the applicant’s interests and qualifications. We have carefully carved out the best practicable tips to follow these section-by-section details to craft an academic CV that will definitely impress any admissions committee.
This article has carefully lined up major CV sections and important information Nigerian students should include in order to address frequently asked questions for securing admission for graduate school.
Now relax your mind with a bite of biscuit and sip a great taste to gulp in this important information.
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What Must I Include On CV For Graduate School?
The first section to pull a good impression is:
1. Personal Details
This is the place you indicate your full name, home address, contact number, and email address. This information should be included at the top of the first page, either in the center of the page or aligned left.
- Importantly, make use of larger font size and put the text in bold so this info stands out.
2. Education
The institutions you have attended in Nigeria or any other country are listed here. Start with your most recent college or university backward to your secondary school. At this point, you should include the name of the institution; its location, the degree type you obtained, your specialization, and their attending dates.
- If you have rounded up a project, thesis, or dissertation, include the title and your project advisor.
- Add any Latinate honors or distinctions such as: “cum laude,” “magna cum laude,” “summa cum laude”.
- It is needless to include your exact GPA or test scores since this information will be visible on your transcript.
3. Teaching Experience
While most first-time applicants to graduate school won’t likely have any record of teaching experience, any experience tutoring or acting as a teacher’s assistant both as an undergraduate or Master’s student could be relevant to include on a CV for Graduate school.
- Add the “Relevant skills and responsibilities” you performed in bulleted statements.
4. Research Experience
It may be rare for first-time graduate school applicants to have research experience, but if you have any assistantships, practice, or Optional practical training as well as other research experiences, ensure you list them here.
- State the institution, the nature, and responsibilities for the position, the supervisor’s name, and the research dates.
5. Honors and Awards
Mention each award, Institution where granted, and the awarding date. These range from university scholarships to teaching assistantships and fellowships, as well as inclusion on the Dean’s list for having an outstanding GPA.
- Place these in order of importance, not necessarily in chronological order
- If you have received only one award (e.g., “graduated with honors” or “Dean’s list”), consider placing this in the Education section.
6. Grants Awarded
At this point, you are to mention any funded work if there is. List the title of the submitting, the name of the awarding institution, the amount of money for the grant, and the date it was awarded.
7. Technical Competencies
Since academic research consist of building databases and analyzing data, therefore, relevant experience which includes statistics and computer modeling and analyzing programs are good examples of what should be highlighted on your CV for graduate school.
- This is where you list any undertaken courses, computer programs you are competent to handle, and acquired techniques for data analysis.
8. Academic and Professional Experience
List work positions that are related to your skills and qualifications. This can be internships or jobs with administration roles. You may also add any work that shows your commitment and work ethic.
You are expected to group experiences into relevant categories where you wish to include multiple elements in one category. For instance, “Research,” “Teaching,” and “Managerial”.
Your employment history should include prior work within four to five years, based on the extent of your work experience and age.
- Worthy of note to indicate the name of the employer, location, the title of your position, and dates of employment.
- Briefly describe your duties and responsibilities below each position. Your description should be well summarized since professional experience is not the central focus of your CV for graduate school.
9. Publications
Are there any published work you’ve done during or after graduate school, separate the various kinds of publications into sections, such as; Journal articles, Reports, and Other Documents.
If you have not published any work formally, you may also cite work in less academic publications such as magazines, newspapers, blogs, and newsletters which highlight your creative skills as a writer and thinker.
- Use bibliographic citations for each work in the appropriate format for your particular field of study.
- If there are no text publications you officially authored or co-authored, include assisted studies in any online articles you have written or made contributions to and are related to your discipline or at an academic level.
10.Conference Presentations
Until you’re well into your graduate school career, you probably won’t start attending conferences and giving presentations.
Maybe you have experienced making conference presentations, add any presentations you have been involved in, whether as a presenter or contributed to the visual work like posters and showing slides.
- Include the title of the presentation, the name of the conference or event, the location, and the date.
- Briefly describe the content of your presentation.
- Tip: Use formatting appropriate to your field of study to cite the conference.
11. Academic and Professional Membership
Professional or academic groups’ affiliation indicates your readiness to graduate admissions committees about pursuing your interests and networking with other relevant professionals outside of the university environment.
You are expected to list the academic/professional groups or societies of which you are a member.
- Mention the name of the group, the dates of memberships, and include any leadership positions or other roles you have held.
12. Research and Teaching Interests
In addition to any research or teaching work you have already completed or are currently working on, it is a good idea to discuss directions you would like to take with your research and instruction once you are admitted to graduate school.
Be as specific as possible with the topic and even design of your potential research, and name any specific courses or areas of study for which you would be interested in teaching as a TA in individual classes.
The more information you can present to admissions committees to show your readiness for graduate-level work will raise your value as a candidate.
13. Community Service, Volunteer Work, and Extra‐Curricular Activities
Include community and volunteer activities that helped develop your leadership, organization, or other skills that will help you succeed in graduate school.
- List these activities and provide your role (e.g., “U of I Hospitals Volunteer”), the date of your involvement, and details showing how you participated.
14. Additional Relevant Skills and Languages
Best catching CVs should include other experiences and certifications you have that might benefit you in graduate school. In addition, list any languages you are fluent or proficient for.
15. References
This is usually the final section of a CV for graduate school. If possible, include 3-5 professional and academic references who can vouch for your ability and qualifications and provide evidence of these characteristics.
- Write the name of the reference, professional title, affiliation, and contact information (phone and email are sufficient). You do not need to write these in alphabetical order. Consider listing your references in order of relevance and impact.
Now that you’ve got useful tips to create a solid CV for graduate school, carefully utilize the structure above. You will come back again and thank me for a job well done!
