Hi folks, just a quick question - do you list non-academic jobs on your academic CV? I had a managerial shop job prior to the PhD and at the moment I am working in an admin job to pay the bills while trying to get an academic job. I have never mentioned these jobs before on academic applications. I typically mention my teaching and lecturing experience instead but I am now very tempted to mention the non-academic to help emphasise the point that I am a hard worker. Have any of you got any views or experience on the issue that you could share? Yay or nay?

I was a civil servant for 5 years between MA and PhD. I do include that - not least as I thought evidence of administrative competence might be viewed as useful and I'd always heard that you shouldn't leave long unexplained gaps on a cv. I certainly don't think it would be held against you, and may be a minor plus point, but I wouldn't let it detract from the main story you are presenting on research and teaching. I wouldn't and don't include the temping and bar work I did for a few months between finishing the PhD and starting a postdoc.

Hi JStanely,

When I was preparing an application for an academic role, a former mentor reviewed my application for me prior to submitting and sent through a copy of their CV for me to have a look and emulate. This was successful, I have an interview in two weeks time :)

One of the things they did was that they listed those non-academic jobs in this way:

Transferable Skills from Past Employment

The Job (either vague, such as Retail, or specific, such as Swimming Instructor): set of skills learned

Summary of the role and key highlights.


So for Example:

Professional arts work: developed communication and teamwork skills; provided extensive event and project-management experience.

Summary of what they did which included things like key highlights from the role.


They listed this near the end of their CV, after relevant employment history and before professional service. It depends on how you're setting your CV up, the way they had it that I followed was:

1st Page: Contact info & current role, awards, qualifications

Then subsequently in this order (but keep in mind this could be discipline specific etc, do what works for you!)

Research Projects

Publications etc

-As a new academic, I included refereed, then under review, then works-in-progress, then reports, then conference papers, but the order will depend on your discipline. I don't have any books/chapters/reviews yet. I know that there is some debate as to whether to include stuff you're working on. However, as a very new academic having only graduated in May 2015, having works-in-progress demonstrates that I'm working on something. It's not viable once you get going and leave the Early Career stage, but it can show that you are working on stuff immediately post-PhD.

Grants

Teaching & Supervisions

Media/Outreach

Relevant Employment History

Transferable Skills from past employment

Professional service

Professional Development

Referees (I put my referees in a separate document).

Bewildered and awsoci, thank you so much for the suggestions. I have decided to incorporate my non-academic jobs onto my CV. I like the idea, awsoci, of talking about transferable skills. Cheers again folks.

I also worked in management for a few years before my PhD and mention this on my academic CV. I think it's important because I learnt a lot in the job. I was asked about it in my interview as well, so I highlighted the benefit of it for a career in science.