Assistant Professor resume example
By Bhagirath Sheela, founder of JobCatch ·
Colleges and universities in India hire assistant professors on eligibility set by the UGC, and then on teaching and research. An academic CV puts qualifications first — the master's degree, NET or SET, and a PhD if you have it — followed by teaching experience, publications and research work.
What recruiters look for
- Master's degree, UGC NET or state SET, and PhD status
- Subjects taught and classes handled
- Publications: journals, conferences, books, with indexing
- Research projects, guidance of students, and academic service
Section order
With experience
- Summary
- Qualifications and eligibility tests
- Teaching experience
- Results and achievements
- Skills
As a fresher
- Summary
- Qualifications and eligibility tests
- Teaching practice
- Skills
- Achievements
Summary examples
Fresher
M.Com graduate with UGC NET (JRF) and a PhD in progress on rural credit, with two papers in UGC-CARE listed journals and a semester of teaching as a guest lecturer.
Experienced
Assistant professor of commerce with six years of teaching and a PhD in finance. Seven journal publications, guidance of 30 postgraduate projects, and NAAC criterion coordinator.
Skills, spelled the way postings spell them
An applicant tracking system matches the words in the job posting, and it does not reliably treat two spellings as one skill. The left column is the form most postings use; the right, other spellings people type. Use the posting's own spelling for each application, and list only what you can discuss in an interview.
| Skill | Also written as |
|---|---|
| Academic research | Research |
| Curriculum development | Syllabus design |
| Lesson planning | Curriculum planning |
| Student assessment | Evaluation, Grading |
| Online teaching | E-learning, Virtual classroom |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | PowerPoint, MS PowerPoint |
| Statistics | Statistical analysis |
| English | — |
Also worth listing if you have them: Research publications, Research supervision, Accreditation work (NAAC).
Bullet examples
Each bullet says what you did and what changed because of it. Change the numbers to your own; a recruiter will ask about every one.
- Teach financial accounting and corporate finance to B.Com and M.Com students, 18 hours a week.
- Published seven papers in peer-reviewed journals, three of them in indexed journals.
- Guided 30 M.Com research projects and two students who went on to qualify UGC NET.
- Coordinated criterion 3 (research) for the college's NAAC reaccreditation.
- Organised a two-day national seminar on financial inclusion with 140 participants.
For freshers: projects and internships
- Guest lecturer for one semester, teaching business statistics to B.Com students.
- Qualified UGC NET with JRF in Commerce.
- Two papers in journals during PhD coursework, and a paper at a national conference.
Mistakes to avoid
- Putting teaching first and qualifications last. Eligibility (NET, SET, PhD) is the first filter.
- Listing publications without details. Give journal, year, volume and indexing for each.
- A one-page corporate resume. Academic posts expect a full CV with publications and service.
What an ATS reads from this sample
An applicant tracking system turns the PDF into plain text before anyone reads it. This is that text for the sample above, extracted by the same code as "What the ATS reads" in the app. Everything is in reading order, under the right heading, with the name and email intact — which is what a single-column template is for.
Dr. Ramesh Iyengar Assistant Professor of Commerce [email protected] • +91 98765 43210 • Mysuru, Karnataka • linkedin.com/in/drrameshiyengar Research Interests Assistant professor of commerce with six years of teaching and a PhD in finance. Seven journal publications, guidance of 30 postgraduate projects, and NAAC criterion coordinator. Education PhD, Commerce (Finance) 2016 – 2021 University of Mysore · Awarded Research & Publications National seminar Two-day seminar on financial inclusion with 140 participants. Awards & Grants UGC NET with JRF, Commerce Teaching Experience & Positions Assistant Professor, Commerce, Cauvery College of Arts and Commerce Jun 2020 – Present Mysuru Teach financial accounting and corporate finance to B.Com and M.Com students, 18 hours a week. Published seven papers in peer-reviewed journals, three of them in indexed journals. Guided 30 M.Com research projects and two students who went on to qualify UGC NET. Guest Lecturer, Government First Grade College Aug 2018 – Apr 2020 Mysuru Coordinated criterion 3 (research) for the college's NAAC reaccreditation. Organised a two-day national seminar on financial inclusion with 140 participants. Skills Academic research · Curriculum development · Lesson planning · Student assessment · Online teaching · Microsoft PowerPoint · Statistics · English · Research publications · Research supervision · Accreditation work (NAAC) Languages English · Hindi
Interview questions to prepare
The app's interview prep for this sample and a plain Assistant Professor posting. It works from the resume and the posting only, and tells you how to prepare, never what to say.
Questions every interview has
- Tell me about yourself. Two minutes: what you do now (Assistant Professor, Commerce at Cauvery College of Arts and Commerce), one result you are proud of, and why this role is next.
- Why do you want this job? Read their website and one recent piece of news before the call. Name something specific.
- Why are you leaving your current job? Say what you are moving towards. Do not criticise your employer.
- What is your notice period, and what salary are you expecting? Decide your number before the interview, so you are not deciding it on the call.
About the skills the job asks for
- Tell me about a time you used Microsoft PowerPoint. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Lesson planning. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Curriculum development. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Student assessment. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Online teaching. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Academic research. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
About what the resume claims
- You wrote: "Teach financial accounting and corporate finance to B.Com and M.Com students, 18 hours a week." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
- You wrote: "Published seven papers in peer-reviewed journals, three of them in indexed journals." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
- You wrote: "Guided 30 M.Com research projects and two students who went on to qualify UGC NET." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
Questions to ask them
- What would a good first three months in this role look like?
- Who would I work with most closely?
- What are the next steps, and when should I expect to hear back?
Templates that suit this role
All of these are single-column and read cleanly by an applicant tracking system. Classic is free, with no watermark.
Questions
What is the eligibility for an assistant professor in India?
Under UGC regulations, a master's degree with at least 55% marks and NET, SET or a PhD as the regulations specify. Check the current UGC rules and the post's advertisement, which state the exact conditions.
Should an academic CV be one page?
No. An academic CV lists every degree, publication, project and presentation; two to five pages is normal.
Next: the Assistant Professor cover letter the app drafts from this resume, and how to show Statistics on a resume.
More education resume examples: School Teacher