College Professor Resume Example & Template

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, College Professors make over $80,000 on average. This occupation is also growing quite fast, at 9%. But even more important than the money, College Professors are critical to educating the leaders and creators of tomorrow.

But before you can climb the ivory tower, you need to get your foot in the door first. And we can help you do that.  

In this article, we’ll discuss

1. Which format is right for your resume
2. How to write a resume summary 
3. Describing your work experience
4. Listing your skills
5. Including your education 
6. Mention your research, committees, and publications
7. Choosing the right template

College Professor Sample Resume 

College Professor, Princeton University

• Created interesting and engaging curricula for upper-level European History and English Royalty courses, and promoted an open and interactive classroom environment for enhanced learning
• Worked with an intra-departmental team to develop new learning materials for History students, including interactive online assignments that improved student engagement by 35%
• Drafted and graded exam papers, assignments and classwork 
• Evaluated student performances fairly and offered constructive feedback
• Headed the Jobs in History Committee, presenting students with more opportunities for  industry networking and post-graduation employment 
• Served as a Student Advisor, helping 30 students a semester to more clearly define and follow their academic paths and post-graduation plans
• Researched the economic developments of Elizabethan history with a team of 4 graduate students, co-authoring a paper
• Prepared course materials such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts for 5 courses a semester
• Oversaw the work of 5 graduate teaching assistants as they assisted in course grading
• Reviewed 3 PhD students’ theses for potential publication

Associate College Professor, Boston College

• Delivered lectures to undergraduate and graduate students on topics such as Tudor Royalty, Inter-European trade, and Renaissance literature 
• Evaluated and graded students’ classwork, assignments, and papers
• Initiated, facilitated, and moderated classroom discussions to promote an open and engaging learning environment
• Planned, evaluated, and revised curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction for six courses on early, Renaissance, and Modern European history
• Maintained regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students
• Served on the Integrity in Academics Committee that dealt with institutional policies on plagiarism and other academic issues

1. Choose the Right Format for a College Professor Resume

The first step to drafting your resume is deciding which resume format to use. This depends on your career experience and skillset. 

You have 3 main options for your resume:

1. Reverse-Chronological -- this is the most commonly used resume format. With this structure, place your most recent jobs first, followed by the next most recent job, and ending with your oldest position. 

Tip: only include jobs relevant to the position to which you’re applying, so leave out any former jobs that don’t fit. Do include all your teaching jobs. If you’re just starting out, include courses you taught as a grad student or even courses you assisted as an undergraduate. 

2. Functional -- this format is best for people who have been out of the workforce for a while, perhaps because they had to care for children or an elderly parent. This format will have headers like “Student Development” and “Lesson Planning” or “Teaching” with their respective skills listed in bullet points below. At the very end of the resume, include a brief snapshot of your work experience.  

Tip: Read our advice on How to Explain Employment Gaps on a Resume. 

3. Hybrid / Combination -- this format is a mix of both Functional and Reverse-Chronological. It provides more detailed work experience descriptions that would typically be seen in the latter, while still offering a bulleted list of skills.  

Tip: When in doubt, choose the Reverse-Chronological resume format. For more details, check out our guide on How to Write Your Resume in Reverse-Chronological Order. 

For a College Professor career, hiring managers want to glance at your resume and get a sense of the following:

• The subject you teach
• How long you’ve been teaching 
• Any research you’ve conducted in your field
• Your publications
• The universities and colleges at which you’ve worked

The best format for a College Professor is the Reverse-Chronological resume format. This is because it shows the trajectory of your career -- how you’ve grown professionally through publications, research, and promotions. Check out our advice on How to Show Your Job Promotions on a Resume for more details. 

 2. Write a Strong College Professor Resume Summary

A resume summary is one or two sentences at the top of your paper that summarizes your entire resume. It’s the punch line that gets the resume reviewer wanting to know more.

For a College Professor career, include the following points in your summary:

• The amount of time you’ve worked as a professor
• Mention one of your research projects or publications to help you stand apart from the crowd
• An adjective or two conveying your personality, such as “enthusiastic,” “expert” or “compassionate”

Here is an example of a bad resume summary: 

Experienced history professor with a passion for students. Led some research projects and published author of several papers.

This is a bad resume summary because it is very vague. There is nothing here that identifies you as a unique individual with special talents and experiences to offer. 

Here is an example of a good resume summary: 

Enthusiastic College Professor with ten years of experience teaching European history with an emphasis on British royalty. Published author of a McGill textbook with innovative teaching strategies that immerse students in the learning process. Committed faculty member with a passion for ensuring the academic integrity of the institution and achieving tenure through administrative service.

This is a good resume summary because it offers specifics about your academic prowess -- you teach European history and specialize in British royalty. You also have demonstrated success in your field by publishing a textbook that not only informs students about the subject but also excites them about learning. Lastly, the resume summary has an objective -- that you want tenure.

A Resume Objective tells the employer what kind of position you are seeking. 

While this is certainly optional, it can help employers understand what you want from them and what you can offer. Put another way, a resume objective clarifies your intentions to employers. Plus, it can help to show why you are a good fit for the job.

For more information, checkout our guide on How to Write a Killer Resume Summary. Or, browse our Resume Summary Examples. 

3. Describe Your Work Experience as a College Professor

The next step to drafting your resume is to list your work experience. This includes the names of your positions (See: The Right Way to List Job Titles on a Resume), the names of the locations at which you worked, and the length of time in which you’ve worked. 

You should also quantify your resume whenever possible. This means adding a number -- such as a dollar amount or percentage -- to your accomplishments. Quantifying your resume gives the hiring manager a more concrete idea of your workplace performance. For example, say that you “taught 4 classes a semester,” “improved the class average grade between semesters by 20% due to innovative teaching techniques,” or “brought the institution $300,000 in research grants.”   

Tip: One way to quantify your resume is by listing your accomplishments and awards. For example, name any grants you’ve received, teaching awards, publications, etc. 

For more information on how to format your work experience, check out our guide on How to Describe Work Experience. 

Don’t have any work experience? We have a guide for that too!

4. List Your Skills

Skills show the hiring manager what you can do for the institution -- without taking up too much space in the “work experience” part of your resume.

There are two types of skills -- soft and hard. “Soft” skills are those that are not quantifiable and are more indicative of your personality. Examples include leadership, problem-solving, and communication. In contrast, “hard” skills are those that are learned through formal education. Examples include computer technology programs, languages, and certifications.  

College Professors need both hard and soft skills. Soft skills come in handy when dealing with students and other faculty members, while your hard skills represent your research and teaching abilities. It’s a good idea to include a mix of both on your resume, instead of relying overly on one type.  

Relevant Soft Skills

• Communication
• Empathy 
• Enthusiasm
• Patience
• Organization

Relevant Hard Skills

• Lectures
• Student mentoring
• Conference participation
• Curriculum development
• Service on faculty committees
• Upper-division courses in Renaissance History 
• Research
• Learning strategies
• Foreign Languages

If you want a more complete list of skills, read our guide on 100+ Key Skills for a Resume in 2021 with Examples for any Job.

5. Include an Education Section 

Most institutions require that College Professors have a  Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in their field. However, a master's degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges. Additionally, some specialties or part-time positions may hire those with a master’s degree or those who are doctoral degree candidates. 

Still uncertain on what to include in this section? Review our guide on How to List Education on Your Resume in 2021. 

6. Mention Your Research, Committees, and Publications

Institutions want you to bolster their reputations. This means that you need to demonstrate you can add to their wallet and public image -- by publishing your findings in journals and books. 

While most resumes are one page, a College Professor who has been teaching a while might have two pages. If so, list your “research and publications” on the second page. 

How to format publications on your resume:

• Create a new section titled “Publications” or “Research and Publications” or even “Publications and Appearances”
• Each publication should be a new bullet point
• Include the year it was printed and the title of the book or paper
• Add the name of the magazine, website, or journal
• List the publications in Reverse-Chronological order

Should I use APA or MLA format? 

While this is up to you, these academic styles take up more space. If you have a two-page resume then that’s not a problem. Otherwise, simply list each work’s title, publication name and date. 

For example: “Analyzing Elizabethan Attitudes Towards Continental Trade,” The English Historical Review, June 2018.

Tip: If you only have a few publications, not enough to warrant an entire section, or if you have too many things to add and you’re crunched for space, make a section that’s more general, such as “additional activities” or “accomplishments.” 

7. Pick the Right Template

Now it’s time for the fun part -- picking the aesthetics of your resume! 

Here at EasyResume, we offer several different templates. 

• Academic: these resumes are professionally structured with minimal aesthetics in order to provide a clear and concise glimpse of your experiences. This is best for current students or those looking to pursue a career in an academic field as a researcher or teacher. 
• Creative: these resumes are bold and colorful with eye-catching fonts to help you stand out from the crowd. This is best for those in creative fields like marketing and art. 
• Elegant: these resumes are contemporary and stylish in a way that highlights you and your experiences. This is best for those in fields that prefer austerity, such as the healthcare and finance industries. 
• Modern: these resumes have sleek designs that are fresh and bold with tasteful fonts and clean lines. This is best for individuals applying to startups or to companies with a young audience or product.
• Professional: these resumes have a clean, crisp look that incorporates only one or two accent colors. The focus is solely on the text, pulling the recruiter into your experiences and accomplishments. This is best for individuals applying to straight-laced companies that mandate a suit-and-tie dress code.  

Your resume template should reflect the job to which you’re applying. For a College Professor career, try an Academic or Professional format in order to match the gravity of the institution. However, if you’re applying to a more unorthodox college, try out our Modern or even Creative templates. 

If you want to create your own template, read how with our Step-by-Step Guide on How to Create a Resume Template in Microsoft Word. 

8. Takeaways

We’ve done it! Almost. 

Now it’s time to get down to business -- actually creating the resume. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

• Research the job description to locate keywords
• Use a Reverse-Chronological resume layout
• Write your resume summary, including your resume objective and outstanding achievements
• Include your education and accomplishments
• Quantify your work experiences, such as the number of classes you’ve taught, the committees you’ve served on, etc. 
• Pick a resume template that fits the position to which you’re applying, usually Academic or Professional.

Start from our resume example and be done in as little as ten minutes.

You’ll be well on your way to teaching your next course in no time!