PhD Candidate Resume Sample
This PhD candidate CV sample shows how to present your dissertation, early publications, and teaching for the academic and industry job markets. Use it as a model, or have our team prepare a professionally written academic CV tailored to your goals.
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Sarah Whitfield
Ph.D. Candidate in Economics
Chicago, IL · s.whitfield@email.edu · (555) 903-5521 · linkedin.com/in/sarahwhitfield
Profile
Ph.D. candidate in Economics (expected 2026) specializing in labor economics and applied microeconometrics. Two working papers under review, three conference presentations, and three years of teaching experience. Seeking a tenure-track, postdoctoral, or applied research position in economics.
Education
Ph.D., Economics, University of Chicago, expected 2026
Dissertation: “Minimum Wage Policy and Local Labor Market Adjustment” (Committee Chair: Prof. D. Reyes)
M.A., Economics, University of Chicago, 2022
B.A., Economics and Mathematics, University of Michigan, 2020
Research
Fields: labor economics, applied microeconometrics, public policy. Dissertation examines how local labor markets adjust to minimum-wage changes using administrative panel data and a difference-in-differences design.
Working Papers and Publications
- Whitfield, S. (2025). Minimum wages and job reallocation across firms. Working paper, under review.
- Whitfield, S., and Osei, K. (2024). Commuting zones and wage spillovers. Working paper.
- Whitfield, S. (2023). Teacher pay and retention. Economics of Education Review, 94, 102-118.
Conference Presentations
American Economic Association Annual Meeting, 2025; Society of Labor Economists, 2024; Midwest Economics Association, 2023.
Teaching Experience
Teaching Assistant, University of Chicago 2022-Present
- Lead weekly discussion sections for Intermediate Microeconomics and Econometrics, 60+ students per term.
- Received a departmental teaching commendation, 2024.
Skills
Stata, R, Python; causal inference and panel-data methods; large administrative datasets; LaTeX.
References
Available on request.
A PhD candidate CV has to do something a resume does not: show that you are becoming an independent scholar while you are still in training. The PhD candidate CV sample above leads with education and the dissertation, then presents research, working papers, conference talks, and teaching, the exact order academic search committees expect.
Show momentum, not just coursework. Name your dissertation and your advisor, list working papers and publications with their status (under review, working paper, published), and include the conferences where you have presented. This is what signals that your research is real and moving, even before the degree is finished.
If you are also targeting industry, keep an academic CV for scholarly applications and a separate one to two page resume for companies, translating your research into skills and impact. Either way, a clean, consistent, and honest record, with in-progress work clearly labelled, is what earns interviews.
What a strong PhD Candidate resume includes
Dissertation and advisor named
Committees look for the dissertation title, field, and chair as the first sign of a real research programme.
Working papers with status
Under review, working paper, or published, labelling status honestly shows momentum toward publication.
Conferences and talks
Presentations show your work is visible in the field and taken seriously by peers.
Teaching and methods
Teaching-assistant experience and a clear methods and software list round out a strong candidate CV.
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