Ph.D. Resume Examples and Templates for Industry and Non-Academic Jobs in 2023

Frank headshot

Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

Create a professional resume in minutes for free.

Build Resume

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 99% of job seekers with Ph.D.s or graduate degrees had salaries much higher than the median average of those with bachelor’s degrees or high school diplomas. Continuing your education can certainly pay dividends on the job market, but you’ll need to leverage your academic experience strategically on your resume to break into your target industry. Unlike academic positions that are more likely to require CVs, industry jobs generally view resumes to evaluate potential candidates. Below, you’ll find four examples of Ph.D. resumes across a variety of different fields.

Downloadable Resume Examples

Example #1
Ph.D.-for-Industry-and-Non-Academic-Jobs_Example-1.pdf

Example #1

Example #2
Ph.D.-for-Industry-and-Non-Academic-Jobs_Example-2.pdf

Example #2

Example #3
Ph.D.-for-Industry-and-Non-Academic-Jobs_Example-3.pdf

Example #3

Example #4
Ph.D.-for-Industry-and-Non-Academic-Jobs_Example-4.pdf

Example #4

Ph.D. Resume Examples for Industry and Non-Academic Jobs

Years of Experience
  • Example #1 #1
  • Example #2 #2
  • Example #3 #3
  • Example #4 #4

Ana Jameson, Ph.D.
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Your Street, Detroit, MI 12345

Profile

A Medical Education Leader and Consultant, specializing in instructional design, medical research, curriculum design, and program development. A proven track record of delivering consulting for healthcare organizations to enhance training curriculums within the medical education space. Expertise in defining adult-learning strategies in alignment with business needs.

Professional Experience

Medical Education Consultant, Detroit Healthcare Educators, Detroit, MI
May 2021 – Present

  • Serve as a consultant for stakeholders at a healthcare education company, which includes developing programs to refine training curriculum for medical students
  • Interface with healthcare partners (HCPs) and C-level executives to ensure alignment with long-term organizational objectives
  • Develop course content and workshops using instructional design principles and perform assessments to create train-the-trainer programs

Adjunct Professor, Medical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
June 2018 – May 2021

  • Taught medical science courses to 75+ medical students per semester, developed curriculum, designed courses, and performed academic assessments
  • Coordinated with faculty to evaluate education programs and refine curriculums to improve student outcomes
  • Provided academic advising and mentorship to students to drive professional development within the medical science field

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Medical Science
University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI September 2011 – May 2018

Master of Education (M.Ed.), Instructional Design
University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI September 2009 – September 2011

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Medical Science
University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI September 2005 – May 2009

Key Skills

  • Medical Education
  • Instructional Design
  • Program Development
  • Consulting
  • Strategy Development
  • Cross-functional Collaboration

Justin Long, Ph.D.
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Your Street, Newark, NJ 12345

Profile

A Scientist and Pharmaceutical Expert specializing in drug discovery, R&D, clinical drug trials, and regulatory compliance. Adept at leveraging pharmaceutical expertise to aid organizations in the development of innovative new medicines to improve quality of life.

Professional Experience

Drug Discovery Consultant, Collingswood Pharmaceuticals, Collingswood, NJ
May 2021 – Present

  • Serve as a lead consultant for drug discovery and drug development for a premiere pharmaceutical company, which includes interacting with pharmaceutical teams to ensure regulatory compliance throughout all phases of R&D
  • Provide subject matter expertise to researchers and scientists in the development of a new cardiovascular drug to reduce the risk of pulmonary disease
  • Conduct research on medical data across five clinical drug trials

Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Science, University of Newark, Newark, NJ
June 2018 – May 2021

  • Taught pharmaceutical science courses to 50+ students per semester, including drug discovery, drug development, laboratory safety, and pharmaceutical research
  • Supervised laboratory research projects, ensured compliance with safety procedures, evaluated student research, and provided support to drive academic growth

Academic Experience

Research Dissertation, University of Newark, Newark, NJ 
May 2016 – May 2018

  • Wrote a 100-page dissertation on the effectiveness and long-term medical effects of emtricitabine and lamivudine in managing HIV symptoms, which included evaluating medical data from clinical drug trials

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Pharmaceutical Science
University Of Newark, Newark, NJ September 2011 – May 2018

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Pharmaceutical Science
University Of Newark, Newark, NJ September 2007 – September 2011

Key Skills

  • Pharmaceutical Science
  • Drug Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • R&D
  • Clinical Research
  • Regulatory Compliance

Abhishek Singh, Ph.D.
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Your Street, Philadelphia, PA

Profile

An Engineering Leader and Certified Project Management Associate specializing in chemical engineering, production, and manufacturing. A proven track record of collaborating with diverse teams to enhance production efficiency and quality control. Adept at managing stakeholder expectations and executing complex engineering projects.

Professional Experience

Project Management Consultant, Philadelphia Manufacturing Inc., Philadelphia, PA
May 2021 – Present

  • Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) and project management consultant for a chemical manufacturing company with 300+ employees and $50M in annual revenue
  • Analyze production processes and lead continuous improvement efforts, resulting in a 15% throughput increase for the organization over a six-month span
  • Collaborate with engineering, project management, and production teams to analyze process gaps and ensure compliance with hazard safety regulations

Academic Experience

Research Dissertation, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 
May 2019 – May 2021

  • Wrote a 120-page dissertation on the effectiveness of Agile methodologies in improving production quality and efficiency for chemical manufacturing plants, which included analyzing and gathering research data from 50+ chemical production sites

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Chemical Engineering
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA September 2014 – May 2021

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Chemical Engineering 
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA  September 2010 – September 2014

Key Skills

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Project Management
  • Agile Methodology
  • Production
  • Manufacturing
  • Process Improvement

Certifications

  • Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP), Expected 2022
  • Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM), 2021

John Roscoe, Ph.D.
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Your Street, Dallas, TX

Profile

An IT Consultant specializing in the development of scalable IT infrastructure for enterprise companies. Expertise in cloud technology, Microsoft Azure, and data-driven decision making.      A proven track record of partnering with diverse technology teams to execute large scale IT initiatives. Adept at defining IT strategy and leading complex data migration projects.

Professional Experience

IT Infrastructure Consultant, Southwest Technology Inc., Dallas, TX
May 2021 – Present

  • Provide IT consulting services to a technology company providing professional services to enterprise clients, which include analyzing IT infrastructure and proposing recommendations for the migration from legacy systems to cloud technology
  • Serve as the SME for a database migration project to the cloud, which is projected to save the organization $200K in infrastructure costs YOY
  • Perform root cause analysis to troubleshoot critical issues and identify solutions to maintain 99.9% uptime

Academic Experience

Research Dissertation, Dallas University, Dallas TX
May 2019 – May 2021

  • Wrote a 100-page dissertation on the impact, benefits, and risk of cloud computing with regard to cybersecurity, which included analyzing industry data and developing a series of data models and simulations

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Information Technology
Dallas University, Dallas, TX September 2014 – May 2021

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Information Technology
Dallas University, Dallas, TX  September 2010 – September 2014

Key Skills

  • IT Infrastructure
  • Technical Project Management
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Cloud Technology
  • Database Migration
  • Cross-functional Collaboration

Certifications

  • Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM), 2020

Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for Ph.D. Resumes for Industry and Non-Academic Jobs

To leverage your Ph.D. for a job in your field, you need to optimize your resume with appropriate keywords and action verbs. An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) will scan your application at the onset of the application process. To achieve compliance with the keyword requirements, you need to strategically implement these terms into your document. Providing a mix of technical skills, soft skills, and industry knowledge will provide a broad range that emphasizes your versatility as a well-rounded candidate. Below, you’ll find a list of potential action verbs and skills across various fields and industries.

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Analytics Agile Methodology
AutoCad Big Data
Chemical Engineering Chemical Manufacturing
Cloud Computing Cloud Technology
Cybersecurity Data Analytics
Data Analysis Data Science
DevOps Drug Development
Drug Discovery Engineering
Instructional Design IT Infrastructure
IT Management Manufacturing
Medical Education Product Development
Project Engineering Project Management
Pharmaceutical Science R&D
Research
Action Verbs
Analyze Build
Conduct Coordinate
Design Develop
Diagnose Drive
Enhance Establish
Evaluate Execute
Generate Identify
Implement Improve
Lead Manage
Migrate Optimize
Oversee Partner
Perform Test

Tips for Writing a Better Ph.D. Resume for Industry & Non-Academic Jobs Resume

Write an eye-catching professional profile

Transitioning from academic into an industry position requires taking a strategic approach to your personal branding. You want employers to see you as more than just a researcher, and to do that you need to make your versatility clear upfront. By building a professional profile that incorporates a range of skills and industry expertise, you can position yourself as a subject matter expert who can apply their academic training in the field. Below are some examples on how to create a summary that balances education achievements with viable industry skills.

Example #1

Good


A Scientific Researcher with a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical science, specializing in R&D, drug discovery, data analysis, and team leadership. Adept at leveraging subject matter expertise in drug development to aid organizations in executing large-scale clinical drug trials and performing laboratory testing for innovative new products.

Bad


Scientific Researcher who excels in writing medical journals and performing academic research on pharmaceutical drugs.

Example #2

Good


A Technology Leader with a Ph.D. in information technology, specializing in cloud computing, cyber security, technical project management, and big data. Adept at using expertise in cloud technology to support enterprise organizations in transitioning from legacy systems to reduce infrastructure costs.

Bad


A hardworking graduate with a Ph.D. in information technology looking for a lucrative position within the IT field. Passionate about growing as a project manager.

Showcase your education achievements

Your Ph.D. is an asset that can open up numerous opportunities if leveraged correctly. Providing insights into academic projects and dissertations help position you as a subject matter expert in the eyes of hiring managers. Think about how your academic research relates to your target industry and pay close attention to the job description as you showcase your projects. For example, you could leverage your experience in instructional design to obtain a consulting position to help organizations develop training programs and curriculum. Below, you’ll find some examples on how to highlight your academic achievements.

Example #1

Good


Academic Project, New York University, 2019-2020

  • Conducted an academic research project to assess the impact of e-learning modules and instructional design on adult learning outcomes in small group and large group settings, which included analyzing data on scaffolds and curriculum development approaches

Bad


Academic Project, New York University, 2019-2020

  • Wrote a research paper on e-learning and instructional design, received grade of 95, and used proper MLA formatting

Example #2

Good


Academic Project, Boston University, 2020-2021

  • Conducted an academic research project analyzing the development and impact of machine learning and artificial intelligence with regard to self-driving vehicles, which included evaluating data on reaction times and sensor obstructions

Bad


Academic Project, Boston University, 2020-2021

  • Wrote a research paper on machine learning and AI, achieved a high grade, and properly cited publications using APA

How to Align Your Resume With the Job Description

Generating traction on the open job market with your Ph.D. can be difficult if you don’t align your resume with the qualifications companies are looking for. As you build your resume, you’ll want to continually refer to the job description you’re applying for and tactically integrate keywords throughout your document. Ensuring compliance with the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is the first benchmark you need to meet. The second step is making a strong impression on the hiring manager about why you’re the ideal candidate.

By carefully examining the job posting, you can determine what skill sets and qualifications the hiring manager wants to see on your document. Keywords mentioned toward the top of the description are almost certainly in the ATS, so implement them into your skill section and bullet points. If you notice the posting repeats a term more than once, you may want to prioritize implementing the skill directly into your professional profile to ensure it’s as close to the top of your document as possible. Below, you’ll see an example on how to tailor your resume to a sample job description.

Industry Job Description Example


XYZ Inc. is a leading technology company named one of the best places to work in Washington. Use your information technology and data science expertise as an IT Consultant to aid us in developing innovative solutions for enterprise customers. We value candidates that have strong technical project management and team leadership skills that can thrive in fast-paced business environments with diverse teams.

Responsibilities:

  • Support the development of cybersecurity protocols and cloud solutions for enterprise customers to enhance security and improve the end-user experience
  • Collaborate with project stakeholders and cross-functional departments to plan and execute cloud migrations from outdated legacy systems
  • Analyze existing IT infrastructure and cybersecurity standards for clients, identify potential threats and risk factors, and provide recommendations to prevent cyber attacks

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s in information technology required, D. in information technology preferred
  • Subject matter expert in big data, cyber security, and machine learning
  • Certified Associate Project Manager (CAPM) preferred
  • Expertise in data protection, data loss prevention (DLP), and data encryption

According to the job description, the ideal job applicant should have the following qualities and/or experience:

  • Information Technology
  • Data Science
  • Cyber Security
  • Cloud Solutions
  • Cloud Migrations
  • D. in Information Technology
  • Big Data
  • Machine Learning
  • Data Protection
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
  • Data Encryption
  • Certified Associate Project Manager (CAPM)
  • Technical Project Management
  • Team Leadership

Next, take what you highlighted from the job description and make sure to include your experience and skills that match. Below is an example of how to incorporate them in your resume to your advantage.

PhD Resume Work Experience Example


Profile

An Information Technology and Cybersecurity Expert specializing in data science, big data, data protection, and cloud solutions. Adept at leveraging expertise in data encryption and data loss prevention (DLP) to mitigate cyber attacks and improve data integrity. Excels in applying technical project management skills to execute complex cloud migrations.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Information Technology

San Francisco University, San Francisco, CA September 2014 – May 2021

Academic Projects

San Francisco University, San Francisco, CA September 2014 – May 2021

  • Conducted an academic project to develop machine learning and big data models with a team of graduate students to predict user eligibility for mortgages and personal loans
  • Executed an academic project to develop data encryptions and integrate 2FA authentication into a mobile application

 

Key Skills

  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Protection
  • Team Leadership
  • Cloud Solutions
  • Machine Learning
  • Data Science

 

Certifications

  • Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM), Expected 2022