The Ultimate Guide on How to List Presentations on a CV

Although not as common as other elements in a CV or resume, presentation skills can make or break your application. A resume full of presentations you have previously given illustrates presentation skills, which can effectively showcase not only your public speaking, communication, and organization skills but also your expertise or field knowledge. Nevertheless, if you want to find out more, we have a dedicated article on how to improve your presentation skills just for you!

Anyways, if you have experience giving presentations on topics related to the position you are applying for, it could make your CV or resume stand out in the applicant pool and have a better chance to be viewed more as your expertise is vouchered for. But the question remains, how do I list presentation skills on a resume?

In this article, you will learn when and how to list presentations on CVs and resumes with resume presentation examples in our step-by-step guide.

The presentation information you put on your CV or resume should be relevant to your target position and career industry. Here are 5 circumstances when one should list their presentation skills on their CV/resume.

Your role requires you to speak in public a lot

If the role you are seeking requires public speaking skills and experience, it would be beneficial to include your conferences and presentations on your resume and CV. For instance, jobs such as conference speaker, lecturer, or news anchor would benefit from showing extensive presentation skills on their resumes.

You want to showcase your expertise in your career field

One would need a certain level of expertise in their field to deliver a presentation about the industry to a group audience. Thus, listing your oral presentation experience on your CV could serve as strong evidence of your subject knowledge and industry expertise.

For example, if you are looking for a job in telecommunications and you’ve created a presentation on the features and benefits of 5G technology, it can be effective to include the presentation experience in your CV or resume.

The experience is related to the position you are applying for

If you previously made a presentation or talked in an event that is related to the job you are targeting, then including that presentation experience in your resume might give you the upper hand during the application process.

If you are changing career paths, this is a great way to showcase your existing knowledge and expertise in the new field to make up for your lack of relevant experience. 

The experience is noteworthy in your industry or prestigious in a particular field

You might have experienced being invited to be a guest speaker at a special event in your industry to share innovative projects, research, or personal insight. Or, you did a Ted Talk that has a million views on the Internet.

Even if it is just a one-off presentation on a special occasion that is not directly relevant to the career field you are pursuing, you could still include the presentation experience in your CV or portfolio to showcase a noteworthy achievement.

It is common practice to include a resume addendum in your field

In the academic field, job seekers often include pertinent papers, research, lectures, or presentations on their CV/resume with an addendum. It is also common for career fields like scientists, researchers, or medical professionals. The citation length would depend on the number of completed presentations and other accomplishments. 

Here are 5 steps you could take on how to add and cite presentations on a CV/resume.

1. Include the presentation title

First and foremost, start by including the presentation title. You could also distinguish the text by using boldface, to make it stand out more on your resume/CV. If the presentation has a long title, you could shorten it to briefly illustrate what your presentation is about.

2. List the name and date of the event where you presented

Start a new line right under your presentation title and list the name and date (month & year) of the event or conference where you deliver your presentation.

3. Mention the main topic of the presentation

Then, provide some brief details about the main topic of the presentation on your resume or CV and try to keep it within one sentence (or more if the space allows). For instance, you could mention the research topic you did or the issues discussed in your presentation.

4. Mention any awards (if any)

List the relevant awards you received for your presentation underneath, if any. Like how you would put certifications on a resume/CV, you would enter each award on a separate line with relevant details such as the full name of the award and the year you received it.

5. Mention any related publications (if any)

Last but not least, mention any publications such as trade/scholarly journals, academic articles, books, or popular magazines directly related to your presentations on your resume. This would further emphasize your commitment to the career industry you are pursuing.

Still not sure how to add presentations on your CV or resume? To effectively organize your presentation skills on resumes/CVs, refer to the examples below.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

List the most relevant presentation in the first place

Unlike how you would list your work history in reverse chronological order, put your presentation in the order of relevancy on your resume. 

In the US, resumes are career summaries that are a 1-2 page snapshot of your qualifications, while CVs are academic biographies that include further details about your experiences and publications. If you are creating an American-style resume, ‌choose up to five most relevant presentations to list in your resume. 

Otherwise, include as many of your presentations and publications as necessary for your target position.

Mention your exact role (speaker, co-speaker, etc.)

If you spoke with a co-speaker, specify it next to the presentation title on your resume, or include the other presenter(s) names to precisely show your involvement in the presentation. You could also distinguish your name from other co-speakers by using a different text style such as underlining their names.

List your presentations under a separate “Presentations” section

Create a dedicated section for listing your presentations in your resume if you have multiple speaking events and experience. The presentations section should come after your work experience section as additional information relevant to the job.

It is best to include your presentation section at the bottom of your resume/CV for recruiters to scan through at once to see the bigger picture of your authority and what you can contribute to the organization.

If you don’t have much experience, list your presentations under the work experience

If you conducted a few presentations during your previous work experience, list them directly in the work history section to provide the context of each presentation.

Here’s an example:

If the presentation is given as a special honor, include it in your career summary/objective

How to list conference presentations on your resume or CV even though you have just one or few of them? Basically, if you spoke at a prominent event that is relevant to your job or industry, add it to your career objective.

A career summary or objective is placed at the beginning of a CV/resume. It showcases your most crucial skills and experience and how you can bring value to the company. 

For instance, mentioning that you have spoken at a Ted Talk right at the beginning of your resume attracts recruiters to read further as it resembles credibility for your achievements.

Key Takeaways

In this article, we’ve gone through the basics of when and how to list presentation skills and experience on a resume/CV. When it’s relevant to the job or it’s a common practice in your field, you should list presentations on your CV.

How to list oral/poster presentations on a CV? Review the 5 steps for listing presentations on a resume above, and try it on your own by following the examples shown.

Whether it is oral/poster, single/co-speaker presentations, or with rewards/publications, as long as you include the most relevant information and keep your resume concise, you are well-prepared to send out the application. Good luck!

--- Originally written by Sandy Tuo ---