Exemple de CV : Economist

Choose the right format for an Economist resume

Most economists should use a reverse-chronological format. Employers in government agencies, think tanks, consulting firms, and financial institutions expect to see your most recent position first, followed by earlier roles. This format works whether you are applying to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a Federal Reserve Bank, a private consultancy like Analysis Group or NERA, or a corporate strategy team.

Keep your resume to one page if you have fewer than ten years of experience; two pages are acceptable for senior economists with extensive publication records or policy work. Use clean section headers, consistent fonts (Calibri or Garamond at 10–12pt), and half-inch margins. Avoid tables and text boxes — many applicant tracking systems used by large employers misread them.

• Use reverse-chronological order for all positions
• One page for early-career; two pages maximum for senior roles
• Standard fonts only — no tables, graphics, or columns
• Save as a PDF unless the posting explicitly requests a .docx file

Write a professional summary that signals your specialty

Your summary should name your economic subfield, your methodological strengths, and the type of employer or problem you serve — all in three to four sentences. Generic phrases like 'results-driven professional' waste space. Hiring managers at the Congressional Budget Office or a litigation support firm are scanning for whether your expertise matches their mandate within the first ten seconds.

Here is a strong example: "Labor economist with eight years of experience producing wage analyses and policy simulations for federal agencies and nonprofit research organizations. Proficient in Stata, R, and Python for large-scale microdata analysis using CPS, SIPP, and NLSY datasets. Authored peer-reviewed research on minimum wage effects and presented findings to congressional staff. Seeking a senior research role focused on workforce development policy."

Write work-experience bullets that quantify your impact

Each bullet should follow an action-verb + task + measurable outcome structure. Economists often undersell their work by describing process rather than results. Quantify your models' accuracy, the size of the datasets you handled, the dollar value of decisions your analysis informed, or the reach of your published findings. If a number is confidential, use ranges or relative terms ('reduced forecast error by approximately 18%').

Avoid passive constructions like 'was responsible for.' Use verbs such as estimated, modeled, forecasted, evaluated, designed, published, testified, and briefed.

• Built a difference-in-differences model in Stata to evaluate a $340M federal job-training program, identifying a 12% earnings gain for participants that informed a Senate Finance Committee hearing.
• Automated monthly CPI component forecasting in Python, cutting report turnaround from five days to 18 hours and improving mean absolute error by 9% versus the prior ARIMA baseline.

Skills and certifications recruiters and ATS systems look for

List technical skills in a dedicated section rather than burying them in bullet points — ATS systems score keyword matches. Be specific: write 'Stata 18' rather than 'statistical software.' Separate econometric methods from software tools so both sets of terms are scannable. Certifications matter more in some sectors than others: the Certified Business Economist (CBE) credential from NABE is recognized in corporate and consulting roles, while government positions may require specific clearance levels rather than formal certifications.

Include any relevant training in causal inference methods, machine learning for economists, or survey methodology, especially if you work with complex survey data.

• Software: Stata, R, Python (pandas, statsmodels, scikit-learn), SAS, MATLAB, EViews, Tableau
• Methods: OLS, IV, difference-in-differences, RDD, synthetic control, time-series (ARIMA, VAR), CGE modeling
• Data sources: IPUMS, BLS microdata, Census Bureau LEHD, Compustat, Bloomberg Terminal
• Certifications: Certified Business Economist (CBE) — NABE; SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst
• Other: security clearance level (if applicable), IRB training, ArcGIS for spatial econometrics

Education, licenses, and extras that round out your resume

List your highest degree first: institution, degree, field, and graduation year. For economists, the PhD is the standard credential for research-focused roles at the Fed, academic institutions, and senior government positions. A master's degree (MA or MS in Economics, Applied Economics, or a related quantitative field) is sufficient for many policy, consulting, and corporate roles. You do not need to list your GPA unless you graduated within the past three years and it was above 3.5.

Add a publications or working papers section if you have peer-reviewed work — even one published article strengthens your profile significantly for research-oriented employers. List conference presentations (AEA, SEA, APPAM) under a separate line. If you have testified before a legislative body or contributed to a government report (GAO, CBO, OMB), name it explicitly.

• List publications in a standard citation format (AEA style preferred)
• Include working papers with SSRN or NBER links if publicly available
• Note relevant fellowships: NBER, Brookings, Urban Institute, RFF
• Foreign language proficiency is a plus for international economics or development roles

Mistakes to avoid

• ×Listing software as 'proficient in statistical software' instead of naming specific programs and versions, which causes ATS systems to miss your qualifications entirely.
• ×Describing research tasks without stating what the findings were used for or what decision they influenced, leaving hiring managers unable to assess your real-world impact.
• ×Including a PhD dissertation title with no context — briefly explain the topic and its policy or industry relevance in one parenthetical line.
• ×Omitting publications, working papers, or government reports from the resume because they feel academic, even when applying to think tanks, consulting firms, or regulatory agencies that treat them as direct evidence of expertise.

Frequently asked questions

Do economists need a PhD to get hired in the private sector?

No. Many corporate economics roles — at tech companies, banks, insurance firms, and consulting practices — actively hire candidates with a master's degree in economics, statistics, or public policy. A PhD is generally required for independent research positions at the Federal Reserve, academic institutions, and senior roles at organizations like the CBO or RAND. Tailor your target list to your degree level and emphasize applied skills and relevant datasets on your resume.

How should an economist list publications on a resume?

Create a dedicated 'Publications' or 'Selected Research' section below your work experience. Use AEA citation style: your name, co-authors, year, article title, journal name, volume, and page numbers. For working papers, include the NBER or SSRN link and note the current status (under review, revise-and-resubmit). Limit the list to your five most relevant pieces if you have a long record — a full CV can be provided separately.

What is the difference between an economist resume and an economist CV?

A resume is a targeted, condensed document — one to two pages — designed for a specific job application in industry, government, or consulting. A CV (curriculum vitae) is a comprehensive record of your academic and professional history including all publications, conference presentations, teaching, grants, and service, and it has no page limit. Academic job markets and some research institutions require a CV; most private-sector and government postings expect a resume. Read the job posting carefully to determine which format to submit.