Mentorship is evidence of leadership, and evaluators read it as such, provided you present it as a responsibility rather than a favour. Whether you advised junior colleagues, supervised graduate students, or coached a first-generation cohort, the task is to place it where it carries weight and to describe it in the language of outcomes.

Decide where mentorship sits

Placement signals importance. If mentoring was a formal duty within a role, fold it into that position’s bullets. If it was sustained but separate, a dedicated Mentoring and Supervision section, sitting alongside Teaching or Service, gives it standing on an academic curriculum vitae.

  • Formal supervision: name the level and number, for example “Supervised four MSc dissertation students to completion.”
  • Programme mentoring: cite the scheme and duration, such as a two-year departmental peer-mentoring role.
  • Informal but structured: reserve for onboarding or coaching that had a defined remit and a measurable close.

Write it as impact, not intent

“Mentored junior staff” states a role. “Mentored three early-career analysts, two of whom secured promotion within the year” states a result. Evaluators weigh what changed because of you: retention, publications co-authored, students progressing, competencies acquired. Where you cannot claim a number honestly, name the concrete skill or milestone the mentee reached.

Keep the register formal

On a curriculum vitae the tone is restrained and factual. Avoid warm adjectives like “passionate” or “caring”; let the verbs carry the sentence. Use “advised,” “supervised,” “coached,” “convened.” Group entries in reverse-chronological order and keep each to a single line where possible, so a reader scanning the page registers scope before detail.

Mentorship handled well quietly reframes you as someone who develops capability in others, which is precisely what senior and academic panels look for.

When you are ready to structure it, our CV guide sets out where supervision sections belong, the CV maker keeps the formatting consistent, and these mistakes are worth avoiding before you submit.