In a comment, ff524 said this (and got confirmed by scaahu, Nate Eldredge below (not to mention the number of votes)):
Actually, academic CVs are typically not as sales-pitch-y as non-academic CVs. They are usually a very formulaic listing of all the academic things the candidate has done, with no editorializing or embellishment [...]. The "sell" is reserved for other parts of the application.
Why? I know that there are some differences in academia than other environments, but I can't think of a reason why a CV shouldn't be a sale pitch. Sure, we have other metrics to evaluate that, like h-index, but what is so wrong that putting other things (like about me, objectives, other courses, English certification, class standing, etc)? I am asking this question in general, but I also ask it from the new young student standing point in specifically. I know that if you are a novice, LOR are very important. You can say that a CV should be concise and into the point, but a half-page long CV may show that beside that point, you have nothing.
I just wonder what is the harm of making the CV like a sales pitch?
Answer
Largely, it is cultural. So far as I understand it, the idea is that "your record should speak for itself." Of course, you are selling yourself to a degree, by how you choose to put which pieces forward, whether to choose a "selected" versus a "completist" format, etc. The range of acceptable variation, however, is much narrower than for a job resume, and the format is built around showing credibility (in the form of accomplishments) rather than enthusiasm and fit with business goals (which is the goal of a resume).
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