Curriculum Vitae (CV) Guide

• A curriculum vitae is your first point of contact between you and your future colleagues.
• The role of a CV is to grab the interest of the reader and encourage him/her to look over your other application materials.
• Consider these questions as you are crafting your CV:
• What will your audience be looking for?
• What do you have that other applicants may not?

• A curriculum vitae and a resume are similar in that both highlight one’s education and relevant experience.
• CV:
  • Tends to be longer and is used more widely when candidates have published works like scientific evidence or journals. Common for graduate students
  • Includes any research experience, teaching experience, and publications.
  • More comprehensive as they are used when applying to positions where specific field knowledge or expertise is required.
• Like a resume, there is no one correct format for a CV- the key is formatting and organization!

• Typically, a CV should begin with contact information and education.
• Sections that include items with various dates (such as education, research experience, service work, etc.) should be listed in reverse chronological order.
• Be consistent in your formatting.
• Use formatting (bold, italics, underlines) to separate sections and help readers navigate the page.
• Some opportunities prefer a traditional CV (very basic formatting, essentially lists, no descriptions).
• After the first page, begin page numbering (2,3,4,5….)
• 0.5 Margin Minimum; 11pt Font Size Minimum
• Use Standard Fonts (i.e. Arial, Times New Roman)
• When applying to professional schools/programs, it is important to check their website for required CV formatting (CVs vary per school, program, and even field of study)
• Tell what you did, how you did it, and what the result was.
  • If altering your CV into a resume for a non-academic job, focus more on the processes than the content of the work, and use bullet points.

• The personal information section can appear as the header.
• Be sure to include: your name, home address, phone number, and email. Some students will include their office/department contact info.
• Do not include: date or place of birth, marital status, gender, religion, social security number, etc. (These should never be included on your CV or resume).

Should include the name of the colleges/universities attended, the location (city, state, and country if outside of the United States) of each facility, the type of degree earned along with the field of study, and the graduation date.

• Most experiences should contain at least 3 bullet points or a description
• Transferable skills are the tasks you know how to do regardless of where they take place. They describe your functional skills.
• Action verbs are strong active words which help you clarify your activities in a meaningful and relevant way.
• Emphasize results to show accomplishments. -> Action verb + Transferable skills/Task = Result.

• Unlike a resume, a CV includes references.
• If possible, provide 3-6 references (with at least name, address, and contact information) of individuals who can comment positively on your capabilities.
  • Remember: Always ask references if you can include them on any documents and let them know if they may be contacted.

When choosing which categories to include on your resume, think about which will highlight your most prestigious strengths and achievements in the position/field you are applying for. You may also reformat the categories so that your strongest points appear earlier in your CV.