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Academic CV (Curriculum Vitae) for Research: CV Examples

What is an academic CV (or research CV)?

An academic CV or “curriculum vitae” is a full synopsis (usually around two to three pages) of your educational and academic background. In addition to college and university transcripts, the personal statement or statement of purpose , and the cover letter, postgraduate candidates need to submit an academic CV when applying for research, teaching, and other faculty positions at universities and research institutions. 

Writing an academic CV (also referred to as a “research CV” or “academic resume”) is a bit different than writing a professional resume. It focuses on your academic experience and qualifications for the position—although relevant work experience can still be included if the position calls for it. 

What’s the difference between a CV and a resume?

While both CVs and resumes summarize your major activities and achievements, a resume is more heavily focused on professional achievements and work history. An academic CV, on the other hand, highlights academic accomplishments and summarizes your educational experience, academic background and related information.

Think of a CV as basically a longer and more academic version of a resume. It details your academic history, research interests, relevant work experience, publications, honors/awards, accomplishments, etc. For grad schools, the CV is a quick indicator of how extensive your background is in the field and how much academic potential you have. Ultimately, grad schools use your academic resume to gauge how successful you’re likely to be as a grad student.

Do I need an academic CV for graduate school?

Like personal statements, CVs are a common grad school application document (though not all programs require them). An academic CV serves the same basic purpose as a regular CV: to secure you the job you want—in this case, the position of “grad student.” Essentially, the CV is a sales pitch to grad schools, and you’re selling yourself !

In addition to your college transcripts, GRE scores, and personal statement or statement of purpose , graduate schools often require applicants submit an academic CV. The rules for composing a CV for a Master’s or doctoral application are slightly different than those for a standard job application. Let’s take a closer look.

Academic CV Format Guidelines

No matter how compelling the content of your CV might be, it must still be clear and easy for graduate admissions committee members to understand. Keep these formatting and organization tips in mind when composing and revising your CV:

• Whatever formatting choices you make (e.g., indentation, font and text size, spacing, grammar), keep it consistent throughout the document.
• Use bolding, italics, underlining, and capitalized words to highlight key information.
• Use reverse chronological order to list your experiences within the sections.
• Include the most important information to the top and left of each entry and place associated dates to the right.
• Include page numbers on each page followed by your last name as a header or footer.
• Use academic verbs and terms in bulleted lists; vary your language and do not repeat the same terms. (See our list of best verbs for CVs and resumes )

How long should a CV be?

While resumes should be concise and are usually limited to one or two pages, an academic CV isn’t restricted by word count or number of pages. Because academic CVs are submitted for careers in research and academia, they have all of the sections and content of a professional CV, but they also require additional information about publications, grants, teaching positions, research, conferences, etc. 

It is difficult to shorten the length without shortening the number of CV sections you include. Because the scope and depth of candidates’ academic careers vary greatly, academic CVs that are as short as two pages or as long as five pages will likely not surprise graduate admissions faculty.

How to Write an Academic CV

Before we look at academic CV examples, let’s discuss the main sections of the CV and how you can go about writing your CV from scratch. Take a look at the sections of the academic CV and read about which information to include and where to put each CV section. For academic CV examples, see the section that follows this one.

Academic CV Sections to Include (with Examples)

A strong academic CV should include the following sections, starting from the top of the list and moving through the bottom. This is the basic Academic CV structure, but some of the subsections (such as research publications and academic awards) can be rearranged to highlight your specific strengths and achievements. 

• Contact Information
• Research Objective or Personal Profile
• Education Section
• Professional Appointments
• Research Publications
• Awards and Honors
• Grants and Fellowships
• Conferences Attended
• Teaching Experience
• Research Experience
• Additional Activities
• Languages and Skills

Now let’s go through each section of your academic CV to see what information to include in detail. 

1. Contact Information

Your academic curriculum vitae must include your full contact information, including the following: 

• Professional title and affiliation (if applicable)
• Institutional address (if you are currently registered as a student)
• Your home address
• Your email address
• Your telephone number
• LinkedIn profile or other professional profile links (if applicable)

In more business-related fields or industries, adding your LinkedIn profile in your contact information section is recommended to give reviewers a more holistic understanding of your academic and professional profile.

Check out our article on how to use your LinkedIn profile to attract employers .

2. Research Objective or Personal Profile

A research objective for an academic CV is a concise paragraph (or long sentence) detailing your specific research plans and goals.

A personal profile gives summarizes your academic background and crowning achievements.

Should you choose a research objective or a personal profile?

If you are writing a research CV, include a research objective. For example, indicate that you are applying to graduate research programs or seeking research grants for your project or study

A research objective will catch the graduate admission committee’s attention and make them want to take a closer look at you as a candidate.

Academic CV research objective example for PhD application  

MA student in Sociology and Gender Studies at North American University who made the President’s List for for six consecutive semesters seeking to use a semester-long research internship to enter into postgraduate research on the Impetus for Religious In-groups in Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century.

Note that the candidate includes details about their academic field, their specific scholastic achievements (including an internship), and a specific topic of study. This level of detail shows graduate committees that you are a candidate who is fully prepared for the rigors of grad school life. 

While an academic CV research objective encapsulates your research objective, a CV personal profile should summarize your personal statement or grad school statement of purpose . 

Academic CV personal profile example for a post-doctoral university position

Proven excellence in the development of a strong rapport with undergraduate students, colleagues, and administrators as a lecturer at a major research university. Exhibits expertise in the creation and implementation of lifelong learning programs and the personalized development of strategies and activities to propel learning in Higher Education, specifically in the field of Education. Experienced lecturer, inspirational tutor, and focused researcher with a knack for recognizing and encouraging growth in individuals. Has completed a Master’s and PhD in Sociology and Education with a BA in Educational Administration.

What makes this CV personal profile example so compelling? Again, the details included about the applicant’s academic history and achievements make the reader take note and provide concrete examples of success, proving the candidate’s academic acumen and verifiable achievements.

3. Education Section

If you are applying to an academic position, the Education section is the most essential part of your academic CV.

List your postsecondary degrees in reverse chronological order . Begin with your most recent education (whether or not you have received a degree at the time of application), follow it with your previous education/degree, and then list the ones before these.

Include the following educational details:

• Year of completion or expected completion (do not include starting dates)
• Type of Degree
• Any minor degrees (if applicable)
• Your department and institution
• Your honors and awards
• Dissertation/Thesis Title and Advisor (if applicable)

Because this is arguably the most important academic CV section, make sure that all of the information is completely accurate and that you have not left out any details that highlight your skills as a student. 

4. Professional Appointments

Following the education section, list your employment/professional positions on your academic CV. These should be positions related to academia rather than previous jobs or positions you held in the private section (whether it be a chef or a CEO). These appointments are typically tenure-track positions, not ad hoc and adjunct professor gigs, nor TA (teacher assistant) experience. You should instead label this kind of experience under “Teaching Experience,” which we discuss further down the list.

List the following information for each entry in your “Professional Appointments” section:

• Institution (university/college name)
• Department 
• Your professional title
• Dates employed (include beginning and end dates)
• Duties in this position

5. Research Publications

Divide your publications into two distinct sections: peer-reviewed publications and other publications. List peer-reviewed publications first, as these tend to carry more weight in academia. Use a subheading to distinguish these sections for the reader and make your CV details easier to understand.

Within each subsection, further divide your publications in the following order:

• Book chapters
• Peer-reviewed journal articles
• Contributions to edited volumes equivalent to peer-reviewed journals

All of your other research publications should be put into a subcategory titled “Other Publications.” This includes all documents published by a third party that did not receive peer review, whether it is an academic journal, a science magazine, a website, or any other publishing platform. 

Tip: When listing your publications, choose one academic formatting style ( MLA style , Chicago style , APA style , etc.) and apply it throughout your academic CV. Unsure which formatting style to use? Check the website of the school you are applying to and see what citation style they use.

6. Awards and Honors

This section allows you to show off how your skills and achievements were officially acknowledged. List all academic honors and awards you have received in reverse chronological order, just like the education and professional appointments sections. Include the name of the award, which year you received it, and the institution that awarded it to you.

Should you include how much money you were awarded? While this is not recommended for most academic fields (including humanities and social sciences), it is more common for business or STEM fields.

7. Fellowships and Grants

It is important to include fellowships and grants you received because it evidences that your research has been novel and valuable enough to attract funding from institutions or third parties.

Just like with awards and honors, list your grants and fellowships in reverse chronological order. Enter the years your fellowship or grant spanned and the name of the institution or entity providing the funding. Whether you disclose the specific dollar amount of funding you received depends on your field of study, just as with awards and honors.

8. Conferences Attended

Involvement in academic conferences shows admissions committees that you are already an active member of the research community. List the academic conferences in which you took part and divide this section into three subsections:

• Invited talks —conferences you presented at other institutions to which you received an invitation
• Campus talks —lectures you gave on your own institution’s campus
• Conference participation —conferences you participated in (attended) but gave no lecture

9. Teaching Experience

The “Teaching Experience” section is distinct from the “Professional Appointments” section discussed above.  In the Teaching Experience CV section, list any courses you taught as a TA (teacher’s assistant) you have taught. If you taught fewer than ten courses, list all of them out. Included the name of the institution, your department, your specific teaching role, and the dates you taught in this position. 

If you have a long tenure as an academic scholar and your academic CV Appointments section strongly highlights your strengths and achievements, in the Teaching Experience sections you could list only the institutions at which you were a TA. Since it is likely that you will be teaching, lecturing, or mentoring undergraduates and other research students in your postgraduate role, this section is helpful in making you stand out from other graduate, doctoral, or postdoctoral candidates.

10. Research Experience

In the “Research Experience” section of your CV, list all of the academic research posts at which you served. As with the other CV sections, enter these positions in reverse chronological order.

If you have significant experience (and your academic CV is filling up), you might want to limit research and lab positions to only the most pertinent to the research position to which you are applying. Include the following research positions:

• Full-time Researcher
• Research Associate
• Research Assistant

For an academic or research CV, if you do not have much research experience, include all research projects in which you participated–even the research projects with the smallest roles, budget, length, or scope. 

11. Additional Activities

If you have any other activities, distinctions, positions, etc. that do not fit into the above academic CV sections, include them here.

The following items might fit in the “Additional Activities” section:

• Extracurriculars (clubs, societies, sports teams, etc.)
• Jobs unrelated to your academic career
• Service to profession
• Media coverage
• Volunteer work

12. Languages and Skills

Many non-academic professional job positions require unique skillsets to succeed. The same can be true with academic and research positions at universities, especially when you speak a language that might come in handy with the specific area of study or with the other researchers you are likely to be working alongside.

Include all the languages in which you are proficient enough to read and understand academic texts. Qualify your proficiency level with the following terms and phrases:

• IntermediateNative/bilingual in Language
• Can read Language with a dictionary
• Advanced use of Language
• Fully proficient in Language
• Native fluency in Language
• Native/Bilingual Language speaker

If you only have a basic comprehension of a language (or if you simply minored in it a decade ago but never really used it), omit these from this section. 

Including skills on an academic CV is optional and MIGHT appear somewhat amateur if it is not a skill that is difficult and would likely contribute to your competency in your research position. In general, include a skill only if you are in a scientific or technical field (STEM fields) and if they realistically make you a better candidate.

13. References 

The final section of your academic CV is the “References” section. Only include references from individuals who know you well and have first-hand experience working with you, either in the capacity of a manager, instructor, or professor, or as a colleague who can attest to your character and how well you worked in that position. Avoid using personal references and never use family members or acquaintances–unless they can somehow attest to your strength as an academic.

List your references in the order of their importance or ability to back up your candidacy. In other words, list the referrers you would want the admissions faculty to contact first and who would give you a shining review. 

Include the following in this order:

• Full name and academic title
• Physical mailing address
• Telephone number
• Email address

Academic CV Examples by Section 

Now that you have a template for what to include in your academic CV sections, let’s look at some examples of academic CV sections with actual applicant information included. Remember that the best CVs are those that clearly state the applicant’s qualifications, skills, and achievements. Let’s go through the CV section-by-section to see how best to highlight these elements of your academic profile. Note that although this example CV does not include EVERY section detailed above, this doesn’t mean that YOU shouldn’t include any of those sections if you have the experiences to fill them in.

CV Example: Personal Details (Basic)

Write your full name, home address, phone number, and email address. Include this information at the top of the first page, either in the center of the page or aligned left.

• Tip: Use a larger font size and put the text in bold to make this info stand out.

CV Example: Profile Summary (Optional)

This applicant uses an academic research profile summary that outlines their personal details and describes core qualifications and interests in a specific research topic. Remember that the aim of this section is to entice admissions officials into reading through your entire CV.

• Tip: Include only skills, experience, and what most drives you in your academic and career goals.

CV Example: Education Section (Basic)

This applicant’s academic degrees are listed in reverse chronological order, starting with those that are currently in progress and recently completed and moving backward in time to their undergraduate degrees and institutions.

• Include the name of the institution; city, state, and country (if different from the institution to which you are applying); degree type and major; and month/year the degree was or will be awarded.
• Provide details such as the title of your thesis/dissertation and your advisor, if applicable.
• Tip: Provide more details about more recent degrees and fewer details for older degrees.

CV Example: Relevant Experience (Basic)

List professional positions that highlight your skills and qualifications. When including details about non-academic jobs you have held, be sure that they relate to your academic career in some way. Group experiences into relevant categories if you have multiple elements to include in one category (e.g., “Research,” “Teaching,” and “Managerial”). For each position, be sure to:

• Include position title; the name of organization or company; city, state, and country (if different from the institution to which you are applying); and dates you held the position
• Use bullet points for each relevant duty/activity and accomplishment
• Tip: For bulleted content, use strong CV words , vary your vocabulary, and write in the active voice; lead with the verbs and write in phrases rather than in complete sentences.

CV Example: Special Qualifications or Skills (Optional)

Summarize skills and strengths relevant to the position and/or area of study if they are relevant and important to your academic discipline. Remember that you should not include any skills that are not central to the competencies of the position, as these can make you appear unprofessional.

CV Example: Publications (Basic)

Include a chronological (not alphabetical) list of any books, journal articles, chapters, research reports, pamphlets, or any other publication you have authored or co-authored. This sample CV does not segment the publications by “peer-reviewed” and “non-peer-reviewed,” but this could simply be because they do not have many publications to list. Keep in mind that your CV format and overall design and readability are also important factors in creating a strong curriculum vitae, so you might opt for a more streamlined layout if needed.

• Use bibliographic citations for each work in the format appropriate for your particular field of study.
• Tip: If you have not officially authored or co-authored any text publications, include studies you assisted in or any online articles you have written or contributed to that are related to your discipline or that are academic in nature. Including any relevant work in this section shows the faculty members that you are interested in your field of study, even if you haven’t had an opportunity to publish work yet.

CV Example: Conferences Attended (Basic)

Include any presentations you have been involved in, whether you were the presenter or contributed to the visual work (such as posters and slides), or simply attended as an invitee. See the CV template guide in the first section of this article for how to list conference participation for more seasoned researchers.

• Give the title of the presentation, the name of the conference or event, and the location and date.
• Briefly describe the content of your presentation.
• Tip: Use style formatting appropriate to your field of study to cite the conference (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

CV Example: Honors and Awards (Basic)

Honors and awards can include anything from university scholarships and grants, to teaching assistantships and fellowships, to inclusion on the Dean’s list for having a stellar GPA. As with other sections, use your discretion and choose the achievements that best highlight you as a candidate for the academic position.

• Include the names of the honors and official recognition and the date that you received them.
• Tip: Place these in order of importance, not necessarily in chronological order.

CV Example: Professional/Institutional Service (Optional)

List the professional and institutional offices you have held, student groups you have led or managed, committees you have been involved with, or extra academic projects you have participated in.

• Tip: Showing your involvement in campus life, however minor, can greatly strengthen your CV. It shows the graduate faculty that you not only contribute to the academic integrity of the institution but that you also enrich the life of the campus and community.

CV Example: Certifications and Professional Associations (Optional)

Include any membership in professional organizations (national, state, or local). This can include nominal participation as a student, not only as a professional member.

CV Example: Community Involvement and Volunteer Work (Optional)

Include any volunteer work or outreach to community organizations, including work with churches, schools, shelters, non-profits, and other service organizations. As with institutional service, showing community involvement demonstrates your integrity and willingness to go the extra mile—a very important quality in a postgraduate student or faculty member. 

While the CV template guide above suggests including these activities in a section titled “Additional Activities,” if you have several instances of volunteer work or other community involvement, creating a separate heading will help catch the eye of the admissions reviewer.

CV Example: References Section (Basic)

References are usually listed in the final section of an academic CV. Include 3-5 professional or academic references who can vouch for your ability and qualifications and provide evidence of these characteristics.

• Write the name of the reference, professional title, affiliation, and contact information (phone and email are sufficient). You do not need to write these in alphabetical order. Consider listing your references in order of relevance and impact.

CV Editing for Research Positions

After you finish drafting and revising your academic CV, you still need to ensure that your language is clear, compelling, and accurate and that it doesn’t have any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. 

A good academic CV typically goes through at least three or four rounds of revision before it is ready to send out to university department faculty. Be sure to have a peer or CV editing service check your CV or academic resume, and get cover letter editing and application essay editing for your longer admissions documents to ensure that there are no glaring errors or major room for improvement.

For professional editing services that are among the highest quality in the industry, send your CV and other application documents to Wordvice’s admissions editing services . Our professional proofreaders and editors will ensure that your hard work is reflected in your CV and help make your postgrad goals a reality.

Check out our full suite of professional proofreading and English editing services on the Wordvice homepage.

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Writing an effective academic CV

June 6, 2019 | 6 min read

By Elsevier Connect contributors

How to create a curriculum vitae that is compelling, well-organized and easy to read

A good CV showcases your skills and your academic and professional achievements concisely and effectively. It’s well-organized and easy to read while accurately representing your highest accomplishments.

Don't be shy about your achievements, but also remember to be honest about them. Do not exaggerate or lie!

Academic CVs  differ from the CVs   opens in new tab/window  typically used by non-academics in industry because you need to present your research, various publications and awarded funding in addition to the other items contained in a non-academic CV.

Here are some tips. They are organized into categories that could be used to structure a CV. You do not need to follow this format, but you should address the categories covered here somewhere in your CV.

Tools you can use

If you’re looking to demonstrate the impact your research has had, PlumX Metrics are available in several of Elsevier’s products and services, giving you an overview of how specific papers have performed, including where they were mentioned in the media, how other researchers used them, and where they were mentioned on platforms from Twitter to Wikipedia.

You can also use Mendeley Careers to discover job opportunities based on the keywords and interests listed in your CV and the articles you’ve read in your Mendeley library.

If you’re looking for more specific guidance on how to take control of your career in research and academia, Elsevier’s Research Academy   opens in new tab/window has entire sections dedicated to job search   opens in new tab/window , career planning and career guidance.

General tips

Start by considering the  length ,  structure  and  format  of your CV.

2 pages is optimal for a non-academic CV, but research positions offer more flexibility on length

Include research-specific details that emphasize your suitability, like relevant publications, funding secured in your name, presentations and patents to the employer.

4 sides  is a reasonable length. Academic recruiters may accept more if the additional information is relevant to the post.

Next, choose a structure for your CV.

Start with the main headings and sub-headings you will use.

In general, you should start  by providing some brief personal details, then a brief career summary.

The first section of your CV should focus on your education, publications and research.

Also address: funding, awards and prizes, teaching roles, administrative experience, technical and professional skills and qualifications, professional affiliations or memberships, conference and seminar attendances and a list of references.

Dr. Sheba Agarwal-Jans talks about writing an academic CV for Elsevier’s Researcher Academy (free registration required).  Watch here   opens in new tab/window .

Use legible font types in a normal size (font size 11 or 12) with normal sized margins (such as 1 inch or 2.5 cm).

Bullet points can highlight important items and present your credentials concisely.

Keep a consistent style for headings and sub-headings and main text – do not use more than 2 font types.

Make smart but sparing use of 

bold and italics. (Avoid underlining for emphasis; underlines are associated with hyperlinks.)

Be aware of spelling and grammar and ensure it is perfect. Re-read a few times after writing the CV. Spell check can be useful, though some suggestions will not be accurate or relevant.

Composing your CV

Personal details

Personal details include your name, address of residence, phone number(s) and professional email.

You might also include your visa status if relevant.

Career summary

Use about 5 to 7 sentences to summarize your expertise in your disciplines, years of expertise in these areas, noteworthy research findings, key achievements and publications.

Provide an overview of your education starting from your most recent academic degree obtained (reverse chronological order).

Include the names of the institutions, thesis or dissertation topics and type of degree obtained.

List your most reputed publications in ranking of type, such as books, book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, non-peer-reviewed articles, articles presented as prestigious conferences, forthcoming publications, reports, patents, and so forth.

Consider making an exhaustive list of all publications in an appendix.

Publications

Your research experiences, findings, the methods you use and your general research interests are critical to present in the first part of your CV.

Highlight key research findings and accomplishments.

Honors and awards

Indicate any prizes, awards, honors or other recognitions for your work with the year it occurred and the organization that granted the award.

The funding you have attracted for your research and work is recognition of the value of your research and efforts.

As with the honors and recognitions, be forthcoming with what you have obtained in terms of grants, scholarships and funds.

List your teaching experience, including the institutions, years you taught, the subjects you taught and the level of the courses.

Administrative experience

Administrative experience on a faculty or at a research institute should be noted.

This might include facilitating a newsletter, organizing events or other noteworthy activities at your institution or beyond.

Professional experience

Include any employment in industry that is recent (within the last 5 to 10 years) and relevant to your academic work.

Professional experience can explain any gaps in your academic work and demonstrate the diversity in your capabilities.

Other skills and qualifications

Highlight key skills and qualifications relevant to your research and academic work.

Technical and practical skills, certifications, languages and other potentially transferrable skills are relevant to mention in this section.

Professional affiliations and memberships

If you belong to any professional group or network related to your areas of expertise, you should mention them in this section.

Only list affiliations or memberships you have been active with within the last 5 years.

Keep this section short.

Attendance at conferences and seminars

List the most relevant conferences or seminars where you presented or participated on a panel within the last 5 to 7 years.

In an appendix, you can add an exhaustive list of conferences and seminars where you participated by giving a speech, presenting a paper or research, or took part in a discussion panel.

List at least three people who can provide a reference for your research, work and character. Check with them first to make sure the are comfortable recommending you and aware of the opportunities you are seeking.

Provide their names and complete contact information. They should all be academics and all people you have worked with.

Appendices enable you to keep the main content of your CV brief while still providing relevant detail.

Items to list in an appendix can include publications, short research statements or excerpts, conference or seminar participation, or something similar and relevant which you would like to provide more details about.

CVs are not only for job searching. You will need to update your CV regularly and adapt it for the various purposes:

Awards, fellowships

Grant applications

Public speaking

Contributor

Elsevier Connect contributors

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• CAREER BRIEF
• 08 May 2019

Toolkit: How to write a great academic CV

Academic CVs differ from those intended for industry roles. Here are some broad rules to follow.

Word count. Academic employers tend to be less prescriptive than industry employers about the length of a CV. Arrange your CV to ensure that a recruiter sees the most important parts first.

Structure. Your CV should contain the following sections in the order:

• Brief personal details and career summary

• Education (most recent first)

• Publications, funding, awards and prizes, teaching and conference attendance (seperated into subsections)

• Technical and professional skills

• References

Collection: Careers toolkit

Design. An academic CV does not need to be beautiful, but it should be legible and consistent in its use of fonts, line breaks, bullet points and other details.

Proofreading. Everyone can make a mistake when writing their CV. Ask someone to check every word.

An example. Check out some examples of model CVs here , by Imperial College London’s careers service.

Dynamic verbs

Use dynamic verbs, which are specific, exciting words that demonstrate changes and accomplishments. Examples include accomplished, led, designed, developed, published, managed, ran, wrote, formulated, fixed and founded.

Geographical differences

It is common in some countries to include a picture of yourself. If you are in doubt, look for examples of CVs that are specific to the part of the world in which you are applying for a job.

Find out more

For a further 38 tips on how to write an academic CV, check out this blogpost .

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01358-5

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Academic Curriculum Vitae (CV) Example and Writing Tips

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Updated July 30, 2020 | Link to article from The Balance Careers

A  curriculum vitae (CV)  written for academia should highlight research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards, and any other details in your experience that show you’re the best candidate for a faculty or research position advertised by a college or university.

When writing an academic CV, make sure you know what sections to include and how to structure your document.

Tips for Writing an Academic CV

Think about length.  Unlike resumes  (and even some other CVs), academic CVs can be any length. This is because you need to include all of your relevant publications, conferences, fellowships, etc. 1  Of course, if you are applying to a particular job, check to see if the  job listing  includes any information on a page limit for your CV.

Think about structure . More important than length is structure. When writing your CV, place the most important information at the top. Often, this will include your education, employment history, and publications. You may also consider adding a  personal statement  to make your CV stand out. Within each section, list your experiences in reverse chronological order.

Consider your audience . Like a resume, be sure to tailor your CV to your audience. For example, think carefully about the university or department you are applying to work at. Has this department traditionally valued publication over teaching when it makes tenure and promotion decisions? If so, you should describe your publications before listing your teaching experience.

If, however, you are applying to, say, a community college that prides itself on the quality of its instruction, your teaching accomplishments should have pride of place. In this case, the teaching section (in reverse chronological order) should proceed your publications section.

Talk to someone in your field.  Ask someone in your field for feedback on how to structure your CV. Every academic department expects slightly different things from a CV. Talk to successful people in your field or department, and ask if anyone is willing to share a sample CV with you. This will help you craft a CV that will impress people in your field.

Make it easy to read.  Keep your CV uncluttered by including ample margins (about 1 inch on all sides) and space between each section. You might also include bullet points in some sections (such as when listing the courses you taught at each university) to make your CV easy to read.

Important: Be sure to use an  easy-to-read font , such as Times New Roman, in a font size of about 12-pt.

By making your CV clear and easy to follow, you increase the chances that an employer will look at it carefully.

Be consistent.  Be consistent with whatever format you choose. For example, if you bold one section title, bold all section titles. Consistency will make it easy for people to read and follow along with your CV.

Carefully edit.  You want your CV to show that you are professional and polished. Therefore, your document should be error-free. Read through your CV and  proofread  it for any spelling or grammar errors. Ask a friend or family member to look it over as well.

Academic Curriculum Vitae Format

This CV format will give you a sense of what you might include in your academic CV. When writing your own curriculum vitae, tailor your sections (and the order of those sections) to your field, and to the job that you want.

Note: Some of these sections might not be applicable to your field, so remove any that don’t make sense for you.

CONTACT INFORMATION Name Address City, State Zip Code Telephone Cell Phone Email

SUMMARY STATEMENT This is an optional section. In it, include a brief list of the highlights of your candidacy.

EDUCATION List your academic background, including undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. For each degree, list the institution, location, degree, and date of graduation. If applicable, include your dissertation or thesis title, and your advisors.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY List your employment history in reverse chronological order, including position details and dates. You might break this into multiple sections based on your field. For example, you might have a section called “Teaching Experience” and another section called “Administrative Experience.”

POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING List your postdoctoral, research, and/or clinical experiences, if applicable.

FELLOWSHIPS / GRANTS List internships and fellowships, including organization, title, and dates. Also include any grants you have been given. Depending on your field, you might include the amount of money awarded for each grant.

HONORS / AWARDS Include any awards you have received that are related to your work.

CONFERENCES / TALKS List any presentations (including poster presentations) or invited talks that you have given. Also list any conferences or panels that you have organized.

SERVICE Include any service you have done for your department, such as serving as an advisor to students, acting as chair of a department, or providing any other administrative assistance.

LICENSES / CERTIFICATION List type of license, certification, or accreditation, and date received.

PUBLICATIONS / BOOKS Include any publications, including books, book chapters, articles, book reviews, and more. Include all of the information about each publication, including the title, journal title, date of publication, and (if applicable) page numbers.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS List any professional organizations that you belong to. Mention if you hold a position on the board of any organization.

SKILLS / INTERESTS This is an optional section that you can use to show a bit more about who you are. Only include relevant skills and interests. For example, you might mention if you speak a foreign language, or have experience with web design.

REFERENCES Depending on your field, you might include a list of your  references  at the end of your CV.

Academic Curriculum Vitae Example

This is an example of an academic curriculum vitae.  Download the academic CV template  (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

Download the Word Template

Academic Curriculum Vitae Example (Text Version)

JOHN SMITH 287 Market Street Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone: 555-555-5555   [email protected]

EDUCATION:Ph.D., Psychology, University of Minnesota, 2019 Concentrations: Psychology, Community Psychology  Dissertation:  A Study of Learning-Disabled Children in a Low-Income Community   Dissertation Advisors: Susan Hanford, Ph.D., Bill Andersen, Ph.D., Melissa Chambers, MSW

M.A., Psychology, University at Albany, 2017 Concentrations: Psychology, Special Education Thesis:  Communication Skills of Learning-Disabled Children Thesis Advisor: Jennifer Atkins, Ph.D. 

B.A, Psychology, California State University-Long Beach, 2015

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

Instructor, University of Minnesota, 2017-2019 University of Minnesota Courses: Psychology in the Classroom, Adolescent Psychology

Teaching Assistant, University at Albany, 2015-2017 Courses: Special Education, Learning Disabilities, Introduction to Psychology

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

Postdoctoral Fellow, XYZ Hospital, 2019-2020 Administered extensive neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic assessment for children ages 3-6 for study on impact of in-class technology on children with various neurodevelopmental conditions

PUBLICATIONS:

North, T., and Smith, J. (Forthcoming). “Technology and Classroom Learning in a Mixed Education Space.”  Journal of Adolescent Psychology,  vol. 12.

Willis, A., North, T., and Smith, J. (2019). “The Behavior of Learning Disabled Adolescents in the Classroom.”  Journal of Educational Psychology , volume 81, 120-125.

PRESENTATIONS:

Smith, John (2019). “The Behavior of Learning Disabled Adolescents in the Classroom.” Paper presented at the Psychology Conference at the University of Minnesota.

Smith, John (2018). “Tailoring Assignments within Inclusive Classrooms.” Paper presented at Brown Bag Series, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota.

GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS:

Nelson G. Stevens Fellowship (XYZ Research Facility, 2019)

RDB Grant (University of Minnesota Research Grant, 2018) Workshop Grant (for ASPA meeting in New York, 2017)

AWARDS AND HONORS:

Treldar Scholar, 2019 Teaching Fellow of the Year, 2018 Academic Excellence Award, 2017

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

Psychology Association of America National Association of Adolescent Psychology

RELEVANT SKILLS:

• Programming ability in C++ and PHP
• Extensive knowledge of SPSSX and SAS statistical programs.
• Fluent in German, French, and Spanish

We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O'odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.

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How to Write Your Curriculum Vitae

Associated data, the challenge.

Soon-to-be residency and fellowship graduates are often challenged by how best to structure their curriculum vitae (CV). This involves making choices about whether to include certain information, like activities that predate medical school, and how to best highlight activities and accomplishments. The development of a CV is further challenged by individual academic institutions and potential employers having particular specifications regarding the order, format, and content.

What Is Known

A CV provides fellowship programs, employers, and/or academic promotion and tenure committees with a chronological story. A CV highlights your education, skills, experiences, and achievements (academic, scientific, teaching, and clinical). It is a dynamic document featuring the evolution (and gaps, as applicable) of your training and experience for a particular audience at one moment in time—applying for a fellowship, a position at a medical center, or a grant. This comprehensive chronicle of your career is in contrast to a résumé, which succinctly highlights your experience and skills in a 1- to 2-page document. A CV is often submitted with a cover letter to help the reader connect your experience to the position requirements and differentiate you from other candidates.

How You Can Start TODAY

• Follow institutional specifications . Make sure that your CV aligns with the format expectations of the institution, employer, or grant agency reviewing your CV. If available, obtain CV guidelines from several of the organizations to which you wish to apply. Identify individuals who have successfully applied for similar positions or awards previously and inquire if you may use their CV as a template for yours. A general CV template with accompanying tips is available as online supplemental material.
• Be thorough and use consistent formatting . List your educational background, prior affiliations, certifications, achievements, awards, grants, scholarship, committee memberships, and volunteer work with accurate dates. Use consistent chronology (typically past to present) throughout the CV. List additional languages spoken and prior names. Add a running header or footer with your name, the page number, and the current date.
• Highlight elements relevant to the sought-after position . What are the 2 to 3 major items someone should know after reading your CV? Consider subheads within sections to demonstrate common themes (eg, under leadership, add a subhead for education, clinical, and quality/safety). Consider bolding meaningful activities to highlight position-relevant skills and accomplishments. A brief annotation can clarify your contribution to a project. Savvy reviewers can spot fluff in CVs (brief activities, peripheral involvement), which may detract from your actual accomplishments.
• Include a cover letter . A single-page letter using a professional and warm tone can provide compelling information not available in your CV. Open the letter by introducing yourself, stating the specific position you are seeking, and describing your interest in joining the organization. Use the remainder of the letter to connect your values and experiences to the position requirements. Consider highlighting your geographic preference (organizations are recruiting for retention), gaps in your CV, and skills (eg, communication, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and/or quality improvement). Close with a thank you and an actionable statement, such as “I am available to discuss this opportunity with you further and look forward to hearing from you.”
• Proofread . You only get one chance to make a first impression. Be sure to check spelling, titles, and punctuation. These errors can adversely affect the reader's impression of you. Ask colleagues and mentors to read your CV and cover letter to ensure that your story is being told effectively, to check for critical omissions, and to find errors.

Rip Out Action Items

• Start developing your CV today using an accepted template. It is a timeline of your education, skills, and experience. It highlights your academic, scientific, and clinical achievements.
• Create a CV file for items to add to your subsequent CV. Update your CV semiannually. When you have an urgent request to submit your CV, it will be ready to go.
• Use your CV for personal growth and annual goal setting. Meet with mentors and colleagues to review your CV and goals to identify opportunities that will enhance your professional development.

What You Can Do LONG TERM

• Maintain your CV as a dynamic document . Create a comprehensive dynamic CV file to save all activities and accomplishments that could be added to the next updated version of your CV. Depending on the position you are seeking, you might select specific projects in this file to include in your updated CV.
• Update your CV at least semiannually . Are you capturing all of the activities you are currently doing—teaching, committee work, leadership roles, grant applications, significant quality improvement projects? When you have an urgent request to submit your CV, it will be ready to go. Save the file with the current date as you may not use the same CV for future position applications. Keep a backup copy on another device in case one device fails.
• Identify opportunities for professional growth . Your CV is your career chronicle. Use it to identify opportunities that will enhance your professional development and to set goals for the year ahead. An astute CV reader (eg, mentors and colleagues) can identify strengths and opportunities for your future growth. Have your CV reviewed annually to discuss your career themes, goals, and directions, as well as to proofread your CV. Just sharing your CV (with reciprocal reviews as appropriate) may open new doors for you!
• Revisit the storyline of your CV . As your career evolves you will have additional areas of emphasis, expertise, and interests to add to your CV. Be sure that your CV entries reflect that story using common subheads within categories to highlight key elements.
• Host a CV session . Invite trainees and experienced faculty to a 30-minute CV session. In advance, ask trainees and junior faculty to update their CVs, bring copies to share, and raise questions. Dyads can spend 15 to 20 minutes reviewing CVs and adding common questions to a whiteboard that can then be discussed with the group during the remaining time.

Supplementary Material

Curriculum Vitae

What is a Curriculum Vitae? Curriculum Vitae (Latin): the course of your academic life.

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a formally presented, detailed synopsis of your academic and research experiences and accomplishments. A CV is usually requested for teaching and research positions, but is also a part of the application process for some graduate programs and international positions.

How is a CV is Different from a Resume?

Many job search committees for teaching, graduate school, international or research positions request a CV to get a fuller picture of your academic experiences, accomplishments and interests than a resume can provide.

A resume lists your education, experience and skills. Your CV allows you to go beyond listing your relevant experiences and accomplishments; you can also convey the substance of those experiences and accomplishments.

Unlike a resume, which is usually about one page long, CVs vary in length, from about two to five pages, depending on the applicant's relevant experiences.

Writing Your CV--Step by Step

Just like any other writing task, your CV writing process should begin with understanding your audience and purpose so that you can determine what information is most relevant and important to that audience. Next, you collect that information, and then organize it in some form of an outline. You write a draft, you reconsider, perhaps even reorganize, and you revise and edit. This guide will help you with each part of the process.

Understanding Purpose

Your ultimate purpose is to get a job, but the purpose of a CV is to convey why you want and are qualified for a particular job. Furthermore, since the CV communicates the substance of your experiences and accomplishments, its main purpose is to demonstrate the relevance of the course of your academic life to the position you seek.

For example, are you applying for a research position at a university? If so, your CV should emphasize your research experiences, interests and publications. Are you applying for a university professor position? If so, your CV will emphasize your teaching experiences and academic interest.

Understanding Audience

The Curriculum Vitae is usually requested for academic positions including teaching, administration and research. A CV is also sometimes requested for international positions and graduate school applications. What you choose to include and emphasize on your own CV will depend on your audience. The search committee will often read your CV before your resume (in fact, many search committees request a CV and not a resume), so it should emphasize the experiences and accomplishments that have directed the course of your academic life to this search committee and that make you the best candidate for the position.

Researching Your Audience

Knowledge of the specific job you are seeking helps you decide how best to present your experiences and accomplishments to the search committee. Understanding the job setting and surrounding community can be helpful as well.

As an example of the importance of knowing your audience, consider an applicant for an associate professor position whose interests include cultural studies and secondary school education. That CV can demonstrate that the candidate is qualified to teach literature in an English department that offers cultural studies coursework. But researching the job itself, the job setting and the surrounding community would reveal that this university's English department is closely related to the Education department, which works closely with secondary schools in the community. With this information, the candidate can craft her CV to reflect that her experiences, accomplishments and interests qualify her more than other candidates.

The more you know about the position and the working environment, the better able you will be to relate your experiences and accomplishments, so researching your audience is an important first step.

Tips for Researching CV Audiences

So that you can be sure to include every relevant experience and accomplishment (and so that you are sure you actually want the position for which you are applying), you'll need to find out a good deal about the job itself and the employer. Fortunately, this important research can be done fairly easily.

• Carefully read the job description, as well as descriptions of other available positions. Read between the lines to determine the actual nature of the job and the employers so that you can shape your CV accordingly
• Conduct an Internet search to find information about the employer. Employer websites can provide useful information that can help you understand the context of the job for which you are applying.
• What does the position entail?
• With what types of people will you work?
• For what types of people will you work?
• For teaching positions, what pedagogical approach does the department take?
• What course offerings are similar to those with which you have experience?
• What are the research interests and publications of faculty members?
• What opportunities and expectations exist for research and publication?

Look at Other CVs

Though many people have experience writing a resume, CVs are not as familiar. Taking a look at a few sample CVs helps you get a feel for this type of document. As you review samples, consider the range of possibilities as well as the similarities that appear for content, format and organizational choices.

Related Information: Academic Position CV Example 1

Keri Michaels

123 Smith St. Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 ? (970) ***-**** [email protected]

Master of Arts in English, August 2001 Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO Advisors: John Calderazzo and Kate Kiefer Project: Creative Non-Fiction Portfolio

CERTIFICATION

New York State Certificate of Qualification in English grades 7-12

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Administrative Lecturer - Colorado State University English Department, Fort Collins, Colorado. (August 2001 – present)

• Currently teach two sections of College Composition (CO150) and one section of Writing in the Discipline: Education (CO301D).
• Have previously taught fourteen sections of College Composition, two sections of Writing Arguments (CO300) and one section of Academic Writing (CO130).
• Participated in three week-long GTA summer training programs.
• Observed GTAs’ teaching and oversaw their evaluation of student writing.
• Modeled classroom practices and strategies for GTAs who observed my class.
• Presented materials on topics related to the job search and teaching with technology during bi-weekly Professional Internship in English meetings.
• Met regularly with GTAs during their first semester of teaching to discuss classroom experiences, students concerns, assessment strategies and syllabus revisions.
• Collaborated with the Composition Staff every other week to share observations of GTAs and to revise program materials and strategies to better meet our goals.
• Developed and wrote the College Composition department syllabus (Spring 2002).
• Wrote and published a series of teaching guides for incoming GTAs (Spring 2002)
• Served on the GTA selection committee (Spring 2002).
• Coordinated Professional Internship in English meetings by generating topics, procuring speakers, and advertising meetings to GTAs and adjuncts (Fall 2002).
• Contributed to the founding of Talking Back – an academic, online website for student writing at Colorado State University (Fall 2001). Continue to evaluate and edit submissions.

Assistant Theatre Director – Academy for Creative Arts, Crested Butte, Colorado. (Summer of 2002 and 2003)

• Worked with students, grades 7 – 12 to produce popular plays for the local community.
• Coordinated academy events, chaperoned students during evenings, designed and produced programs for each play, and managed the backstage area during performances.

Advanced Placement Exam Reader – Educational Testing Services, Daytona, Florida. (June 2003)

• Participated in training to learn how to apply standard criteria to various student essays.
• Scored numerous essays for the language portion of the advanced placement test.
• Exchanged ideas with high school and college teachers from schools across the country.

Upward Bound Language Arts Instructor - Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. (June 2001- August 2001)

• Taught two sections of Language Arts, grades 9 and 10.
• Worked individually with students during nightly study hours.
• Volunteered for academic and recreational activities in order to build a strong learning community.

Graduate Teaching Assistant - Colorado State University English Department, Fort Collins, Colorado. (August 1999-May 2001)

• Taught five sections of College Composition (CO150), including one Key Academic section in a computer-networked classroom.
• Applied department philosophy and theories to revise the course syllabus.
• Collaborated with other GTAs, lecturers and composition faculty to improve teaching methods and pedagogy.

ESL Instructor, Literacy Volunteers of America - Lockport, New York. (August 1998-January 1999)

• Independently organized three meetings per week with two Korean adult learners seeking conversational skills in English.
• Designed engaging lessons to enhance basic literacy and understanding of American culture.

Long Term Substitute Teacher - Starpoint Central School, Pendelton, New York. (Fall 1998)

• Assumed full responsibility for eight weeks of Home and Careers, grades 7-8.
• Instructed one section of Early Child Development, grades 9-12.

Summer School Teacher - Starpoint Elementary School, Pendleton, New York. (July-August 1998)

• Conducted two sessions of remedial reading, grades 2 - 4.
• Worked collaboratively with two additional reading instructors to develop effective methods in teaching. Utilized school computer labs to complement instruction.

Teaching Intern - Gowanda Central School, Gowanda, New York. (April-May 1998)

• Facilitated six sections of English, grade 8.
• Developed and taught a five week unit on the Holocaust.
• Organized a school wide assembly featuring a Holocaust survivor.

Teaching Intern - Fredonia High School, Fredonia, New York. (January-April 1998)

• Instructed five sections of English, grades 11-12, including one section of Advanced Placement.
• Supervised the production of the Crucible , high school literary magazine.
• Advised RESPECT club, aiding students in the promotion of human rights.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING

Adjunct Retreat (Fall 2002)

• Attended a day long meeting to become more familiar with the history, goals, and pedagogy for the composition department at Colorado State University.

Professional Internship in English (August 1999-2001)

• Attended meetings to collaborate on teaching strategies and syllabus revisions in CO150.

Internship in Composition Administration (Spring 2000)

• Observed and evaluated first year Teaching Assistants' classroom procedures and grading.
• Facilitated a Professional Internship in English meeting to review the goals of CO150 and initiate new methods for achieving these goals.

Computer Experience (Fall 1999 – present)

• Utilized computer resources such as: SyllaBase, The Writing Studio, The Bedford Researcher, Hyperfolio, Library Databases, and e-mail, to assist students with their writing and to extend the classroom.
• Participated in various presentations on using computers to teach writing and research during Professional Internship in English meetings.
• Assisted in the creation of The Writing Well Café, a computer resource for writers at CSU.

ESL Workshop (February 1998)

• Attended four, three-hour sessions of ESL instruction. Aided in the construction of an ESL student profile for international students.

PUBLICATIONS

• Forthcoming collaborative chapter titled: “Other Voices, Other Rooms: Building a Collaborative Community of New Teachers of First-Year Writing”
• Series of teaching guides titled: “Planning a Class,” “Leading a Discussion,” and “Using Student Peer Review.” Published through the Writing@Colorado State University website: http://writing.colostate.edu/comp/co150/teaching.cfm, (Fall 2002).
• A personal essay titled, “Bread-Making,” published at the Nieve Roja Review, an online literary journal at Colorado State University (Fall 1999).

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Graduate Teaching Assistantship, Colorado State University (August 1999)
• John and Eleanor Courts Scholarship-most prestigious award in English Education at Fredonia State University (May 1998)
• Honors in Student Teaching Award (May 1998)
• Kappa Delta Pi, Honor Society in Education (May 1998)
• Cum Laude Graduate (May 1998)

Related Information: Academic Position CV Example 2

Jennifer Malb

Related Information: Graduate School CV Example 1

Toby Jacobs

1234 Smith Avenue ~ Anywhere, NY 11111 Office (***)***-**** ~ Home (***) ****-**** ~ [email protected]

Honors and Awards:

Publications:

"The Community Child Project: A University-Community Literacy Initiative." Community Matters: Reading and Writing About Community. Eds. Marjorie Ford and Elizabeth Schave. (Summer 2001).

"Ruptura: Acknowledging the Lost Subjects of the Service Learning Story." With Tracy Hamler Carrick and Margaret Himley. Language and Learning Across the Disciplines (Fall 2000): 56-75.

"Speaking the Language: Written Dialogue in the Composition Classroom" in In Our Own Voice: Graduate Students Teaching Writing . Allyn & Bacon 1999.

The Road to Research: A Guide for Research and Resources at the University of Illinois at Chicago , Co-Author and Co-Editor, Urbana, IL: Stipes Publishing, 1999.

Conference Presentations:

"Contraband Literacies: Desire/Resistance/Writing." Borderlands: Remapping Zones of Cultural Practice and Representation, 31 March 2001.

"Redefining Need in Community-University Partnerships: A Collaborative Perspective." Conference on College Composition and Communication, 17 March 2001.

"The Responsibility of Articulation: (Re)turning Reflective Writing to the Public Sphere." Conference on College Composition and Communication, 19 April 2000.

"Student Athletes in the Community Service Classroom." National Conference of Teachers of English. 21 November 1999.

"Dissolving the Walls: Community Service Learning in the Composition Classroom." Conference on College Composition and Communication, 25 March 1999.

"Reimagining the Class/room: Voices Over Voices." Writing Program Spring Conference, Syracuse University. 1 February 1999.

"Service Learning in the Writing Program: Complementary Curricular Goals." Writing Program Spring Conference, Syracuse University. 1 February 1999.

"Redefining Community in the Composition Classroom" College and University English Articulation Conference, University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana, 24 April 1998.

"Realizing A Sense of Community: Pilsen, The Arts, and The University of Illinois at Chicago." Conference on College Composition and Communication, 2 April 1998.

"Collaboration in the Freshman Research Seminar: Exploring the Arts in Chicago." Community College and University English Articulation Conference, University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana, 17 April 1997.

Teaching Experience:

• Syracuse University, Writing Program

• Jamesville Prison, Outreach Classes

• Colgate University, Summer Program

• University of Illinois at Chicago, English Department

• University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, Summer Programs

• East-West University, Basic Writing Department

• Stevens Point Area High School, English Department

Academic Experience:

International Experience:

Professional Experience:

Certifications:

Certification in Secondary English Education, Wisconsin

Memberships:

College Composition and Communication National Council of Teachers of English

Related Information: Graduate School CV Example 2

Erin Gildon 123 Smith Street Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) ***-**** email @colostate.edu

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE

RELEVANT RHETORICAL TRAINING AND COURSEWORK

Start Writing Your First Draft

If your review of sample CVs sparks ideas for your own CV, start writing! Remember, your choices of what to include and exclude should be determined by what the audience needs to know about you in order to consider you the best candidate. You'll certainly want to tailor your CV to each particular audience; but keep in mind that having a master copy or template that is a basic, all-inclusive version of your CV to work from will make that tailoring process less time-consuming.

List and Categorize

List and categorize all of your relevant accomplishments: academic, scholarly and creative work, community involvement, publications, honors and awards. You can approach this step in a few different ways. You can list your accomplishments first, and then arrange the list into categories. Or, you can start with categories and add items within them.

To list accomplishments first, then arrange the list into categories:

• Write a list of every academic and research accomplishment you can remember.
• Review your resume and add to your list anything on your resume that is related to your academic and research accomplishments.
• Review the list of categories and decide which categories you should include, exclude and which you should emphasize and highlight.
• Group items from your list into categories.

To start with categories and add items within them:

• Identify which categories you want to emphasize for the CV's intended audience.
• Organize your experience and adjust categories as needed. You can use your resume as a guide, but don't simply repeat the information from your resume (your audience will probably already have your resume to read for themselves).

Possible Categories for Your CV

Use these categories as a starting point. These categories can be combined, rearranged and rewritten as you see fit. For example, some CVs combine Teaching Experience and Related Professional Experience into one category. Others, especially recent graduates, focus on Relevant Coursework, Professional Training and Leadership Roles.

• Education : includes B.A. and M.A./M.F.A., PhD., any professional certifications (e.g. teaching licensure); don't include g.p.a., do include brief description of thesis and/or dissertation work
• Publications : journals, online publications, book reviews, any published work related to teaching
• Teaching Experience : classroom teaching, tutoring (volunteer, writing center, etc.), highlight any technology experience with teaching
• Technology Experience and Specialized Skills : teaching in computer classroom, writing for Writing@CSU, online publications, etc.
• Related Professional Experience : internships, any writing/editing jobs, any literacy tutoring, Writing Center tutoring, grading placement exams, etc.
• Professional Training/Development : any workshops attended (e.g. multicultural teaching, women's studies), seminar training
• Relevant Coursework : highlight classes that are most relevant to career objective
• Professional Writing Experience : any other published work not related to teaching or creative activity
• Administration and Leadership : e.g. assistant director to writing center, editor of university-affiliated journal, research assistant, internship work, student organization and committee work
• Community Involvement : include volunteer and paid work
• Editing : editor of writing journals, editing dissertations/theses, paid proofreading work
• Academic or Professional Presentations : any academic presentations (including local as well as national and international forums), conference presentations, guest lecturing, writing center presentations
• Scientific Research, Laboratory Experience : include experience and skills related to career objective
• Consulting : one-on-one work with faculty in writing center
• Professional Service/Organization : memberships in AWP, NCTE, etc. and work on committees
• Honors and Awards
• Travel Experience, Cultural Exposure and Foreign Language Skills
• Professional Licenses or Certification

Provide Details

Details are usually listed in sequential order, (customarily ordered from first to last). You'll need to provide two kinds of details: informational and explanatory.

Informational details: Similar to a resume, the categories of professional experience, education, training, service and relevant coursework should provide the institution name, location, dates of attendance/employment. Publication details should include basic bibliographic information; grants and awards details should explain grant amount, benefactor, date and project title.

Explanatory details: Unlike a resume, you'll develop your CV by adding text that will help the audience understand the relevance of certain experiences to the job or position for which you are applying. Most CVs provide some explanation in the categories of their professional experience, specialized training, community work and related academic projects (i.e., thesis or dissertation focus). Keep in mind, though, that every item in every category need not be followed by an explanation. Many CVs do not provide explanations for items such as publication credits and awards, unless an explanation will help your audience understand its relevance. See this sample to get a feel for which items are usually followed by explanatory details.

What to Include in the Explanatory Details

What you write should be influenced by what you know about the job position.

For example, a CV written for a community college teaching job might relate your teaching experiences by discussing your involvement with similar student populations or highlighting teaching approaches you take that are similar to those taken at the community college.

Or, a CV written for a new or developing department might draw attention to your experience with curriculum development and revision, as well as your ability (or desire) to incorporate and apply related academic and research interests to course development.

Or, a CV written for an international research position might discuss professional experiences or accomplishments involving travel, multilingual ability, collaborative work and flexibility.

Organizing Your CV Draft

Now that you have a list of categories and items to fill them, carefully consider how you want to organize the CV. More specifically, how will you order the categories on the CV? Your audience should determine whether you follow Education with Professional Experience, or Honors and Awards, or Research Work, as well as what order other categories should follow.

For example, a CV for a teaching position would start by emphasizing your education and certification (if any) and professional experience related to teaching. Then, depending on which areas you have the most experience with, the CV will provide details about publication and conference credits, leadership roles, community service, relevant training and coursework, and awards and honors.

On the other hand, a CV for a research position would start by emphasizing your education and research experience. Then your CV would detail professional positions, membership in professional associations, grants, publications, current projects and a summary of research interests.

Revise Your Draft

After the first draft is written, revise. Review each item carefully to decide if you should reorganize any information, tighten your language use, provide more (or fewer) details for professional experience.

Also, consider if any of your categories are looking sparse. If so, can you move the item(s) within that category somewhere else? Can the categories be renamed to describe more aptly the contents?

Get Feedback from a Reader

This reader should be familiar with the CV format and the types of jobs that require a CV. Students can ask for feedback from their advisor, a friendly professor, or a campus job center counselor. Most on-campus writing centers employ tutors who are happy to provide feedback on your CV. If you don't have access to these resources, get a friend or family member to review your writing; new eyes help catch things you might have missed!

Revise Again, Proofread and Edit

Revise your CV as needed based on feedback you receive from readers. Then, edit and proofread your CV carefully. Proofread, check format consistency, and be sure to use an active voice with carefully chosen, specific language.

Editing checklist:

• Proofread! Get another pair of eyes to review your work as well.
• Be consistent with the document's organization - capitalizing, italicizing, bulleting, etc.
• Make sure your margins are even.
• Make sure to use the correct verb tense when discussing past activities.
• Make sure the document is easy to read.
• Use specific language - concrete nouns and active verbs, avoid passive voice!

Links to Other Resources

Information About Writing a CV:

• Quintessential Careers

Links to Sample CVs:

• Quintessential Careers, (Academic Samples - Business, Science, Arts, Medical)

Rallo, Renee. (2005). Curriculum Vitae. Writing@CSU . Colorado State University. https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=62

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• > Planning, Proposing, and Presenting Science Effectively
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Book contents

• Frontmatter
• 1 How to plan research
• 2 How to write a research proposal
• 3 How to write a research report
• 4 How to present research
• 5 How to write a curriculum vitae
• Further reading

5 - How to write a curriculum vitae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2010

The writer of his own life has, at least, the first qualification of an historian, the knowledge of the truth.

A curriculum vitae, affectionately known as a c.v., is a summary of one's academic career and qualifications, usually prepared by an applicant seeking employment or other support. The commercial world tends to use the French term résumé for the equivalent document. Curriculum vitae means literally the course of life (in Latin), and it intends to be a short summary, although modern c.v.s can sometimes be quite lengthy, depending upon the specific purpose for which they are drawn up. Although most of a c.v. consists of itemized lists, some general exposition may be involved; much of Appendix A on writing clearly therefore applies.

There is no prescribed format for a general c.v., although its contents are reasonably standard. For specific purposes, as in a tenure-review document, a university or other body may require a c.v. in special format. We emphasize the contents that typify a c.v. drawn up by a new doctorate seeking a postdoctoral position or assistant professorship, although we also include mention of sundry items that are often more applicable to someone at a later stage of his or her career. As it may not be obvious why certain items are desirable to include in a c.v., we offer our explanations as to their inclusion. However, we urge you to seek feedback on your c.v. as you prepare it for different purposes and whenever you substantially revise its format or content.

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• How to write a curriculum vitae
• Jack P. Hailman , University of Wisconsin, Madison , Karen B. Strier , University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Book: Planning, Proposing, and Presenting Science Effectively
• Online publication: 01 September 2010
• Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541469.006

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing the Curriculum Vitae

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This handout provides an overview of strategies for writing an effective curriculum vitae. This topic is particularly important for graduate students who are entering the academic job market for the first time. Although there is some overlap between the two resources, this handout should serve as a supplement to the suggestions available from Purdue's Center for Career Opportunities .

What is a Curriculum Vitae?

Also called a CV or vita, the curriculum vitae is, as its name suggests, an overview of your life's accomplishments, most specifically those that are relevant to the academic realm. In the United States, the curriculum vitae is used almost exclusively when one is pursuing an academic job. The curriculum vitae is a living document, which will reflect the developments in a scholar/teacher's career, and thus should be updated frequently.

How is a CV different from a resume?

The most noticeable difference between most CVs and most resumes is the length. Entry level resumes are usually limited to a page. CVs, however, often run to three or more pages. (Remember, however, that length is not the determinant of a successful CV. You should try to present all the relevant information that you possibly can, but you should also try to present it in as concise a manner as possible.) A more subtle but equally important distinction is that whereas the goal of a resume is to construct a professional identity, the goal of a CV is quite specifically to construct a scholarly identity. Thus, your CV will need to reflect very specifically your abilities as a teacher, researcher, and publishing scholar within your discipline.

What should I include?

Your CV should include your name and contact information, an overview of your education, your academic and related employment (especially teaching,editorial, or administrative experience), your research projects (including conference papers and publications), and your departmental and community service. You should also include a reference list, either as part of your CV, or on a separate page. Also, if you have a dossier containing confidential references available, you should mention that on your CV as well.

What comes first depends both on your background and on the job for which you are applying. Typically, the first item on a CV for a job candidate directly out of grad school will start with the candidate's education listed in reverse chronological order. Frequently the title and even a brief description of the dissertation will be included in this portion. After that, you will want to determine both what the jobs that you are interested in require and where your strengths lie. When determining what comes after your educational credentials, remember that the earlier in your document a particular block of information comes, the more emphasis you will be placing on that block of information. Thus, the most important information should come first.

If you are applying at a research university, research projects, conference presentations, and especially publications become very important. If you are applying to a liberal arts college or community college that strongly emphasizes teaching, then showing your teaching background is of paramount importance. In any case, you will want to be sure that the information that will be most helpful in determining your qualifications for the job for which you are employing comes before information that will be less helpful.

Is there a standard curriculum vitae format?

One of the most important things to remember when working on your curriculum vitae is that there is not one standard format. There are different emphases in each discipline, and a good CV is one that emphasizes the points that are considered to be most important in your discipline and conforms to standard conventions within your discipline.

So how can you find out what these conventions are? A good place to start is to find as many examples as possible of CVs by people in your discipline who have recently been on the job market. You can find these by asking other grad students and junior faculty in your department if you can have a look at their CVs, and you can also make use of the Internet to find CV samples in your discipline.

Resources such as The Curriculum Vitae Handbook by Rebecca Anthony and Gerald Roe (Rudi Publishing: Iowa City, 1994) also include sample CVs for various disciplines. One caveat to remember regarding examples, however, is that they should never be used as models to be followed in every detail. Instead, they should be used as sources of strategies for how to present your own information most effectively. The most effective formatting for you will likely be distinguishable from the most effective formatting for someone else because your experiences and strengths will be different, and you will thus benefit from formatting adapted specifically to your situation.

How should I construct my work description entries?

Two common strategies that apply to CVs as well as resumes are gapping and parallelism . Gapping is the use of incomplete sentences in order to present your information as clearly and concisely as possibly. For example, instead of writing, "I taught composition for four years, during which time I planned classes and activities, graded papers, and constructed exams. I also met with students regularly for conferences," you might write, "Composition Instructor (2000-2004). Planned course activities. Graded all assignments. Held regular conferences with students." By using incomplete sentences here, you cut out unnecessary words and allow your reader to see quickly what you have been doing.

Parallelism is also very important to a strong CV. Generally, you will want to keep the structure of your phrases and/or sentences consistent throughout your document. Thus, if you use verb phrases in one portion of your CV to describe your duties, try to use them throughout your CV. Particularly within entries, make sure that the structure of your phrases is exactly parallel so that your reader can understand what you are communicating easily.

One distinction between the work description sections of resumes and CVs is that bullets are very commonly used in resumes and tend to appear somewhat less frequently in CVs. Whether or not you use bullets to separate lines in your CV should depend on how the bullets will affect the appearance of your CV. If you have a number of descriptive statements about your work that all run to about a line in length, bullets can be a good way of separating them. If, however, you have a lot of very short phrases, breaking them up into bulleted lists can leave a lot of white space that could be used more efficiently. Remember that the principles guiding any decision you make should be conciseness and ease of readability.

How can I improve my CV?

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab provides the opportunity to work with one of our graduate instructors in order to get some assistance with your CV, and many other universities offer similar opportunities through their writing centers. Also, consider showing your CV to your dissertation chair in order to get some feedback from him/her. Finally, many departments have job search or job placement committees that provide you with the opportunity to meet with faculty members in your department for extensive editing. If such a resource is available for you, that may be the best source of advice of all.

What other resources are available for help with my curriculum vitae?

There are numerous useful resources, both online and in print. Here are a few.

The Chronicle of Higher Education 's job site features a number of articles that may be helpful to first-time applicants on the job market.

The Curriculum Vitae Handbook by Rebecca Anthony and Gerald Roe (Rudi Publishing: Iowa City, 1994) includes sample CVs for various disciplines and tips for how to write CVs in various contexts.

The Academic Job Search Handbook (3rd Edition), by Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick (who are the authors of the Chronicle 's "CV Doctor" column) also provides sample cover letters and CVs

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Curriculum Vitae (Example Included!)

For most job seekers, creating a resume is one of the most important steps in the search process. But for folks in certain industries, a curriculum vitae (more commonly known as a CV) is the essential document that opens doors not just for jobs, but for fellowships, grant applications, and more.

A curriculum vitae “is a really industry specific, very extensive listing of achievements,” says Muse career coach Tara Goodfellow , founder of Consult Athena . It’s similar to a resume, but longer and much more detailed.

Whether you need to update an existing CV, want to build a new curriculum vitae from scratch, or maybe are still asking “what is a curriculum vitae?”, we’ve got the answers for you. Read on for a curriculum vitae example, how to write your own curriculum vitae, how to format your CV, and how to make sure you’re never scrambling when asked for your CV again.

What Is a Curriculum Vitae?

Who really needs a curriculum vitae, how do i write a cv, what else do i need to know about formatting a curriculum vitae, an example curriculum vitae.

A curriculum vitae is an exhaustive listing of all of the significant achievements in your career. This includes education, research, work experience, publications, presentations, and anything else you’ve done in your professional life. Think of a CV as a complete account of everything that qualifies you as an expert in your field, Goodfellow says.

If you’ve only ever made a resume, you’re probably used to cutting down your skills, experience, and education to one page —or in rare cases two pages . That’s because you’re trying to focus on only the things that are most relevant to the job you’re applying to.

With a CV, on the other hand, you don’t take off and add details as you go along. You always include everything in a curriculum vitae; for folks later in their careers, that can add up to over 10 pages.

In the U.S., a curriculum vitae is primarily used in fields where research, publications, and presentations are of great importance—for example, academia. But take note: Outside the U.S., the term CV refers to something closer to a resume (I know, it’s confusing!). So you’ll want to follow the guidelines for making a resume instead. (But be sure to research what is normally included in a CV in the country where you’re job hunting, as it can vary widely.)

Despite the differences, the primary question both a resume and CV should answer is the same: What value will you bring to your new workplace?

Read more: CV Vs. Resume—Here Are the Differences

If you’re in academia or a physician (particularly one who does research) you probably do need a curriculum vitae. If you’re a researcher outside of academia or a mid-to-late-career lawyer, you might need one as well.

Here’s a list of fields where you might need a CV:

• Academia: If you’re a researcher, professor, or student who does research in academia, you definitely need a CV (and we’ve included a sample for you at the end of this article!). That’s because so much of what makes you qualified depends on your research, where you’ve presented it, and whether you’ve kept up to date as an expert in your field. Note that college librarians often also need a curriculum vitae. However, if you’re applying to a job at a university that doesn’t involve research or teaching, you likely need a resume.
• Medicine: If you’re a physician, then you also need a curriculum vitae. Even if you’re early in your career or not actively researching, CV is still the preferred terminology and formatting for doctors. If you’re a nurse or medical assistant, the term curriculum vitae or CV may still be used in job listings, but is likely there because the same organizations often hire physicians. You probably need a resume instead.
• Law: If you’re a lawyer who is working in academia—and therefore publishing, doing presentations, or teaching—you will also need a curriculum vitae.
• Research Outside of Academia : If you have a PhD or master’s degree and do research, but outside of academia, you’re still likely to need a CV and should keep one up-to-date. In this situation, listing all of your research in one place is likely to add to your value as a potential hire, especially if the person reading your application is a fellow researcher in your field.

If you are not in academia or medicine, your career is mostly judged by your performance on the job, and you’re not expected to publish or present research at conferences, then you probably need a resume. (Quick rule of thumb: If you don’t have the information for a curriculum vitae, then it’s not for you, Goodfellow says.)

Not sure if you need a curriculum vitae or a resume for a particular job application? Ask! Reach out to the job contact or HR department and ask which document they prefer. If you can’t get in touch with anyone and can’t tell from context, uploading both documents (and clearly labeling them) works in a pinch.

That said, there’s no advantage to submitting a curriculum vitae when the hiring manager is looking for a resume. Consider that the average resume gets looked at for only six seconds . If you submit a longer curriculum vitae, that window likely won’t grow. So now a recruiter will have to glean the same information about you, in the same amount of time, from a longer document.

So you’re sure that you need a curriculum vitae, but how do you write one? Start by making a comprehensive list of all of your professional and educational accomplishments that fall under the following categories:

• Contact Information: This section will be similar to what you’d include on a resume and include your name, address, phone number, and email address.
• Education: For each school you attended, include the name, location, what degree you received, and the dates you were there. If you don’t have a separate research experience section, you can add details about the research that led to each degree here. If you have more than one school or degree, list them in reverse chronological order. (Same goes for all sections of your CV—the most recent experience or information in each section goes first.)
• Teaching Experience/Work Experience/Research Experience: This could be three separate sections, or you could decide to combine them or leave one or more off. Just as you would on a resume, you should describe your past and current work, research, and teaching experience with strong, well-written bullet points that explain your duties and achievements. This is also a place where you can tailor your curriculum vitae for an ATS—that is, an applicant tracking system that often scans your application materials and compares them to a job description before a human lays eyes on them. To do so, you’ll want to add in keywords from the job description, and your experience sections are a prime place to do this since you have the most flexibility.
• Conference Presentations: Include the title of your presentation, what event it was given at, where the event was, and whether it was an oral or poster presentation. When it comes to describing the conference itself, take into account who will be reading your CV. If it’s an expert in your field, you don’t need to describe a major conference to them because they already know. However, if your curriculum vitae is going to be read by a recruiter or hiring manager first, you might want to consider giving a bit of description to the conference itself. This is also true if you’re looking to switch fields.
• Conference Attendance: This includes conferences where you attended but did not present and serves to show potential employers what you’re doing to stay up-to-date in your field outside of your own research.
• Honors and Awards: Include the name of the recognition and date.
• Grants or Funding: Make sure you include the name of the grant and the period it was awarded for.
• Publications: If you’re in academia, you’re familiar with the adage “publish or perish,” and your CV is where you can show how good you are at staying alive. For this section list out any of your publications the same way that you would cite them, regardless of what number author you were. Underline or bold your name so it stands out as part of the list of authors.
• Professional Affiliations/Memberships: Note dates and if you held any positions within these organizations. Depending on the job you’re applying for, this might be another place to expand on what your duties were.
• Community Outreach (optional): List dates and describe what you did in the same way you would describe a past job on a resume.
• Key (or Research) Skills (optional): This is another section where you can think about the ATS. If a job description is looking for a certain set of skills, and you have them, but it’s not immediately clear from the rest of your CV, a skills section can help you get past the ATS and on your way to your next job.
• Language Skills (optional): If you speak a number of languages or a language that is especially useful in your field (for example, a doctor who speaks fluent Spanish in the U.S.), you might want to add a language skills section.
• References (personal choice): A Google search may leave you questioning whether or not you should include a references section on a curriculum vitae. Goodfellow notes that once upon a time, references were always included, and that’s why you often see the section on CV examples or in advice on how to write a curriculum vitae. However, the practice is falling out of favor. You probably won’t be dinged either way—unless you failed to follow explicit instructions about references in the job listing. If you don’t include a references section, be sure to have your list of references formatted, up-to-date, and ready to send off. (But no need to say “ references available upon request ”—it’s just a waste of space.)

Not all of the sections listed above are mandatory, nor are all of the possible sections for a CV on the list. Some of them, like Research and Work Experience, or Honors and Grants, may work better if combined for some people.

As far as section order, you have some flexibility. Contact information should of course go at the top, but after that it’s whatever has the most value. When you’re a student or just out of school, your education should come first. But as your career progresses, a major award or tenure-track teaching position might move into that slot. You want to make sure the most important information you have is on page one because you don’t want anyone to lose interest in you as a candidate before they get to page two.

When it comes to formatting your curriculum vitae, you need to be meticulous. Look at where all your quotations and punctuation are and be consistent. A lot of universities will have guidelines for how you should format your CV. Follow them.

This also isn’t the place to show off your graphic design skills. While adding visual elements to a resume can be a way to stand out (depending on your field), a curriculum vitae should have no flashy formatting. “You’re not gaining points because it’s visually appealing,” Goodfellow says.

Bold, underlining, and caps for emphasis and ease of reading are OK. (And italics often have set use when writing out your presentations and publications.) But your curriculum vitae is not the place for humor or exciting graphic design. It’s where you show off your ability to be professional, thorough, and detail-oriented.

Still need to see all this laid out to get a good idea of what a curriculum vitae should really look like? Check out our example below for a student who is just completing a PhD in a research-based field and is looking for their first job in academia or a post-doctorate position:

Download a sample curriculum vitae

Think of your CV as a fluid document. “People don’t often craft a resume until they’re looking for their next job,” Goodfellow points out. In contrast, you should be updating your curriculum vitae constantly, she says.

Whenever you publish, present, or attend a conference, make a habit of immediately logging it on your CV. It may seem like a pain, but you’ll be glad you did it when it comes time to look for your next position. You won’t have to search your memory trying to recall the exact months and years everything happened—saving you a lot of headaches in the long run.

What is the purpose of a CV?

The purpose of a CV is to show employers that you are suitable for the jobs you are applying for and persuade them to invite you to interview with them. It is a written document which should include information about your skills, qualifications and work experience.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about CVs, from what to include and how to design it, through to how you can write one that will secure you plenty of interviews and help you to land that dream job.

CV templates 

What is a CV?

A CV is a concise summary of your work experience, education, and skills provided in a written document.

Most commonly, the purpose of a CV is to display information about a candidate to a prospective employer when searching for a new job. A CV will hold enough information so that an employer can gauge if they want to offer the candidate an interview and proceed to the next stages of the hiring process.

Build your CV now 

What should a CV look like?

A CV should look professional and be easy for busy employers to read.

No matter how impressive your work history or education is, if you don’t display it in an easy-to-read format , employers may skip past your application. When formatting and styling your CV, pay attention to the following:

• File Format – Use either a PDF or Word document file type
• Clear and Legible Font – This makes it as easy to read as possible
• Clearly Divided Sections – This will allow recruiters to easily distinguish and find the sections they are interested in
• Use a neutral or calm colour scheme – This makes a CV appear professional and easy-to-read
• Avoid images – They take up space and can seem unprofessional
• Use bullet points – These allow for lots of information to be communicated quickly

Above all, a CV should be clear, concise, and well-ordered.

What should a CV include?

Hiring managers need particular information to decide whether or not a candidate is suitable for a job. That considered, you should aim to include the following sections to provide the right level of detail:

• Name and Contact Details – State your mobile number, general location, and email address
• Personal Profile – Surmise your skills, experience, and suitability in 5-8 lines to provide an introduction to your CV
• Work Experience – a succinct summary of your work history, responsibilities, and achievements on the job
• Education – Your education alongside other notable qualifications
• Hobbies – This is optional and should only be included if suitable for the role

How long should a CV be?

In general, a CV should measure two pages or less . That will provide enough room to display your experiences and achievements with justice, while also refraining from overwhelming the prospective employer.

Depending on what you’re applying for, CVs can range in size. If you have years of experience in an industry, your CV will likely be a little longer than normal. The opposite could be true if you are a student or only have a small amount of industry experience.

Who reads your CV?

When applying for a new job, your CV will most frequently be read by a hiring manager or a recruiter .

Hiring Manager – These people oversee the hiring process, looking at your CV and determining if you would be a good fit for the role. Often, they are the leader of the team you will be joining, giving them an insight into exactly what qualities the role needs. They may also oversee any interviews during the process, or delegate this task to another member of the team.

Recruiter – These people are often individuals belonging to a third party, helping hiring managers to find suitable staff for their vacancies. Although they don’t get the final say about who is hired, they will screen CVs and then make a list of recommendations to the company that has hired them. They will handle the job posting, CV scanning, and potentially the interview stages of the application process.

In recent years, employers have also started using ATS computer scanning to filter out CVs that are not suitable for a role. One way to ensure you make the cut is to research the job you’re applying for, then add common keywords to your CV that are placed throughout their job post.

How to send your CV to employers?

Depending on where you found the job posting, the process of sending your CV will vary. Most commonly, you can find jobs on a job website, on a company website, or by sending out a speculative email.

Job websites

Job websites like CV Library host thousands of job adverts which candidates can apply to.

Job adverts on job sites will include a section where you can attach your CV to an application to share it with recruiters and employers. You may also be asked to write a short cover letter before sending your application.

Speculative email

If a company hasn’t posted a job advert, but you believe you could provide a benefit to their company, and they could potentially be looking for people like you, then you should send a speculative email.

These emails will include a formal introduction such as ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ and then explain what work you’re applying for and why you’re the person to do it. Then attach your CV to the email for them to read if they are interested in what you’ve proposed.

Company websites

Many companies have a ‘Jobs’ or ‘Work for Us’ section at the bottom of their website. If you navigate to this page, you’ll see what current job openings they have. If you find one that you’d be a great fit for, you can attach your CV within their website.

Most of the time, they will require a cover letter. This should be written within the body of the page and will include a little about who you are and what you can do for the company. Take a look at some of our example cover letters if you seek more guidance on this part of your application.

Tips for writing a good CV

Now that you understand what a CV should look like and what to include, let’s discuss some top tips for writing a great CV and landing that interview.

Do your research

Every job posting will include job requirements and recommended skills or experience. From this information, you can closely read and pick out relevant skills. be sure to include those qualities throughout your own CV to look highly suitable.

By tailoring your CV to the job post, a potential employer will be able to quickly skim through your application, notice the buzzwords, and recognise that you’ve read their posting.

Make it easy to read

A CV that uses elaborate fonts or has a bad layout will be hard to follow. If a recruiter finds your CV difficult to read, they may likely decide to skip past your application onto one that is clearly set out.

So make your CV pleasant to read by dividing sections clearly with bold headings, breaking up text with bullet points and keeping the formatting simple.

Include quantified achievements

Quantifiable achievements give recruiters clear evidence of how much you have contributed by adding facts and figures

Look at the difference between these two sentences:

• Made the department more efficient over my time there
• Increased department sales by 33% after introducing a new communication tool

The second of the two is more effective as it is a quantified achievement, backed up with numbers. An employer can understand those figures and instantly know how much you achieved in concrete terms.

CV mistakes to avoid

If you want your CV to stand out from the crowd and impress hiring managers, there are three main mistakes you should avoid:

Going over 2 pages

One page is too little to properly expand on why you’re fit for a role. On the flip side, three pages often seems like too much. If you’ve written three pages, take a closer look and search for any superfluous details or sentences that you could shorten or remove.

Using too many clichés

Recruiters come across a huge number of CVs. If you’re using language that you have copied off the internet, you’re probably falling into clichés that don’t actually say much about you.

Instead of saying something like ‘ I am a creative person’ , try to give an actual example of you displaying this quality. A better way to phrase this would be, ‘I reconfigured my team’s Google Sheets into colour-coded tasks by urgency, reducing late projects by 60%’

Not only is this more interesting to read than a cliché, but it also means that the reader learns something about your skills through a real experience.

Overcomplicating design

When a reader has to struggle to find information on your CV because you have crammed it full of unhelpful features like photos and skills graphs, they will be less inclined to actually read it. Keep things simple, following a methodical structure throughout and focus on communicating your suitability.

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Home » DA to file court papers opposing BELA Bill

DA to file court papers opposing BELA Bill

Despite being part of the GNU, the DA is still opposed to the BELA Bill and has confirmed that it will challenge the matter in court.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has instructed its lawyers to prepare court papers challenging the process leading to the adoption of the Basic Education Laws Amendment  (BELA) Bill, as well as its substance, on constitutional grounds.

Despite opposition, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bill into law at the Union Buildings in Tshwane on Friday, 13 September.

DA PREPARES TO CHALLENGE BELA BILL IN COURT

The DA has always been opposed to the BELA Bill and labelled it as an attack on mother-tongue education.

The party also said signing the Bill into law threatens the Government of National Unity (GNU). However the party will not exit the GNU.

Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube who is a DA member boycotted the signing ceremony citing concerns about the constitutionality of the language policies and the compulsory admission of learners to Grade R. 

“Parliament must be allowed to fix what is currently wrong with the Bill so that millions of learners across the country can access and receive quality education for a better South Africa,” the former DA chief whip in Parliament said. 

[WATCH] President Cyril Ramaphosa signs the BELA Bill into law. #BELABill @TheSAnews pic.twitter.com/gfM05ZBKXQ — The Protagonist (@ncwane_nokwanda) September 13, 2024

PRESIDENT TO CONSULT ON ‘CONTROVERSIAL’ CLAUSES

During the signing ceremony, Ramaphosa acknowledged the complaints from fellow GNU members.

He said he has engaged with them and will consult on clauses 4 and 5 of the Bill which are a concern.

“In the spirit of cooperation and meaningful engagement, I have decided to delay the implementation date for clauses 4 and 5 of the Bill by three months.

“This will give the parties time to deliberate on these issues and make proposals on how the different views may be accommodated. Should the parties not be able to agree on an approach, then we will proceed with the implementation of these parts of the Bill,” Ramaphosa said.

Here are the clauses (4 and 5) that president Cyril Ramaphosa will consult on. Those who are opposed to the BELA Bill have raised concerns about the clauses which speak to language and admission policies. #BELABill @TheSAnews pic.twitter.com/FkYACi4W72 — The Protagonist (@ncwane_nokwanda) September 13, 2024

DA leader John Steenhuisen said this means that if there is no agreement, the ANC will proceed with implementing the clauses that empower provincial departments to over-ride school governing bodies on the issue of the language policy of schools.

“The DA rejects this threat by the President. We regard his approach as contrary to the spirit of the Statement of Intent that formed the foundation of the GNU, which requires the participating parties to reach “sufficient consensus” on divisive issues,” he said.

FREEDOM FRONT PLUS WELCOMES CONSULTATION

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald also welcomed the consultation window that Ramaphosa will open.

Gornewald said the law was hastily steamrollered through the parliamentary process just before the general elections, and the fact that electronic education systems are not addressed at all makes it obsolete from the outset.

“The law will cause needless uncertainty and disputes about clearly established rights and responsibilities relating to Basic Education. In addition, the recognition of the right to home-schooling is undermined by bureaucratic requirements.

“During the upcoming talks, the FF Plus will do everything in its power to restrict the implementation of the objectionable parts of the law,” he emphasised.

DO YOU THINK THE BELA BILL WILL BE TAKEN BACK TO PARLIAMENT TO BE AMENDED?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing  [email protected]  or sending a WhatsApp to  060 011 021 1 . You can also follow  @TheSAnews on X  and  The South African on Facebook  for the latest news.

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