Curriculum Vitaes (CVs) are often used when applying for scientific and academic positions. CVs tend to provide great detail about academic and research experiences with the intent to market one's skills, experiences, education and personal qualities. The major difference between a CV and a resume is length and focus.  A resume is a 1-2 page summary of your skills, experience, and education, and is preferred in business and industry.  A CV, on the other hand, is usually between 2-12 pages and provides a detailed synopsis of your experiences with a large focus on academic and scholarly accomplishments.

What should a CV look like? 

It’s important to know that there is not one “right” way to write a CV.  You should aim for your CV to reflect the requirements of the position for which you are applying.  As with a resume, your CV should be well-organized.  Start by making a list of all your background information, and then organize it into categories (e.g. presentations, teaching, grants). Make sure you include dates on all the publications you include.

Typical Categories of a CV:

  • Personal information
    • Name
    • Address
    • Phone Number(s)
    • Email
  • Academic Background
    • Postgraduate work
    • Graduate work/degree(s), majors/minors, thesis/dissertation titles, honors
    • Undergraduate degree(s), majors/minors, honors
  • Professional Licenses/Certifications
  • Academic/Teaching Experiences
  • Technical and Specialized Skills
  • Related/Other Experiences
  • Professional/Academic Honors and Awards
  • Professional Development
    • Conferences/workshops attended
  • Research/Scholarly Activities
    • Journal articles
    • Conferences attended
    • Books
    • Work currently in the submission process
  • Grants
  • Services
    • Academic
    • Professional
    • Community
  • Academic/Research interests
  • Affiliations/Memberships
  • Foreign Language Abilities/Skills
  • Consulting
  • Volunteer Work