What is a CV?
A CV is a comprehensive, biographical statement emphasizing your professional qualifications and activities.
In general, a CV includes more information than a resume and can range from 2-50 pages in length depending on experience. Rather than focusing on work history, a CV provides a summary of one’s educational and academic background by highlighting teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, professional affiliations, and academic honors.
CVs are also typically written in a more narrative, paragraph format, as opposed to the quick bullet points found on resumes.
In addition, an international CV may look quite different from an American CV and usually includes personal details such as age, marital status, religious affiliation, and a photo.
A CV should only be used when requested
This might occur in the following instances:
- Applications for admission to graduate or professional programs
- Proposals for fellowships or grants
- Applications for international employment
- Independent consulting in a variety of settings
- Providing information related to professional activities (i.e., applications for professional memberships and leadership positions, and presentations at professional conferences)
- Applications for positions in academia, including:
- Higher education positions in teaching and research
- Institutional research and consulting
- School administration (i.e., elementary or secondary principals, superintendents, deans of schools)
Optional Sections to Include
- Contact Information
- Name, address(es), phone number(s), email, and pronouns
- Education
- List academic degrees beginning with the degree in progress or most recently earned. Include: Name of institution, city & state, degree type and area of concentration, and month/year degree was (or will be) received. If your GPA is 3.0 or higher, it's appropriate to include.
- Certifications
- List all relevant certifications and the year awarded.
- Honors and Awards
- List receipt of scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, names of scholastic honors, teaching or research awards.
- Relevant Experience
- Listing of positions (part-time, full-time, volunteer, internship) related to the work sought. Include: company/organization name, city and state, job/position title, and dates of employment. Include brief bulleted descriptions of your activities/duties, listed in reverse chronological order.
- Other Experience
- Listing of other experiences or positions that are not directly related to the work sought. Include: company/organization name, city and state, job/position title, and dates of employment. Include brief bulleted descriptions of your activities/duties, listed in reverse chronological order.
- Grants Received
- Include name of grant, name of granting agency, date received and title or purpose of research project, etc.
- Professional Associations
- &List memberships in professional organizations. Also include appointments/positions/committees in these associations. Student memberships are appropriate.
- Publications
- Give bibliographic citations for articles, chapters, research reports, or any other publication that you have authored or coauthored. In fine arts areas, this can include descriptions of recitals and art exhibits.
- Research
- Description of research projects recently conducted or in progress. Include the type of research and brief description of the purpose.
- Educational Travel
- Include names of countries, dates, and purpose of travel.
- Community Involvement
- List relevant volunteer work and involvement with community service organizations, etc. Include brief descriptions of experiences and dates.
- Leadership Experience
- List relevant campus or community leadership involvement, include positions/titles held, brief description of experience and dates.
- Qualifications or Skills
- A summary of relevant strengths or skills you want to highlight. For example, a listing of special computing/software skills or language skills.