How to write an Effective Curriculum Vitae

A CV is the lengthy academic version of a professional resume.

A curriculum vitae, or CV, is one of the most important documents a person seeking employment in the world of academics or medicine creates. CVs are similar in purpose to a typical resume, however CVs are much larger in scope and are frequently updated to alter their emphasis on certain qualifications or accomplishments, depending on the position being sought. Unfortunately, there is no standard CV format and is left largely up to the individual as to how he or she wishes to approach its construction. However, there are general guidelines as to the most effective approach to creating an effective CV.

Things You'll Need

• Time
• Computer with printer
• Internet access (if sending CV by email)
• At least two references with contact details

Instructions

1. Provide detailed personal information such as full name, contact information, academic experience and employment information that is relevant to the position sought, licenses and certifications, honors and awards, professional affiliations, goals and other relevant skills. Additionally, include listings of publications and presentations credited to you and any form of community service and volunteering activities. Finally, include a list of professional references.

2. Order the CV, from top to bottom, with the most relevant information suitable for the job description. The higher up a piece of information is located on a CV, the more emphasis is placed on the importance of the information. Generally, include you education first, in reverse chronological order, then publications and presentations, research, affiliations, awards, employment history, community involvement and other material deemed worthy of mentioning.

3. Use incomplete sentences to clearly highlight the information included in your CV. For example, instead of writing a complete sentence such as, "I have experience teaching introductory English composition classes along with classroom planning skills, exam construction and paper grading," an incomplete sentence such as, "Introductory Composition Instructor. Developed classroom plans. Graded assignments." This removes unnecessary words and emphasizes your actual duties and accomplishments.

4. Use a consistent structure throughout the CV. That is, keep the construction of sentences consistent throughout the document.

5. Use dates and hard data to substantiate your accomplishments and experience. Be as specific as possible when describing your qualifications.

6. Use traditional fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier and Helvetica, sized 12 and do not use any less than single spacing.

7. Place your name at the top of each page and clearly delineate each section of the CV with a heading such as education, publications, research and others.

8. Proofread your CV multiple times and allow other people to read it over to pick up any errors you may have missed. Always use a spell checker.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a backup of your CV (Save a copy on a USB storage device or other removable device and print out a spare copy).

• Keep your CV up-to-date.

• Ensure your referees agree to provide you with a reference and that the person you list is still at the same address, they may have changed occupation.

• Don't lie - you'll get caught out.

References

• Purdue University: Writing the Curriculum Vitae

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish