How to Write a CV for Positions in Education

The CV or Curriculum Vitae is becoming more popular than the resume in the fields of Education, Academia, Research or Science. Different from the resume, the CV is more detailed, including education, academic background, teaching, research and any publications or awards. It usually is two to three pages in length; whereas the resume is usually one to two pages and is a succinct look at a person's education and work background. How to write a CV for positions in education is similar to writing a generic CV except more focus is on the academic achievements.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Be aware that the CV should be printed on resume quality paper. Consider a laser printing. The font should be Arial or Times New Roman, size 11 or 12. Use one inch margins all around. Headings should stand out with boldface print. Except for the CV Objective, use bullets instead of paragraphs. Keep your formatting consistent. If you started with headings that are in capitals, stay that way all the way through. The Curriculum Vitae should not be more than three pages in length. It should be error free.

2. Build the CV Heading to include; name, address, phone number and email address.

3. Write the CV objective or CV profile. A CV objective is a concise statement that tells what kind of position you are seeking or you can have a CV profile that has bullets listing your expertise. See Resources for a CV example.

4. 

   List your education. Begin with the most recent schools. Include any dissertations or major papers that were presented. Include the degree earned. Also include any additional courses or workshops. If you have information that would accentuate the position you are applying for, put that information in bold print. Let the eye travel from left to right, and find the information early in the line. For example, if you have a doctorate degree and that is important to the position, place it early in the line, boldface it and let the eye see it right off. See Resources for a CV example.

5. Highlight your teaching experience. Begin with the most recent position. Include the name of the school and courses taught and dates. Again, if there is any information that is pertinent to the position, boldface it and place it where the eye can see it. Don't bury it in the middle.

6. Identify Grants, Fellowships, or professional organizations. List grants, internships and fellowships including names of organizations and dates. If there is a fellowship or grant that needs clarification, give a brief description.

7. 

   List licenses and certification. List the types and titles of licenses, certifications and titles. Be sure to include dates.

8. List any publications, research, awards and honors. Include names of publications and dates, names of awards and honors including dates and research titles with dates. If you received an award or honor that is not familiar, emphasize the significance of it.

9. List references. You may decide to include references or you can state "References available upon request."

10. 

    Be aware that there is no specific order to the information except the personal information, objective, education, and experience should be at the beginning. Publications, certifications, awards, licenses, and other information that will enhance your opportunities may be in any order and may be in any cluster group or heading.

Tips & Warnings

• Make it clear and concise. Make it easy to read.
• Have at least one other person look over the CV for errors.
• Include a cover letter.
• Do not include salary history, photos or reasons for leaving a position.
• Do not use red or other colors for highlighting.
• Do not exceed three pages.
• Don't add a lot of formatting options. Keep it simple.

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Resources

• Academic CV example