Curriculum Vitae

Preparing Your Curriculum Vitae

What is a curriculum vitae?

• Academic résumé
• Also know as a CV or a vita
• The phrase means "course of life."

Outside the United States, CV is pretty much synonymous with the American use of the word résumé.

How is a CV different from a résumé?

• Covers many more topics
• Much longer than a résumé—maybe 15-20 pages for an experienced candidate
• Most commonly used for jobs in higher education

What goes into a CV?

Required Information

• Contact information (name, address, telephone number)
• Education
• Experience

The typical university mission statement emphasizes teaching, research, and service. Your CV should cover your accomplishments in these areas, with an emphasis appropriate for the position you're applying for. For example, for a position at a liberal arts college that focuses more on teaching than research, you should emphasize your teaching more than the other areas.

Teaching Skills

• Positions you've held with beginning and ending dates
• Courses you've taught
• Philosophy of teaching
• Teaching competencies and interests—subjects you haven't taught but could or would like to

You might also include curriculum development and additional teaching competencies. For example, perhaps you're applying for a job as an English professor teaching American literature; you might indicate that you can also teach contemporary fiction and women's studies.

Research Skills

• Positions you've held with beginning and ending dates
• Dissertation or thesis title—include the name of your director—this is one time when it's OK to drop names; if your committee members are particularly well known in the field, list them as well
• Dissertation abstract
• Research interests—directions you'd like to go with your research
• Publications—include full citations; you might put refereed publications in a separate category
• Presentations you've made; you might put refereed presentations in a separate category; also indicate invited lectures
• Grants you've received, including brief synopsis and amounts

Service (include beginning and ending dates)

• Service on committees—departmental, college, university
• Memberships and offices in professional organizations; get involved, hold office and serve on committees whenever possible
• Other professional activities
• Community service

Miscellaneous Information

• Other work experience; include beginning and ending dates
• Languages, level of proficiency
• Honors
• Skills
• Licenses, certifications, credentials

Other Documents You May Need

• Cover letter
• Longer dissertation abstract
• Research plans
• Teaching philosophy
• Reference list

Points to Remember

• Review the position you're applying for and tailor your CV to match it.
• List information from most important to least important.
• Organize information by relative importance for position.
• List items in reverse chronological order.
• Put presentations and publications last if lengthy.
• Include your name and page number on all pages after the first one

For more Information

The following books are available in the Career and Experiential Learning Resource Lab, Lucina 235:

• The Curriculum Vitae Handbook
• Developing a Professional Vita or Résumé
• The Higher Education Job Search
• How to Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae

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