Monthly Archives: February 2011

Customizing Your CV

Customizing Your CV

If you plan to apply for an academic position, you will most likely be asked to submit a curriculum vitae (CV). In many ways, a CV is like a resume. As with a resume, you should customize your CV for each position for which you submit an application. One way of accomplishing this involves changing the order of the headings. Common headings in a CV include:

  • Contact information: name, address, phone number(s), and email address
  • Educational background: undergraduate institution with degree(s), major(s), minor(s), grade point average, title of thesis; graduate institution(s) with the same information; internship and/or fellowship
  • Teaching experience: courses taught, number of students, and teaching evaluations
  • Peer-reviewed publications: manuscripts, including those in preparation, under review, or in press; and books or chapters
  • Professional presentations (local, state, national, and international): symposiums, poster presentations, and paper presentations
  • Clinical/practical experience: work experience that is relevant to the job for which you are applying
  • Professional/academic honors and awards
  • Grants
  • Statistical/software proficiency
  • Professional licenses/certifications
  • Affiliations/memberships
  • Professional service

If you are applying for an academic position that primarily involves teaching, you should highlight your teaching experience immediately after outlining your educational background. On the contrary, if you apply for another position that has a heavier research focus, you should emphasize your research experience before your teaching experience.

There are also important differences between a CV and a resume. Whereas resumes tend to be brief, CVs can be two pages or longer to include detailed synopses of your background and skills. Also, unlike resumes, there is no established format for CVs. For this reason, it is often best to work with your adviser when crafting a CV.