What is a CV?

Sometimes job searchers are confused about what a curriculum vitae is and if they need to have one. Commonly referred to as a “CV” and sometimes a “vita”, the curriculum vitae literally means “the course of one’s life” in Latin. Most often used in the academic and scientific fields, this personal document literally tallies an individual’s professional and educational achievements. Doctors, medical professionals, professors, scientific researchers, PhD candidates and applicants for fellowships and grants fit the typical CV profile, but occasionally the CV is also seen in the business world as well.

The length of a curriculum vitae can be much longer than a resume and varies based on the amount of education and experience the candidate possesses. Quite often two to five pages filled with achievements and accomplishments is standard, especially if you have many publications, specialized trainings, or awards to report about. If you are unsure whether or not to submit a CV or a traditional resume and it is not indicated in the job posting, do not hesitate to contact the organization’s human resource department to find out about the preferred format.

Appearances count; a curriculum vitae should be printed on a high-grade stationery, with a readable font and quality printing. Don’t tarnish your years of hard work by using cheap copy paper, fussy fonts and printer ink smears! Typically a curriculum vita includes the following sections:

Mission and Objectives: A brief paragraph on your personal mission, career goals, or interest in a specific opportunity.

Education: An accounting of your degree titles, major or academic concentration, theses or dissertations and dates along with the institution name and location.

Certification and Licensure: Note certifications and licenses held along with the issuing organizations and dates.

Internships: List both paid and unpaid internships with organization name, location, dates and contributions.

Professional Experience: List chronologically or by function (e.g.: teaching, research, and consulting) and include employers name and location, job titles, dates held, responsibilities and outcomes.

Awards and Honors: Don’t be bashful; list the awards, honors and recognition you have been bestowed including the issuing organizations and dates.

Publications: List in a standard bibliographic format any works that you have had published from full books to articles. If needed dived the list into sections by publication type.

Speaking Engagements: Make a list of the key presentations, lectures, training sessions and conferences where you have had speaking engagements. Include audience type, topics and dates.

Grants or Fellowships: Report the grant or fellowship names, organizations, date and amount.

Patents: List any patents by patent number, titles, and dates.

Conferences Attended: Note participation in relevant conferences by event name, locations and dates.

Affiliations: List professional memberships, appointments, advisory boards and committees and leadership positions within each.

Community Service: Record relevant volunteer work by organization name, your contributions and dates of service.

Languages: Note any languages, other than your primary, that you can read or speak. a

Industry-Specific Skills: List all related skills that you have in industry jargon.

References: Give the names and contact details of professional references that have been pro-notified for use with potential new jobs.

What is a CV?