When to Use a Curriculum Vitae

When should job seekers use a curriculum vitae, commonly referred to as CV, rather than a resume? In the United States, a curriculum vitae is used primarily when applyingfor academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants.

When asking for a job in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, expect to submit a CV rather than a resume. Keep in mind that overseas employers often expect to read the type of personal information on a curriculum vitae that would never be included on an American resume, such as date of birth, nationality and place of birth. United States law on what information job applicants can be asked to provide does not apply outside the country.

The Differences between a Resume and a CV

There are several differences between a curriculum vitae and a resume. A curriculum vitae is a longer (up to two or more pages), more detailed synopsis of your background and skills. A CV includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details. As with a resume, you may need different versions of a CV for different types of positions.

Like a resume, a curriculum vitae should include your name, contact information, education, skills and experience. In addition to the basics, a CV includes research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards and other information relevant to the position you are applying for. Start by making a list of all your background information, then organize it into categories. Make sure you include dates on all the publications you include.

General CV Format

Here are some general CV formatting guidelines, shown in order of how they would normally appear on a CV:

  • Contact information: At the top of every CV, you should include your name, the title "Curriculum Vitae," and your contact information (this could include your current address, your permanent address, your telephone numbers, your fax number, and your email address).
  • Professional or Research Objectives: This part of your CV states the reason that you have composed and are distributing a CV. Your objective can be as brief as one sentence (if it is general) or as long as a paragraph. This section should be an overview of your intellectual interests and expertise.
  • Education: The education section of the CV serves as a means of providing a more thorough picture of your education than a resume provides. If you are working towards a graduate degree(s), place this information prior to your undergraduate information. Some of the items that might be included here would be degrees and the dates you received them; names of universities, colleges, or professional programs that you have attended; the title of your doctoral dissertation, master's thesis, or undergraduate thesis; your degree program (in graduate school) and your major/minor (undergraduate); Diplomas or certificates.
  • Honors and Awards: such as departmental awards, fellowships, dean's list standings, scholarships, and memberships in academic honors associations.
  • Thesis or dissertation abstract: a paragraph or two, including the title and the date of completion.
  • Research Interests: Consider your audience when phrasing the specifics of your research interests.
  • Research or Laboratory Experience: Detail the extent to which you have experience in the lab or other types of hands-on research. Include the title of each project and whether it's been published in any journal(s), as well as the names of the professors or other supervisors, and whether the project is ongoing.
  • Work Experience: Any work experience outside a research or academic setting would also be included in here.
  • Teaching Interests and Experience: List any teaching experiences that you can document appropriately (include the class title and a brief description, if necessary). You can also include tutoring experience or group leader experience .
  • Specialized Skills: List all skills - interpersonal, leadership, organization, academic, analytical - and their applications.
  • Publications, Presentations, Works-in-Progress: Provide the appropriate references for any publications that you have contributed to, co-authored, or authored. If you have any works that are being considered for publication, include these as well. For papers that you have presented at academic conferences or professional associations, give the title, the name of the conference, the location of the conference, and the date.
  • Professional Associations or Memberships: Membership in professional associations should be listed as a separate competent of your CV. If you are not a member of any professional organization, find out which one is important to your discipline and how you can earn eligibility for membership.
  • Background: This is usually personal information that doesn't fit into other parts of the CV including citizenship status, prolonged residence or studying abroad, and uncommon work or educational experiences.
  • Community Service: If you have substantial volunteering experience or contributions to a community, put them in a section together apart from the Work Experience section. This can include membership in campus-wide organizations (generally those that are service-based).Activities List all the clubs that you have been active in. If this includes officer positions, list those too.
  • Travel: Some of this may already be covered in the Background section. Don't include tourist visits here, but list study abroad experiences. Include the cities, states or regions, and countries alphabetically. Briefly describe the experience and the duration of your visit.
  • References or Letters of Recommendation: This optional component is for listing the people who you asked to write recommendations for you. That is, you must have the permission to use people as references. Include the person's name and title. You may also use a general phrase here, such as "references available on request"

CV Format - Examples of Section Headings

  • Depending on your background and your area of specialty, there may be other sections you would want to include when you format your CV. This may also depend on what the purpose of your CV is. For example, if your CV is for job searching, you may include one set of information, but of the CV is for admission to a graduate program of study, you may want to include different information. Here is a list of other section titles that you may consider for your CV:
  • Degrees
    Dissertations
    Theses
    All other college studies
    Clinics
    Training
    Specialization
    Expertise
    Profession
    Interests
    Employment
    Class projects
    Research Study abroad
    Teaching
    Workshops
    Continuing education
    Seminars
    Conferences
    Symposia
    Publications
    Translations
    Presentations
    Papers
    Lectures
    Exhibitions
    Volunteer experience
    Service
    Languages
    Additional activities
    Technical skills
    Computer skills
    Licenses
    Credentials
    Honors
    Scholarships
    Fellowships
    Assistantships
    Grants
    Appointments
    Consulting
    Practica
    Travel (non tourist)
    Laboratory skills
    Sports
    Awards
    Bibliography
    Addenda
    Affiliation
    Pro bono
    Committees
  • If you have done any design work or artistic work of any kind, you would also include a link to your online portfolio on your CV. This is common for user experience designers and web designers, as well as human factors engineers and others that would have a design style they might want to showcase.

Sample Curriculum Vitae - Academic
John Smith
Street, City, State, Zip
Phone: 555-555-5555
Cell: 555-666-6666

Objective:
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Education:
Ph.D., Psychology, University of Minnesota, 2006
Concentrations: Psychology, Community Psychology
Dissertation: A Study of Learning Disabled Children in a Low Income Community
M.A., Psychology, University at Albany, 2003
Concentrations: Psychology, Special Education
Thesis: Communication Skills of Learning Disabled Children
B.A, Psychology, California State University, Long Beach, CA, 2000
Experience:
Instructor, 2004 - 2006
University of Minnesota
Course: Psychology in the Classroom
Teaching Assistant, 2002 - 2003
University at Albany
Courses: Special Education, Learning Disabilities
Research Skills:
Extensive knowledge of SPSSX and SAS statistical programs.
Presentations:
Smith John (2006). The behavior of learning disabled adolescents in the classrooms. Paper presented at the Psychology Conference at the University of Minnesota.
Publications:
Smith, John (2005). The behavior of learning disabled adolescents in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 120 - 125.
Grants and Fellowships:
RDB Grant (University of Minnesota Research Grant, 2005), $2000
Workshop Grant (for ASPA meeting in New York, 2004), $1500
Awards and Honors:
Treldar Scholar, 2005
Academic Excellent Award, 2003
Skills and Qualifications:
Microsoft Office, Internet
Programming ability in C++ and PHP
Fluent in German, French and Spanish
References:
Excellent references available upon request.