The Basics of Writing a CV

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A CV commonly contains the following information:

  • Contact information or resume header
  • Education
  • Relevant experience
  • Research interests
  • Publications
  • Presentations
  • Honors and awards
  • References
  • Professional associations
  • Certifications
  • Grants
  • Community involvement
  • Fellowships
  • Research experience
  • Lab experience
  • Non-academic activities

Follow these steps to write a Curriculum Vitae. Some post-secondary institutions provide their own CV format to follow. Before submitting a job application, be sure to review the institution’s CV guidelines to ensure all required information is included in the CV.

Include contact information

Replace all contact information in the CV. This includes full name, address, contact information, LinkedIn URL, and more.

Detail academic history in reverse-chronological order

Include the full academic history. This would include post-doctoral programs, graduate school, undergraduate school, and high school. Only include the most recent two educational experiences.

Include relevant skills and qualifications

It’s encouraged to create a separate skills section of the CV. Include relevant skills that align with the requested skills or requirements in the job description. Include hard skills (like technical skills) and soft skills.

Include honors and awards

Outline academic achievements in its own section. Include the award name, the year the award was achieved, the organization that provided the award, and how many people received the award.

Include relevant publications and presentations

Include presentations, books, publications, papers, studies, research projects, and more. Include the authors, date published, volume, page, and DOI number.

Associations and affiliations

Include the name of the organization, geographic location, or chapter of the membership.

Research experience

Include relevant research experience that shows innovation and academic achievements in the associated field of study.

Non-academic activities

Include relevant non-academic activities that display a willingness to grow, educate, and achieve honors through activities outside of the institution.

Certifications, grants, and community involvement

Include the grant name, the organization that provided it, how many people received it, and more. Include certifications by name, the year the certification was achieved, and how many people received that certification if applicable. Include relevant community involvement that shows merit in the job role or a desire to include communities in parts of the work.

References

Include professional and academic references as part of the CV, on a new page. References should include faculty, staff, administrators, and other professional colleagues who can vouch for the professional’s work experience and academic achievements or merits.

Learn more about how to write a CV here.