Resume to CV

What is a CV?

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is the first thing an aspiring academic will need to send to an institution as you are applying to graduate programs and academic positions. It is a working document that as an academic you will continue to build and add to as your experience grows. As with a resume you will want to consider your field and positions of interest when crafting your CV.

CV vs. Resume

The following outlines the key differences between a CV and a resume. If you have a working resume, much of your resume content can be adjusted for your CV.

Considerations for CV and Timing

See the table below as an outline regarding the voice and intention of your CV based on where you are in your academic career.

Prior to Grad School

To apply for RESEARCH POSITIONS (E.g. research assistants (RA), research coordinators, project assistants or coordinators, fellowships, academic related internships)

How evaluated?

  • Good “student” qualities
  • “Reliable worker” qualities
  • Career & educational aspirations & goals

Grad School Apps

What criteria are used in grad school admissions?

  • Background to prepare you for graduate work and prior academic vigor/success
  • Intellectual curiosity and out-of-class experiences that prepared you for the intellectual pursuits of graduate school
  • Dedication to the career path (E.g., research, clinical work, teaching)
  • Organizational skills
  • Fit to program and advisor

As an Academic

As an academic your CV is your academic story and includes details/specifics regarding your teaching, scholarship, and service. A CV is used in your promotion and reappointment process and is also shared widely when in consideration for research and other academic appointments.

Sections of a CV

  • Name Header and Contact Information - Name at top, centered (14pt - 16pt font), the word Curriculum Vitae sometimes is under your name for humanities and social sciences, included email, phone, portfolio link if applicable.
  • Educational History - This section is always listed first. List by degree attained vs. institution. List by Ph.D., M.A., B.A. in reverse chronological order. Include department, institution, and year of completion. Do not included start dates. Optional: Dissertation/Thesis Title.
  • Professional Experience - If you have professional experience related to your field, include here.
  • Teaching Experience or Academic Appointments - Categorize by institution, area/field, graduate/undergraduate, or some combination of these that apply to your situation. Make subheadings for each institution. Cover range of competencies. All courses taught do not need to be listed especially if they succeed 15 or more. Teaching Assistant experience goes in this section (be sure to include duties and responsibilities).
  • Research Experiences - include where you have gained the experience and dates to and from. Consider listing by value of importance based on the need of your future position or program.
  • Honors, Scholarship, Fellowships, Grants, and Awards (can be part of Education section) - Awards. Provide name of award, institution, location, and year. Also in reverse chronological order. Grants/Fellowships. List funder, institution, location in which received/used, and year. Listing dollar amount depends on the field.
  • Publications / Presentations - Publications. Use subheading based on type of publication or presentation (e.g. refereed journal articles, books, manuscripts in preparation/manuscripts in submission, book reviews, book chapters, web-based publications, other nonacademic publications). Presentations. Include invited talks, provide institution, location, and year. University and Departmental Service. Include search committee and committee work provide names, year from and to.
  • Research Interests
  • Skills (Technical Competencies) - Training and technical skills related to profession.
  • Volunteer or Service Work - Service to the Profession. Examples include journal review work, leadership of professional organizations, and conference involvement. Community Involvement/Outreach. Some disciplines tie into the community and one would want to highlight their connection to the community and service provider organizations.
  • Professional Organization(s) Memberships and Involvement. Conference Activity/Participation. Involvement above attendance such as panels organized, conference committees, could be listed here.

Optional Categories or if applicable

  • Licenses/Certifications
  • Digital Projects - other online publications and feature of work
  • Media Coverage - coverage of your work by media or news
  • Languages - list level of proficiency
  • Nonacademic Work (if relevant to overall academic qualifications)
  • Training /Professional Development - Listing any additional training, seminars or programs that relate to skill development in your academic role.

CV Strategies

There are a few strategies that help you get accustomed to writing in CV language vs. how we normally write.

Gapping

A practice of using incomplete sentences to succinctly describe your experience. One quick way to consider this is to omit the use of pronouns (Purdue Owl, Writing the Curriculum Vitae, Gapping).

Explaining experience:

I taught two sections of 50+ students online focusing on professional development topics. I conference individual with students in the job search process. I planned course activities using active learning strategies.

Using Gapping:

Taught two sections of 50+ students online. Focused on professional development topics. Counseled with students in the job search process. Developed and delivered course activities using active learning strategies.

Parallelism

The act of keeping your phrases and sentences uniform throughout your CV. Bullet points may not necessarily be used in your CV like it is in your resume; however, you will still want to ensure that the structure of your phrases are consistent/parallel so your CV is easily scannable (Purdue Owl, Writing the Curriculum Vitae, Parallelism).

CV's Do's

  • Keep it simple and straightforward
  • Honestly represent your work
  • List novel skillsets
  • Get permission from references
  • Name supervisors & mentors
  • DO compartmentalize – place in sections based on type of experience and specific areas
  • DO tailor your CV to the job
  • Format to make it easier to follow and SKIM
  • Front load most important information

CV's Don'ts

  • Overly segment (E.g., separate paid and unpaid research)
  • Overly pad without purpose
  • Include salary information
  • Include reasons for leaving positions
  • Use of excessive abbreviations or acronyms (i.e. insider talk)

Further Resources

According to Purdue Owl's Writing the Curriculum Vitae site here are three helpful resources for additional examples of CVs and cover letters for academics.

The Chronicle of Higher Education's job site features a number of articles that may be helpful to first-time applicants on the job market.

The Curriculum Vitae Handbook by Rebecca Anthony and Gerald Roe (Rudi Publishing: Iowa City, 1994) includes sample CVs for various disciplines and tips for how to write CVs in various contexts.

The Academic Job Search Handbook (3rd Edition), by Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick (who are the authors of the Chronicle's "CV Doctor" column) also provides sample cover letters and CVs

Another Resource is the CV Handbook.

Sources

Jackson, A.L & Geckeis, K.C (2003). How to Prepare your Curriculum Vitae. McGraw Hill.

Kelsky, K. (2015). The Professor is In: The Essential Guide to Turning your PH.D. into a Job. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press.

Purdue OWL Writing Center. Writing the Curriculum Vitae Online.

Vick, J.M., Furlong, J., Lurie, R. (2016). The Academic Job Search Handbook, 5th Ed. Philadelphia, PA: University of PA Press.