How to Write a CV

As an academic, your CV may be the most important document you'll ever write. You'll send it to prospective employers, include it in grant applications, and submit it to promotion and tenure committees. So, just what is a CV? These two letters stand for the Latin phrase curriculum vitae, which refers to your life story. Therefore, your CV should be both comprehensive and appealing to the reader. An appropriately organized CV will convey your personal story in an engaging manner.

Step 1: Review Examples

Like resumes, CVs generally follow basic formatting standards; however, their appearance, organization, and length can differ significantly even within a single academic field. Faculty members often make their CVs available on their institutional or personal websites, so collect examples from people you wish to emulate in your career. Review these samples and determine which aspects are personal choices, such as the typeface used, and which are highly consistent characteristics that you'll need to copy, such as the format for listing journal publications. If certain CVs strike you as easier to follow and more interesting to read, figure out why and plan to use a similar strategy in your own CV.

Graduate students often receive the CVs and cover letters of candidates who are applying to their departments - save these materials and study them closely when preparing for the job market later on.

Step 2: Gather and Organize Your Personal Information

No doubt you're aware of your own name and contact information, but do you recall every single conference presentation and academic honor? Go back through past planners and other personal reference material and put together a complete list of items fitting the categories found in your set of sample CVs. Try different ways of organizing and describing this material, aiming for a clear and compelling story.

Step 3: Develop and Revise Your CV

Based on your analysis of other CVs, prepare your own using the personal material that you collected. If your CV will be submitted for a grant or for internal review at your institution, be certain to follow any supplied standards. Then ask people in your field to review your CV, and be open to their suggestions. The CV Doctor series from the Chronicle of Higher Education is also instructive. Always keep your CV up to date, as you never know when someone will ask to see it.

An organized CV will convey your personal story in an engaging manner