A well-constructed Curriculum Vitae (2+ pages) will:

• Market your academic, educational, research and/or teaching experiences,
• Present relevant publications, presentations, awards, honors, and affiliations.
• Show that you are a qualified candidate.

Drafting Your CV

What to Include:

The order of these elements is based on the job requirement specifics, with the most relevant information at the top, after the Contact Information, Professional Objective, and Education sections.

Do Your Research

Get to know your industry. Conduct online research, talk to people in the field (your professors can help here), and pay close attention to the skills, coursework and experience your industry needs. What are the specific skills and experiences
listed for this particular position? Target and tailor your CV to meet these specifics.

Create Something Visually Appealing

• Keep things consistent. If you write dates in months, do this throughout. If you list experiences as position, company, location – make sure this is done throughout
• Balance white space with text using lines and blank lines as needed.
• Organize your information the way people read – left to right and top to bottom.
• Make sure margins are no smaller than 0.5 inches, with all the information lined up accordingly to make the document look clean.
• Emphasize information (titles, organizations, etc.), with italics,bold, ALL CAPS, underline or a combination of these.
• Choose easy-to-read fonts, between 10 and 12 points in size.
• For printed CVs, use white or off-white high quality paper (e.g., 80lb. linen).
• Do not use templates! They are difficult to edit in the future.
• Avoid complicated fonts or formatting that will get jumbled when sent between programs.

Before You Send It Out

• Proofread, proofread, proofread! Have two sets of eyes proof your CV before you submit it.
• Make an appointment or stop by drop-in hours with the Career Center to have your CV reviewed by professionals and trained peers.
• Use your network to have your CV reviewed by someone in the industry if possible.
• Review your final draft with a critical eye. Keep in mind that facts can be easily checked from past employers.
• Keep track of the CVs you create in a computer file-folder or in your Google Drive.
• Submit and good luck!

Resume vs CV: Similarities and Differences

Similarities

• Both CVs and resumes present contact information, education, relevant coursework, and information about paid and unpaid experiences.
• Both CVs and resumes target your skills and strengths to match the position and organization.
• Both CVs and resumes include action verbs.
• Both CVs and resumes utilize a reverse chronological format.
• Neither CVs nor resumes include references. If references are requested, these should be included on a separate sheet of paper.

Differences

• A CV is a comprehensive biographical statement (2+ pages) emphasizing educational and professional experiences, whereas a resume is a concise document (1 page) highlighting your strengths and accomplishments relevant to a given position.
• A CV is reading intensive whereas a resume is commonly read in 30 seconds or less.
• A CV is a common format used in the US by those working in education, counseling, think tanks, science, and select research and development groups whereas a resume is a format used by anyone seeking a position in most fields.

Sample Reference Page

(Use the heading from your resume which includes your name & email)
References

Format for reference listings:

First and last name
Title
Organization
Phone number
Email

Below are some sample reference listings:

Greta Binford
Associate Professor of Biology
Lewis & Clark College
503-768-7653
binford@lclark.edu

Louis Kuo
Professor and Chair of Chemistry
Lewis & Clark College
503-768-7535
kuo@lclark.edu

Benjamin Smith
Director of Division of Endocrinology
Oregon Health & Sciences University
303-494-8462
smith@ohsu.edu

Reference Tips

• Three references are usually sufficient. This student selected two academic references and an employment reference who was her internship supervisor.
• Choose references who know you well and who can speak to your academic accomplishments, skills, work ethic, and achievements.
• Always get permission to prior to using someone as your reference and make sure you send your reference a copy of your resume. It is best to practice to give a reference a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice if putting them as a reference and a months’ notice if
  you would like a written reference letter.
• References go on a separate page from your CV. You do not need to have “references available on request” on your CV, as this is a given.

Additional Resources For CV Writing

Cornell University: Resumes and CVs

University of Wisconsin: CV Handbook

Action Verbs