A curriculum vitae provides an overview of educational and professional experiences and is particularly helpful with academic fields of study, such as research-based graduate study or an academic related career position. A CV is normally only used in an academic setting because of the nature of material covered in the document.
What distinguishes a CV from a resume is primarily the length and detail of the document. A CV is a detailed look at accomplishments in academics and professional work. Think of a CV as a document used to show scholarly capability and accomplishment.
Curriculum vitae’s do not have a set length, but are on average 2-3 pages in length for someone at the beginning of an academic career. For a professional with more experience, 4-7 pages is considered normal with 10 pages maximum.
A resume is used to demonstrate professional ability and focuses on giving a snapshot at how skills and experiences relate to career choice. A resume is the standard for most professional careers whereas a CV is standard for academic or research based fields.
Note: The headings below are dependent upon level of work experience, personal skills and interests, as well a personal choice of wording.
Education: Include the name of the colleges attended at which a degree has been conferred, city and state of each, title of degree, areas of study, and graduation date. If a thesis or dissertation was completed, indicate this as well as the primary advisor.
Teaching: Include all teaching fellowships, assistantships or other experiences working with students in a classroom or laboratory setting. You can also list teaching interests.
Research: Include all relevant research experience in your specialty area. You may also include publications, conference presentations or other scholarly work here or provide this information in a separate section.
Service: Include all service to the university or community, including professional associations, volunteer work, committee membership, etc.
Formatting a CV, like a resume, is critical to the readability and organization of your document. When choosing formatting, make sure to be consistent throughout the document with each choice.
Furthermore: