Writing a Curriculum Vitae (CV), What is it, and the steps to making a CV stand out

Curriculum Vitae (CV), What is it, and the steps to making a CV stand out

Writing a Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a crucial first step in finding employment for most job seekers.

However, in some fields, a curriculum vitae (CV) is the only document that can get you a job and graduate school, a grant, and more.

What is Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A “CV “is a detailed, very industry-specific list of accomplishments. A curriculum vitae aims to showcase your professional accomplishments in one convenient location. Everything you’ve done in your professional life up to this point qualifies as part of your education and experience.

If you’ve only ever made resumes in the past, you’re probably used to condense all of your qualifications down to one or two pages. That’s because you want to highlight your most relevant experiences and skills when applying for a job.

You can’t just start writing your CV and fill in the blanks as you go. A curriculum vitae should always include all relevant information, which can take up to 10 pages for those further along in their careers.

In the United States, a curriculum vitae is most commonly used in fields where scholarly production and dissemination are valued highly, such as academia. It isn’t clear, but a CV is more like a resume outside the United States. You should instead create your CV to these guidelines.

However, research what is typically included in a CV in the country where you are applying for jobs before putting together your CV.

A resume and a CV should address the same fundamental issue: how will you benefit your prospective employer?

An applicant’s curriculum vitae should be longer than a resume and include all the details a recruiter would need to verify their expertise, work history, and academic credentials.

When considering candidates for an interview, scholarship, grant, or bursary, a CV is often the first document reviewed by the selection committee. Applicants should follow the instructions given by the potential employer in the job advertisement when deciding whether to send a hard copy of their resume and other application materials via registered mail or an electronic copy via email.

The most common and widely accepted format for a CV is a chronological listing of work experience and education. Your education and employment history in a chronological CV will be listed in reverse chronological order.

A chronological resume emphasizes education and experience and includes information about extracurricular activities. Some chronological CVs have a short personal statement at the beginning that highlights the candidate’s most impressive qualifications and experiences.

While a chronological curriculum vitae highlights your work history, a functional CV highlights your skills and experience. It’s appropriate whenever you need to highlight the concrete knowledge and abilities you’ve acquired through your education or professional experience to prove that you’re qualified for the position.

You should prioritize your list of skills in order of significance. If you have little work experience but want to stand out, this is the resume format for you.

Combination CVs, another type of CV, are slightly longer than standard CVs because they combine the chronological and functional CV formats. One group of people who could use this is those interested in a career change but already possess some transferable skills.

The Professional Curriculum Vitae

This curriculum vitae format is typically used for graduate applications and highlights the student’s academic history, research experience, and publications.

Research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards, and other relevant information should all be included in a CV for an academic position.

Making a CV

Now that you know a CV, how do you make one? Begin by listing all of your relevant professional and academic achievements in the following sections:

Your name, address, phone number, and email address will all be included here, just as they would be on a resume.

Education, List the name, location, degree earned, and enrollment dates for each institution you attended. Put your educational accomplishments in reverse chronological order if you have multiple degrees from different institutions.

Your CV could have three sections detailing your teaching, work, and research backgrounds, or you could combine them into one long section. As you would on a resume, provide concise, well-written bullet points outlining your relevant work, research, and teaching experience.

If you gave a presentation at a conference, specify whether it was an oral or a poster presentation and provide details about the conference and location.

Even if you didn’t give a talk, conferences demonstrate to prospective employers that you’re keeping up with developments in your field outside of your research.

If you have been recognized for something, such as an award or honour, be sure to list the name of the recognition and the date it was bestowed.

In the case of grants or other forms of financial assistance, it is essential that both the grant’s official name and the period for which it was awarded be included.

Publications, If you’re applying for a job in academia, you know the adage “publish or perish.” Your resume is where you can demonstrate your ability to abide by this maxim. In this section, please list all of your publications in the same format as a standard citation would read, regardless of your authorship.

Details about your memberships and affiliations with professional groups, including dates and titles held, should be included.

Your Key or Research Skills should be considered. A skills section can help you get past the applicant tracking system and land your dream job if the skills the employer is seeking aren’t immediately apparent from the rest of your CV.

Include language Skills if you speak multiple languages or a language that is particularly useful in your field.

When deciding whether or not to include a references section on a resume, Goodfellow says that references used to be mandatory, which is why many CV samples and guides on how to write a CV include a references section. However, fewer people are engaging in this. You should have your list of references formatted, up-to-date, and ready to send off, even if you don’t include a references section.

Not every requirement above is compulsory. However, some may find that combining two, such as research and work experience, or awards and grants, is more effective.