A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a comprehensive academic and professional record, detailing education, research, teaching, service, and other accomplishments. The CV is a professional document where you prioritize clarity and completeness of information. CVs can be multiple pages (e.g. 1-2 pages for a new grad, 3-5 pages for a postdoc, or 20+ pages for a senior scholar). Most people will maintain a master CV as a repository and create shorter versions for specific uses (some applications may require an abbreviated CV).
Note: We recommend that CBS undergrads prioritize building a resume first since most opportunities for current students and recent alumni will only need a resume. You likely will not need a CV until several years into your career.
CV or resume?
A CV is a comprehensive document, whereas a resume is short and selective. CVs are typically required for academic job applications, while resumes are primarily used for industry job applications. Here are some of the differences between the two that will help you craft your CV.
| Elements | CV | Resume |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | To describe your academic career and to portray your comprehensive, professional experiences and achievements | To portray specific experiences that align with particular jobs, industries, or graduate/professional school programs |
| Page limit | Can be any length | 1-2 pages maximum |
| Target audience | Faculty in your field of study | Recruiter, search committee, and/or hiring manager |
| References | List at the end of your document | On a separate document, provided upon request |
| Objective statement | Not included | May be included (at the top of your resume) |
Formatting essentials
- Prioritize readability: pick one font to use throughout the document, clear headings, consistent spacing between sections, and one-inch margins. Best fonts: Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, Open Sans, Roboto
- Use reverse-chronological order: most recent entries go first for items under each section.
- Avoid clutter: it is okay to have some white space; align margins and section headers neatly and consistently throughout the document.
Core sections
Organize the CV into clear sections. You can customize the order and adapt the sections to match your discipline and professional experiences.
- Contact Information: Name, address, telephone number, and email address can be in the “header” section of your document
- Education: Degrees, institutions, dates
- Experience: This can be broken down further into sections like “Teaching Experience,” “Research Experience,” “Fieldwork,” and/or “Professional Experience”
- Publications & Works in Progress
- Grants & Funding*
- University Service* (e.g. committee work, curriculum development)
- Conferences, Panels, Workshops
- Honors & Awards
- Professional Affiliations & Certifications*
- Skills or Additional Activities (optional)
*Commonly found on faculty CVs or more advanced professionals.
Maintain your CV
- Update your CV annually or following major milestones (e.g., new experiences or positions, promotions, publications, presentations, new awards/grants, etc.).
- Request feedback from a career coach to review for completeness, spot omissions, and improve clarity.
- Keep your master file in the cloud (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox).
- Optimize your document for readability both on-screen and in print. Review the accessibility of your document with an Accessibility Checker.
- Automate publication: Consider linking the same file across both print and online platforms.
Resources
- See example CVs from former CBS students.
- Creating and Maintaining Your CV
- 8 Tips to Improve Your CV
- Dos and Don’ts of Creating Your CV
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) - University of Minnesota Career & Internship Services
- CVs for Faculty Job Applications - University of Pennsylvania Career Services