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A key component of every jobseeker’s portfolio is a curriculum vitae, most commonly known as a CV. While a resume may be the go-to “calling card” for many candidates to send out to recruiters and hiring managers during a job search, the reality is that certain employers, fields or locations may prefer or require a CV to present your professional background. Read on to learn more about CVs, including the following:
— What Is a CV?
— What Is a Resume?
— CV vs. Resume: What’s the Difference?
— CV Formatting and Tips.
— Sample CV.
— Resume Format and Tips.
— Sample Resume.
What Is a CV?
But what is a CV, exactly? A CV provides extensive information and details about your professional background — in particular, about your credentials. These credentials should always include your education, degrees earned, professional training and industry-specific certifications. Depending on your line of work, job level and years of experience, your CV might additionally include sections about your publications, honors and awards, grants and fellowships, professional memberships and associations, speaking engagements and conference presentations, research projects, licenses and patents, teaching experience, volunteer work and other business affiliations. CVs also include basic information such as your contact information, skills and job experience.
What Is a Resume?
Like a CV, a resume is a marketing document meant to communicate information about your professional experience to hiring managers and recruiters. But compared to a CV, a resume is generally shorter at one to two pages on average, while a CV can be quite lengthy due to it including more details on publications, awards and other achievements. Most resumes highlight a job candidate’s work experience, role and responsibilities, professional skills and educational background, sometimes with shorter mentions of honors and memberships, but without the full details on the latter that a CV will contain.
CV vs. Resume
When you’re considering whether you need a CV or a resume, you must have a clear idea of the differences between these two documents, as well as when it’s most appropriate to use each one. David Wiacek, a New York-based executive resume writer and founder of Career Fixer, notes that the more detailed approach of a curriculum vitae reflects the word’s meaning: course of life. He notes that CVs in many countries often include very detailed information about the candidate, even sometimes including birth date, marital status and photos.
“Whereas a resume is a synopsis or targeted snapshot of your professional life that is tailored to a particular job, a CV tends to be a more comprehensive document that captures everything and the kitchen sink: not just work experience and education, but all of a candidate’s credentials, licenses, public speaking engagements, exhibits and installations (for artists), publications and so on,” Wiacek says.
With that in mind, one key distinction is that while a CV focuses on your professional credentials, a resume hones in on your skills or competencies. Another difference is that the bulk of a resume generally consists of a sequential list of your job experience — starting with your current or most recent position — with shorter sections on your competencies and education.
[READ: 10 Communication Skills for Your Resume.]
A CV, on the other hand, contains a greater variety of subsections detailing various types of certifications, publications, awards, affiliations and training. A CV is also usually longer than a resume, and routinely stretches for three to five pages, while a resume is often expected to be limited to one page for junior-level candidates and two pages for senior-level candidates.
If you’re unsure whether to submit a CV or a resume, be sure to look closely at the job listing or ask your recruiter. Some employers and industries will specify that candidates should submit a CV instead of a resume or vice versa. Certain research-based fields, such as health care or teaching, may prefer or require CVs, not resumes. Resumes, according to Wiacek, are typically used to apply to for industry roles outside of academia (think: for-profit, corporate, nonprofit or even government jobs).
Wiacek advised candidates to always refer to the instructions when applying online. “If the instructions do not specify which type of document is required, chances are they expect a simple resume,” he explains. “But do your research — don’t leave a great job prospect up to mere chance.”
See the different components of a sample CV below, along with some advice about how to best leverage each section of the CV format.
[READ: 15 Resume Mistakes to Avoid.]
CV Format and CV Tips
While no two CVs are identical, most curriculum vitae include the following 10 sections:
Contact Information: Employers first and foremost need to know how to find information about you and be able to reach you. Always include your first and last name, phone number and email address. Consider including your mailing address and website or LinkedIn URL.
Education: Starting with your most recent educational programs, include schools attended, degrees obtained, and other professional training. Graduation dates are not required and it may be better to omit them if you graduated more than a decade ago to avoid potential age bias on the part of the hiring team.
Professional Experience: For each position you’ve held, starting with your current or most recent position. List the following basics, which mirror a resume:
— Company name.
— Your job title.
— Dates of employment.
— Responsibilities.
In a CV, you can add more detail about your job responsibilities than you include in a resume — especially when it comes to describing the measurable impact your actions made on the company or business. Think in terms of quantitative ways to show how you improved a department, function or process, whether by a percentage or dollar amount. And while a resume primarily focuses on hard skills, you have more leeway to add details about your soft skills in a CV as well.
Research Interests: If your profession incorporates a research function, such as teaching or science, list all applicable areas of your research focus.
Field Work Experience: If your profession requires field work, such as biology or sociology, list all field work completed by project name, location and date.
Publications/Presentations: Unlike in a resume, it’s very common in a CV to include a full or partial list of your key publications if you’ve published books, articles or studies in your field. List article/book titles, journal/publication names and dates of publication. Likewise, if you do any public speaking in your industry, be sure to note your speaking engagements by date, location and title of the presentation.
Grants/Fellowships: Your CV should include a full list of any grants or fellowships you’ve received, including the name and the date received.
Honors/Awards: List the names of honors or awards and date received.
Professional Memberships/Associations: As part of providing a complete picture of your industry involvement, list the names of the organizations and dates of memberships for all professional memberships and associations that you’re currently participating in, or that you previously joined.
Other Professional Affiliations: As above, list the organization name and dates of membership for any other professional affiliations.
[READ: When and How to List Volunteer Work on a Resume.]
Sample CV
See below for a curriculum vitae template from Matthew Warzel, president of resume and CV writing firm MJW Careers, that you can use to frame and develop your own CV with your specific professional details:
Sally Smith
666-444-5555 Sally.Smith@abc.com
Education
— Ph.D. in Psychology, Iowa University, 2019
Dissertation: “The Experience of Manufacturing in America”
Honors: Graduation with distinction | President’s List | 3.8 GPA
— M.S. in Criminal Justice, Arizona University, 2013
Thesis: “Providing Counseling to Inner City Youth”
Honors: Graduation with distinction | President’s List | 3.8 GPA
— B.A. in Management, New York University, 2002
Professional Experience
VERIFY, San Francisco, CA | 2018 to Present
Director of Employee Experience
— Held leadership position within a nonprofit setting whose mission is to provide opportunities for members to develop positive emotions.
— Develop the strategic direction for the program and facilitate programs related to authenticity and purpose.
FINANCIAL LIFE, New York, NY | 2018 to Present Talent Manager
— Coordinate and develop projects with employees to ensure effectiveness of training, intervention, and documentation initiatives.
— Manage the logistics of projects by way of meetings, cross-communications and formal presentations to exchange information.
Research Interests
To further explore the connections between psychological theories and concepts with human behavior, interpreting the rich interdependencies which exist between instructional design, applications of teaching methodologies and student learning.
Strong interest in developing empirically supported research to translate data into practical implications for ethical and effective psychological practices and programs while introducing illuminating perspectives on emerging phenomena.
Field Experience
FAMILY SERVICES — Brown University, New York, NY | 2016 to 2018
Care Educator (2017-2018)
— In partnership with Brown University, disseminated program model and philosophy which taught a holistic approach when supporting direct care staff, children and adolescents toward achievement of measurable improvements.
— Engaged students to achieve active participation and richer classroom feedback loops.
Trainer/Educator (2016-2018)
— Developed and taught courses including: Multicultural Competence, Inclusion, and Humility, Administration, Use, and Interpretation of Psychological Assessment Tools.
— Helped individual students meet learning objectives, including how to apply classroom topics to unique scenarios.
Publications & Presentations
— Smith, S. (2018, October). Creating a culture of committed millennials. Advanced Research Institute Business Journal, Insight, 22-23.
— Smith, S. (March, October). The experience of meaning in work for millennials. CareOne. Dissertation.
Grants & Fellowships
GRANTS
Contributions led to the successful procurement of the following grants:
— Wilma Endowment Grant, General Child & Family Focus, 2018
— Darell Foundation Grant, General Child & Family Focus, 2016-2018
FELLOWSHIPS
— Research Fellowship, Advanced Research Institute, 2016-2018
Honors & Awards
— “PROS to KNOW” Award — Supply and Demand Chain Executive Magazine
— Outstanding Corporate Citizen Honoree — WWEX Global Logistics & Bear Ventures
— “40 UNDER 40” Leadership Award — The Triangle Business Journal (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill)
Professional Memberships/Associations
— Member: American Marketing Association (AMA)
— Member: Chi Sigma International Honor Society
— Activity Clubs: United Way
Resume Format and Resume Tips
Resumes will also have some variation in how the information is presented, but resumes generally include the following seven sections:
Contact Information: Always include your full name at the top of your resume, along with contact information for employers to reach you, including your mailing address, phone number (home and cell phone if applicable), and email address.
Objective: While not mandatory, job seekers often include a career objective near the top of their resume, underneath the contact information. This should be a short description (1-2 sentences) of your core professional skill set and the type of position you are seeking.
Professional Experience: This section accounts for the main body of most resumes. It’s a list of each position you’ve held, noting the organization’s name and location, the job title you held or currently hold, the dates you served in the role and your job duties and key accomplishments.
Education: Always include information about any professional degrees, including the name of the educational institution and type of degree. It’s not essential to include your date of graduation, since it’s possible that older or younger applicants might experience bias in hiring from some managers.
Professional Memberships: While not mandatory, if you have relevant professional memberships or participate in industry associations, you can list these at the bottom of your resume.
Honors and Awards: Another optional resume section is honors and awards, where you can make a short note of any professional honors you’ve received, along with the organization that bestowed the award and the date of receipt.
Volunteer and Other Experience: Newer job seekers (and others) may want to include volunteer experience along with paid experience in their resume, to present a more well-rounded picture of your skills and background. If you have other experience that can help prospective employers understand your expertise (for example, new college graduates who worked on a student newspaper), you can add that here as well.
Sample Resume
See below for a resume template, adapted from materials from Warzel, that you can use to frame and develop your own resume with your specific professional details:
Sally Smith 666-444-5555 Sally.Smith@abc.com
Career Objective
My objective is to further explore the connections between psychological theories and concepts with human behavior. I seek a position that focuses on developing empirically supported research to translate data into practical implications for ethical psychological practices and programs.
Professional Experience
VERIFY, San Francisco, CA | 2018 to PresentDirector of Employee Experience
— Held leadership position within a nonprofit setting whose mission is to provide opportunities for members to develop positive emotions.
— Developed the strategic direction for the program and facilitate programs related to authenticity and purpose.
FINANCIAL LIFE, New York, NY | 2018 to Present
Talent Manager
— Coordinate and develop projects with employees to ensure effectiveness of training, intervention and documentation initiatives.
— Manage the logistics of projects by way of meetings, cross-communications and formal presentations to exchange information.
FAMILY SERVICES, Brown University, New York, NY | 2016 to 2018
Care Educator (2017-2018)
— In partnership with Brown University, disseminated program model and philosophy which taught a holistic approach when supporting direct care staff, children and adolescents toward achievement of measurable improvements.
— Engaged students to achieve active participation and richer classroom feedback loops.
Trainer/Educator (2016-2018)
— Developed and taught courses including: Multicultural Competence, Inclusion, and Humility, Administration, Use, and Interpretation of Psychological Assessment Tools.
— Helped individual students meet learning objectives, including how to apply classroom topics to unique scenarios.
Education
— Ph.D. in Psychology, Iowa University, 2019
— M.S. in Criminal Justice, Arizona University, 2013
— B.A. in Management, New York University, 2002
Honors & Awards
— “PROS to KNOW” Award — Supply and Demand Chain Executive Magazine
— Outstanding Corporate Citizen Honoree — WWEX Global Logistics & Bear Ventures
— “40 UNDER 40” Leadership Award — The Triangle Business Journal (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill)
Professional Memberships/Associations
— Member: American Marketing Association (AMA)
— Member: Chi Sigma International Honor Society
— Activity Clubs: United Way
Volunteer Experience
— Goodwill volunteer, 2019 to Present
— United Way volunteer, 2016 to Present
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What Is a CV or Curriculum Vitae? originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/23/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
