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Résumé and Curriculum Vita (C.V.)

Jamie S. and Jennifer F., Writing Center tutors

Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you.

While the resume and the curriculum vita have elements in common, they also differ in several respects. Length, with the resume being the shorter of the two documents, is the most obvious difference. For example, a conventional resume is no longer than a single page, while the Curriculum Vitae might run to several pages, depending on the number of publications and accomplishments you might include. While this seems straightforward, if you are assembling these documents for the first time, you might have questions—not only about how to begin but also about appropriate use. Both of these documents might be used at an interview to provide points of reference for discussion of your qualifications. And even if they lead to a job, it is a good idea to keep your resume and Curriculum Vitae constantly updated with new information.

Résumé

Before beginning to write a resume, you should have an understanding of what purpose it will serve. It is helpful to have audience in mind; this is just as true for a formal business document as it is for an academic essay. Keep in mind both the purpose of the resume, and the limitations in space. There are a variety of different templates available for résumés. For example, Microsoft Office has resume templates available, and there are also many online resources for templates, as well as information about creating your own. While it might seem like a good idea to try something eye-catching, this is not always the case. Think of the audience for your resume. If creativity is an essential component of the job—such as a career in the arts—then taking a risk might be more permissible. However, for the most part, you should let your accomplishments and experiences speak for themselves.

Parts of a Résumé

Contact Information

The first thing on your résumé should be your name. This will appear in a larger, bolder font than the rest of the document in order to stand out. All relevant contact information should be listed below the name; it is important that if a business wants to get in touch, they must be able to do so easily. That means you should include both a home phone and a cell phone, as well as current email information. If you have a home address and a school address, make certain that you include both along with the pertinent dates for use.

Education and Job Experience


A résumé will also include information about education and job experience; generally, these will appear in reverse chronological order. If you don’t have much job experience—this might be the case of a recent graduate—you might prefer to list education first. However, if there is a specific job experience that provides a strong connection with the job being applied for, such as previous experience in the field, then consider placing career experience before your education information.

References


References (as in former employers or other professional or academic contacts) are another important part of the résumé, but in order to save space, it is often customary to state that these references are available upon request. You should make certain, of course, that the references are ready should a potential employer follow up. Always ask permission before including someone as a reference.

Other Experience


Additional items that might be included in a résumé are any skills, languages, volunteer experience, awards, internships, etc. that pertain to your desired position. If you are applying to be an environmental journalist at a non-profit, it’d be great to include that you were a volunteer at a nature preserve; however, if you are applying for a position at a marketing firm, it might be best to leave it off. When considering these possible inclusions, both space and relevance should be kept in mind. Skills that pertain to the job you are applying to might be either highlighted or placed in a position of prominence.

Font Size and Type

There are differing opinions about font size and types when creating a résumé. As mentioned, your name should appear in a larger and bolder font size. And while there are many different opinions about this, a good guideline is to not venture toward a font size larger than 18. Résumés can be written in either serif or sans serif fonts, and it is best to be consistent. A well-known example of a serif font is Times New Roman; serif refers to the “feet” at the bottom of the letters. An example of a sans serif font is Arial, where there are no feet. Another possibility is to use one font type for headings and another for the content, but again, with business documents, one should keep creativity in check.

Wording


There are different ways of presenting information in a résumé, and these apply to the C.V. as well. One common strategy is the use of incomplete sentences in order to both conserve space and make the information easier to absorb. For example, instead of writing “I trained new employees,” the use of gapping would present the information as “trained new employees.” But however the sentences are structured, one should keep parallelism in mind. Use present verb tense for current jobs and responsibilities. Use past tense for previous jobs, responsibilities, and completed tasks or accomplishments.  In addition, strong action verbs should be used where possible.  Boston College gives a helpful list of strong verbs to use for different types of résumés.

More Links


Another helpful link for résumés is from the Center for Communication Practices at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In addition, career services at UW-Green Bay provides additional résumé resources.

Curriculum Vita

The curriculum vita differs from the résumé in several respects, most notably in length and somewhat in purpose. A C.V. is used when one is applying for an academic position. This includes not only jobs, but fellowships, internships, and graduate schools. The C.V. is longer than the résumé, running to multiple pages, and including more information. Education is a vital component, and not education alone, but also publications, conference experience, awards, etc. A dissertation abstract might also be included. While there is no specific format that is better than another, you should tailor your C.V. to both the desired position and your academic experiences.

Parts of Curriculum Vita

Contact Information

This should still be the initial component of the C.V., and one’s contact information should be complete, current, and easy to find. One’s name should appear on the top of every page after the first, along with page numbers. Full contact information only appears on the first page.

Education and Other Related Experience

Degrees and academic experience should be listed separately, but both are important to include. Degrees should be listed in reverse chronological order, just like they appear on a résumé, but more details can be added in subsequent sections. Other sections may include awards, publications, internships, research projects, fellowships, conference presentations, and what one is prepared to teach. A C.V. will always be in flux as new experiences and accomplishment are added. Headings used to organize other academic experience might be Awards and Fellowships, Research, Publications, and Conference Presentations. How the C.V. is arranged will largely depend on the experiences and accomplishments of the individual.

Job Experience

This is a point where the C.V. and the résumé differ most greatly. While job information will most likely be included on the curriculum vita, if it isn’t relevant to the position being applied for, it may be omitted from a résumé. For example, when applying for an academic position, job experience working in a restaurant may not be significant. While on a résumé it is better to not have employment gaps, a C.V. is tailored more toward reflecting academic achievement.

Other Experience


Relevance should be kept in mind when including additional information. Examples of what might constitute other experiences are research interests, volunteer work or community service, languages, and even a supplemental cover letter or dissertation abstract.

References

While references may still be cited as available upon request, the more flexible parameters in length make it possible to list references’ current contact information, including: name, title, university, phone number, and email.

Font Size and Type


Much of what applies to a résumé regarding font size and type also applies to curriculum vitae. You should be mindful in the font that is chosen, knowing that unusual fonts and colors will likely distract from your accomplishments.

Links

Dartmouth College and MIT provide a great deal of additional information. The link to Dartmouth College provides a helpful list of both primary and secondary material that might be included on a C.V. The PDF from MIT includes links to several other sites, including ones from other universities, as well as an online workshop.

A Final Word About Curriculum Vita and Résumés

It should be mentioned that in the creation of both of these documents, careful proofreading is a necessity. Avoiding typos is very important, as is consistency in verb tenses. You should look closely at the verbs that are chosen: action verbs function well in both the résumé and the C.V. Remember that both of these provide an initial introduction to a potential employer, and consequently, there is no element so small that it can be overlooked. All information should be presented as succinctly as possible, while at the same time, creating a picture of your abilities through a list of accomplishments.

For consultations about résumés, CV's, and cover letters, contact the Career Center at peercareeradvisor@depaul.edu to schedule an appointment.

View a list of tutors who specialize in writing résumés

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