A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a professional document that encompasses your life’s work. This resource will provide with an overview of creating your CV. Your CV is unique to you and your experiences. Similar to other professional documents within career education, document style and format change with the ebb and flow of trends.
Many individuals and organizations use the terms resume and CV interchangeably. If you are unsure of what document should be submitted with your application, it is best to ask for clarification. It is also important to know which is used based on the country in which you are applying to jobs. For the purpose of this document, the information is relevant to the US.
CVs have no restrictions on length. The document is an accumulation of one’s experiences relevant to one’s career path. CVs are most commonly used in academia and research settings; however, you may see it required in other settings as well depending on the level of the position to which you are applying.
CV document breakdown
Note that the information listed is one example of formatting.
Please make an appointment with a career advisor in the Career Center to review your CV.
Header/Personal Information
- Your name, personal email address, and a phone number should be the first pieces of information on your CV. These are the only required pieces of information needed in the Header. Optional information can include a physical address (personal if you are applying for a job), LinkedIn profile link, website, etc.
Curriculum Vita
personal.email@gmail.com | 123-456-7890
Education
- List your information in reverse chronological order (most recent to least recent)
- Make sure to include the following information for each of your degrees:
- name and location of institution
- name of the degree earned
- year degree was (or will be) earned
University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI
PhD in Educational Policy Studies2023
Minor in Qualitative Methods
(optional) Title of Dissertation
(optional) Major advisor and/or Committee
University of Wisconsin–LaCrosse, LaCrosse, WI
MS Ed in Student Affairs Administration 2017
BS in Sociology 2015
Experiences
- The experience sections you have on your CV are where you can be most creative with the information you incorporate. These sections are where you can really tailor your information based on the types of roles you are looking for as well as the experiences you have. You can find examples of Experience Section names further down on page two of this document.
- Experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order within each section. Noting this will allow you to better move your experiences to the section that makes the most sense for where you want your experiences highlighted for an employer to view.
- Similar to the education section, you need to include the following items:
- name and location of the organization
- your position title
- dates of involvement (recommend month and year – month and year)
- bullet points that describe your experiences with concise, results-oriented information using action verbs (what did you do • how/why you did it • why it matters)
Example 1
Education Policy Research Experience
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Research Assistant 08/2021- 05/2023
- Coordinated IRB protocols and data collection for 10+ projects with 20+ local sites
Example 2
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Project Assistant August 2021-May 2023
University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI
- Designed qualitative data collection protocol for an observation and interview study on race and student belonging in middle school classrooms
Examples of Section Names (Note this is not exhaustive)
- Memberships/Affiliations
- Leadership Experience
- Certifications
- Industry Experience (tailor to the industry or field)
- Service to the…(Community, field, university, department)
- Skills (unique to your field, computer, language, etc.)
- Teaching Experience
- Research Experience
- Honors/Awards
- Fellowships
- Grants
- Publications/Presentations
Format
- Length of a CV will vary depending on one’s experience
- Ensure information is consistent throughout the document for ease of finding information and reading
- Utilize bold, underline, and italics to draw the reader’s attention to specific information
- Font size should be between 10-12 point font
- Font type should be easily readable.
Common types used are:
|
Calibri |
Cambria |
Palatino |
|
Times New Roman |
Verdana |
Garamond |
|
Arial |
Helvetica |
Tahoma |
Want to learn more or have questions for a Career Advisor?