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Curriculum vitae dos and don’ts

Date created: March 5, 2009 2 min read
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American Psychological Association. (2009, March 5). Curriculum vitae dos and don’ts. https://www.apa.org/education-career/job-search/cv-resume/vitae-tips

Helpful Hints

In the academic market, a curriculum vitae or CV is very important and, after your cover letter, is your first introduction to the search committee. The CV is a summary of your educational background and research and professional experiences. Your CV is a tool to help you move from an application to an interview.

What to do when writing a CV

  • Make your CV visually appealing. Look at how others have done their CV. Ask your professors and colleagues for examples.

  • Start your CV with general contact information that includes your name, address, telephone, fax, email and url (if you have a web page about yourself as a professional).

  • Include these sections in your CV: contact information; education and experience. Include these sections depending on your strengths and interests: honors and awards (from post-secondary school); teaching and research interests; publications; presentations; professional activities (committee memberships, intern experiences, relevant volunteer work); skills (second language and/or computer proficiencies); and references (you may include these or indicate they are available on request).

  • Check your CV carefully for spelling and typographical errors.

  • Use formatting such as bullets, italics or bold font only sparingly and use paper that is white, beige or a neutral color that weighs between 20# and 50#.

What not to do when writing a CV

  • Don't try and do it all by yourself the first time. Seek help from others such as faculty advisors, career specialists or colleagues.

  • Don't worry too much about length — there are no rules on length. The CV should be professional and should include your important data.

  • Don't include the following information. These things are not necessary: age; ethnic identity; political affiliation; religious preference; hobbies; marital status; sexual orientation; place of birth; photographs; height; weight and health.

  • Don't pad your CV by listing excessively detailed information about research or teaching. Instead, provide the titles of research projects and course names along with brief summaries of your work.

  • Don't include information that is humorous. The CV is not the place for humor or being "cute."

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