Curriculum Vita Guide

CURRICULUM VITA GUIDE

Table of Contents

1. A Vita or a Résumé?............................................................................................................................2 Definition of a Résumé Definition of a Curriculum Vita Focus Organization Content Uniformity Style

2. F.O.C.U.S. – General Guidelines for Creating a Curriculum Vita………………………..3

3. Form and Style…………………………………………………………………………….4 4. Ingredients for a Vital Vita………………………………………………………………..5 5. C.V. “Don’ts”………………………………………………………………………………6 6. Suggested C.V. Categories………………………………………………………………...7 7. Action Verbs……………………………………………………………………………….8 8. Additional Resources………………………………………………………………………9 9. Curriculum Vitae Template………………………………………………………………10 10. Sample C.V.s……………………………………………………………………………....11

* "Vita" is singular, "Vitae" is plural.

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A Vita or a Résumé?

Resumes and Curriculum Vitae are distinctly different.

A résumé is the more commonly used of the two documents. It is an individually designed summary (usually one or two pages) of personal, educational, and experience qualifications intended to demonstrate fitness for a particular position. A résumé focuses its attention on an individual's strongest qualifications and develops them to fit the specific or general purpose for which the material is provided (see the Office of Career Counseling Résumé Guide for more information).

A curriculum vita, or C.V., is a comprehensive biographical statement (generally three or more pages) emphasizing professional qualifications and activities. Vitae are typically used only in higher education job searches and are often requested specifically when desired by an employer. If a vita is not specifically requested, send a resume with a notation stating that a vita (and/or references) can be sent later upon request. It is far better to start out with a one or two page résumé than it is to stifle the reader's interest by prematurely sending a long vita.

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