What is a CV?
CV—short for the Latin “curriculum vitae,” meaning “course of life”.
A CV is a detailed document highlighting your professional and academic history.
CVs typically include information such as your:
i. work experience
ii. achievements
iii. awards,
iv. scholarships or grants
v. coursework
vi. research projects
vii. publications.
CV format
1. Contact information
2. Academic history
3. Professional experience
4. Qualifications & skills
5. Awards & honors
6. Publications
7. Professional associations
8. Grants & fellowships
9. Licenses & certificates
10. Volunteer work
11. Personal information
12. Hobbies and interests
Writing out a CV
Note: a CV should be as detailed as necessary to explain your background and credentials:
1. Contact information:
– full name,
– phone number and
– email address.
– address (optional: If you do include it, only list the city, state and ZIP)
2. Academic history (reverse-chronological order: latest first)
– post-doctoral programs
– graduate school
– undergraduate school
– high school.
Only include your most recent 3-4 educational experiences. Dates attended.
3. Professional experience
a. List the:
i. company (or organization),
ii. job title and dates employed starting with your most recent job.
b. List your:
i. job duties,
ii. your experience gained and
iii. your achievements.
* Start each bullet point with an action verb to demonstrate your responsibilities.
* Also use numbers to measure your impact when possible. This shows employers the exact results you’ve gained for other organizations.
4. Relevant qualifications & skills
This can be part of a separate skills section.
These can include both hard (technical in nature and job-specific) and soft (abilities that relate to how you work and interact with other people. Commonly noted soft skills include communication, teamwork, problem-solving and other interpersonal skills) skills that make you the best candidate for the job.
** Reread the job description to highlight the most important skills employers are looking for.
5. Honours & Awards
Outline your achievements in the field related to your application.
Start with the award name followed by the year it was awarded, the organization that gave you the award and details about the award such as how often the award is given, how many people receive it, etc.
6. Publications & Presentations
Include relevant citations of presentations, papers, studies, books or other publications important to your professional history.
Publications: include authors, the date published, a summary, volume, page and DOI number.
Presentations: include the title, date and location of the presentation.
7. Professional associations/affiliations
Name of the organization, geographic location or chapter and dates of active membership.
8. Grants & Fellowships
Name of grants won and year.
Fellowship name/purpose and year.
9. Licenses & Certificates
Professional certificates / licenses and year
10. Volunteer work
Roles, experiences and dates.
** Proofread your CV for errors.
Before submitting your job application, be sure to thoroughly review your tailored CV for any errors or inconsistencies.
** Consider asking a trusted colleague or professional mentor to review it as well—especially if they’re experienced in the industry you’re applying to.
Sample CV
And here is a CV example you can reference when composing your own:
Joe Smith
1234 Main Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
770-yyy-xxxx
doe.smart@email.com
Education:
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree, 2018
University of Texas College of Science, Austin, TX
Professional experience:
University of Southern California
Professor, Herman Ostrow School of Veterinary Sciences | 2012–2018
Taught multiple undergraduate and graduate courses in veterinary sciences.
Fostered student commitment to lifelong learning and excellence in veterinary sciences.
Acted as a student advisor to first-year veterinary school students.
Skills and qualifications:
Team leadership
Seminar instruction
Fluent in English and Spanish
Specialization in livestock science research and development
Awards and honors:
AVMA Advocacy Award, 2018
AVMA Animal Welfare Award, 2016
Publications and presentations:
Yang, J., Sanchez, C., Patel, A., Johnson, L., (2017) “Study of cocoa product component theobromine and danger to canines.” Journal of Modern Veterinary Medicine. 272: 1234-56789.
Professional associations and affiliations:
American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (2013–Present)
American Veterinary Medical Association (2011–Present)