What is a CV Format and How to Make it Work for You

A curriculum vitae (CV) is a Latin phrase meaning ‘course of life.’ The descriptive phrase is on target since the information you provide will be detailed and extensive, much more so than a traditional resume. A CV is typically requested when applying for jobs in the fields of education, publication, medicine, and research, and jobs that are not located within the United States. If you are applying for a grant or scholarship, a CV will be the document of choice for the person responsible for screening applicants and scheduling interviews for potential candidates.

The main purpose of completing a CV is to provide a thorough history of your career from the first job to your current or most recent employment. Your goal is to showcase your career journey and highlight all areas you’ve participated in and gained experience in along the way.

The list of items to include on the CV is extensive but necessary to provide a complete picture of your qualifications that promote your background, experience, and personality in the most positive way. Items to include, if applicable, are the following.

• Complete academic history to include level of education attained and degrees earned
• Title of your dissertation or thesis
• Information for studies done abroad
• Certificates earned
• Licenses (current or past)
• Detailed professional work experience
• Experience in the field of research
• Teaching experience
• Skills and qualifications
• Published work(s) and presentations
• Awarded scholarships, fellowships, or grants
• Awards, achievements, and honors
• Professional memberships and associations
• Current or past work as a volunteer
• Contact information and options
• Personal information (optional)
• Interests, extracurricular activities, and hobbies (optional)

Keep in mind your years of experience and the history gained during that time will result in a lengthy CV. While a traditional resume is usually no more than one page in length, a CV can be several pages long even if all the areas listed are not applicable to you.

These are the three main choices when selecting a curriculum vitae format:

Chronological (Basic)

The chronological CV format is a simple approach to providing in-depth information about your work history. The information is listed starting with your current employer or last position held and working backwards. The chronological CV is the most versatile format as it can be used for any career position. Because it is widely used, it needs to as eye-catching as possible, so it stands out from all the rest of the CVs being read by potential employers.

Example of the chronological cv format

1. Name followed by your contact information
2. Career objective (profile)
3. Job history
4. Education (include your degree, major, school name and location, and your graduation date) List education history information after your profile summary if you have limited or no work experience since this is what you’re basing your application on.
5. Employment experience, if applicable
6. Skills and expertise
7. Optional information such as certifications, honors, and awards

Skills-Based

When applying for a job that requires information about professional skills, use a skills-based format CV. Your employment history is also included in the CV, but the main focus is to promote the skills you’ve attained throughout your working career. The skills CV is a good choice if employment history is limited, there are periods with no employment history, or you’re applying for a position requiring a specific skillset that you possess.

Example skills format

1. Name
2. Contact information
3. Profile (summary of your career objective)
4. Summary of your key skills (main focus of this cv type)
5. Additional skills, if applicable
6. Job history (list of company names and dates of employment.
7. Education
8. Optional sections, if applicable

Combination

The combination curriculum vitae format gives equal billing to promoting your overall work background. With this CV format, you have the opportunity to promote both skills and experience versus just one aspect of your career. This CV allows the hiring manager to see an overall picture of your background.

Example of a combination cv

1. Name
2. Contact information
3. Summary of skills (detailed information)
4. Job history (detailed information you would provide on a chronological cv)
5. Education
6. Optional sections, if applicable

Use the following steps once you’ve chosen a curriculum vitae format for creating a CV that will have the most impact on impressing potential employers.

1. Breakdown and list all areas of your employment history into categories. Include contact information, education, experience in research, teaching, work, presentations, attended conferences, awards and honors, funding or grants, publications, professional memberships, and affiliations. Optional fields may include research skills, community outreach programs, professional affiliations, and proficiency in communicating in multiple languages.
2. Review curriculum vitae formats and choose the template that best represents your career path.
3. If you are applying for a position at more than one company, customize the CV to reflect your specific skills and/or experience for each job opening.
4. Be thorough when detailing experience and skills.
5. Avoid humor and cliches. Be professional in your tone of writing.
6. When providing a printed copy of your CV to hiring personnel, use quality paper stock and select a standard font such as 12-point Times New Roman or Arial.

The CV formats are simply a guide to setting up your information so that it promotes your strongest areas whether that be a diverse list of skills, extensive educational background, an impressive employment history, or personal achievements. While one type of CV for the same job position may work for another candidate, it may not be right for you.