Writing Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) – Graduate Students and Postdocs
Getting Started on Writing Your Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Within the U.S., if you are seeking a faculty job or an industry research position, you will most often be required to submit a CV and not a résumé. Think of the sections in your CV as distinct modules to which you can add, remove, and change content, even rearranging the order to suit the needs and requirements for a specific opportunity to which you are applying. Take time to think about sections that you will want to include in order to convey the overall value, skills, knowledge, training, and experience that you can bring to the position and future employer. The content in each section is typically organized by most recent to least recent.
Constructing and Formatting your CV
When constructing your CV, there are many different sections you can choose to include based on the role you are seeking. Depending on the position, you may even change the way you format your name and contact information. Tailoring your CV to the opportunity you are applying for is essential to making the impression you aim for, so being strategic in your content is critical. Explore the various sections you may include and examples of formatting to help guide you in creating your CV.
Constructing and Formatting your CV
Writing Bullet Points for your CV
Bullet point statements serve as personal sales pitches or impact statements that help a reader understand how your individual skills and experiences relate to the opportunity they are looking to fill.
Writing Bullet Points for your CV
Applicant Tracking Systems and your CV
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are software programs used by companies to expedite the recruiting process. ATS serve many functions but are primarily used to scan applicant CVs and highlight the most qualified candidates based on relevant key words, skills, experience, location, and more. The way you write and format your CV can have a big impact on how successful your CV will be at passing through.
Applicant Tracking Systems and your CV
Including Transferable Skills & Career Readiness Competencies
Transferable skills and NACE career readiness competencies are abilities, attributes, and personal qualities obtained during your study and experiences that you can apply across career sectors and roles. The key is to articulate these skills and competencies on your résumé and cover letter to demonstrate to a potential employer how these skills transfer to the workplace and the position to which you are applying.
Including Transferable Skills & Career Readiness Competencies
