CVs for Graduate Students

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Creating an effective curriculum vitae (CV) is one of the most important tasks in your job search and, very likely, a new one for those more accustomed to using resumes to look for work.

While both resumes and CVs present your expertise to potential employers, the similarities between the two documents ends there. A resume is designed to market a specific skill set for a specific position and is the expected document for non-academic job searches. Alternately, a CV is designed to present a complete picture of your academic expertise by detailing your scholarly achievements and is the expected document when applying for academic positions or entry to a graduate program.

Accordingly, a CV tends to be longer than a typical, two-page resume, and details all of your post-secondary academic accomplishments. While a resume emphasizes work experience in short bulleted points, a CV presents experience in concise paragraphs under categories typically exempted from resumes such as: publications, presentations, teaching experiences, honours and grants.

A quick note: some use the terms CV and resume interchangeably making knowing which document to use a confusing process. As a general rule, assume that applications within academia call for a CV and applications outside of academia call for a resume unless otherwise stated. Applications to research-intensive jobs within the private/public sector might be an exception. These may require a CV highlighting your research experience, special knowledge, and publications. If in doubt, check in with the Career Centre, the company’s Human Resources department or a faculty member.

Although different in content and presentation, CVs and resumes do share a common purpose: to present yourself as an attractive candidate to potential employers. As such, there is a strong element of strategy to what you choose to include, and how, in your CV.

The following are possible sections you may include in your CV:

Personal information
Your full first and last names followed by your degree(s) such as B.Sc, M.Sc (where applicable). Names may be bolded and centred and will be followed by your current mailing address, phone numbers and professional email address.

Educational information
List formal post-secondary education in reverse chronological order. You may include honours, awards, thesis titles, topics and supervisor in this section if not discussed elsewhere. Training courses may be included here or in another section such as "Professional Development" or "Additional Training".

Awards and distinctions
Awards and honours can be listed in reverse chronological order. If you have only one award/honour per degree you may choose to place them under the appropriate degree in the “Education” section. If you are applying for a research position and have received notable awards, place this section on the first page, after education to catch the reader’s attention.

Research interests/research techniques
In short, bulleted format, list your existing research interests and/or point to future directions for your research. This section may also detail specialized techniques such as research techniques and/or knowledge of specialized equipment, coding languages, etc if not discussed elsewhere.

Teaching experience
List the courses you have taught including course name and number, department, university, date, and, optionally, a one-line statement about the course content. If you are targeting this CV for teaching positions, place this section before your “Professional Experience”.

Community involvement
List the committees on which you have served and/or student organizations for which you have been a member including a brief (one-line) description of your activities and accomplishments.

Publications
Provide full bibliographic information for publications that have been accepted by publishers. If your publication list is extensive include a partial list, indicating that a full list is available, or present the publications at the end of your CV.

Professional affiliations and honours
List memberships in professional organizations, significant appointments/elections to positions, honours from professional, business, educational or related organizations.

Professional experience
List related experiences in reverse chronological order stating job title, employer name, city/country, and dates. Emphasize leadership roles, successes, accomplishments and recognitions where possible.

Other experience
List other jobs you have had or other activities in which you have been involved that are not directly relevant to your career objective. It is common to include so-called “unrelated experiences” both to fill in the chronology of your experiences as well as to take advantage of another opportunity to discuss your skills. Include very brief details of what you did in these experiences, emphasizing transferable skills as opposed to unrelated duties.

References
References are not required unless specifically stated. If you are not including your references, note ‘References Available on Request’ and have your reference list ready including name, title, employer, and complete contact information. For further information on selecting and presenting your references, view our “References Tipsheet” available in the Career Centre, DV 3094.

Ordering of sections
Not all CVs will contain all of the categories mentioned above, nor will the information be presented in the same order. Deciding what to include and how to present it requires strategic thinking and an eye towards the recipient of your application. For example, if you have only one award do you have a separate “Awards” section, combine this section with another such as “Honours and Awards”, or include the award as a bullet under the relevant educational experience? Similarly, are your teaching experiences best presented in their own section or as part of your “Work Experience” section? How can you best present your skills for the position you are applying to? It is important to be strategic in the ordering and presentation of your experiences such that your strongest qualifications for the position are highlighted, not hidden.

Using the CV outside of academia
Finally, note that a CV for industry may require a different emphasis than a CV for academia. A CV intended for industry may emphasize categories not emphasized in CV’s for academia such as lab techniques, project management, assessments, tools and software to name a few. Be aware of what is important to your reader, what experiences and skills present you best, and tailor your CV accordingly.

Different disciplines may have different expectations regarding CV content and presentation, consult with faculty members and your Career Centre for feedback. To schedule an individual CV critique, contact the Career Centre front desk at 905-858-5451. We’re here to help.