I need to create a curriculum vita (CV), but I’m not sure how that is different from a resume or what to consider when creating one.

CVs are like resumes in that they both show your professional development.  CVs are usually preferred in academic settings by people seeking academic jobs, admission into academic programs, or academic awards.  Therefore, a CV will focus on academically-related experiences and often will exclude non-academic experiences—that is, unless those non-academic experiences would be of interest to the person reading the CV. Aside from the specific content focus in a CV and resume, the two are different with regard to one important factor: length. While resumes are often abbreviated and tailored more directly to specific job openings, CVs often list anything and everything connected with your scholarly identity.  It may be useful to think of your CV as an index of your academic experiences. We have a handout that provides more information on CVs.

What can the Writing Center do to help?

We are happy to meet with you to discuss a draft of your CV or to help you before you begin composing a CV.  You may find it useful to have a conversation about your CV before you begin drafting.  In that conversation, we’ll ask you questions that will help you take an inventory of the experiences, skills, and accomplishments that you want to include on your CV.  From there, you can work with us on drafts where we can give you feedback on how you represent those experiences, skills, and accomplishments to your audience.