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| In
Latin, “vitae” means “the course of
one’s life or career.” It is also commonly
referred to as a curriculum vitae, or CV. It is similar
to a resume in that it is used to document professional
experience and education. However, a curriculum vitae
is more detailed and emphasizes academic achievements.
It is most commonly used in academic settings, especially
higher education, while a resume is more appropriate for
a business environment.
Proper
presentation of a vitae will enhance the possibility
of persuading an employer to grant you an interview.
The vitae can serve as a framework for generating interview
questions and answers.
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| FORMAT [top] |
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| There
are a number of different ways to present your vitae.
The most common formats used are business, left justified,
or centered. Utilize white space appropriately throughout
to create a balanced and visually attractive document.
Headings and sections should be spaced and emphasized
by using capital letters, underlining, indenting, or
bolding. Since the vitae is a formal document, it should
not look cluttered or disorganized.
Be consistent in use of format, spelling,
and grammar. Proofread for typographical errors. Always
spell out words (except for names of states - use
current 2 letter abbreviations).
Be specific and yet concise with descriptions
in each section. Avoid the use of complete sentences
in favor of phrases. Descriptions should be no longer
than 6 lines. Utilize “action words” to
begin phrases (present tense for current activities
and past tense for former ones).
The length of a curriculum vitae will
vary depending on your experience and background.
Generally a vitae is between 3-7 pages, with 3 pages
the average for the new professional.
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| CONTACT
INFORMATION [top] |
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Identify
name, address, telephone numbers, fax and E-mail for
home (and office if non-confidential) at top of first
page. All subsequent pages should contain name and page
number at top left of page.
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| PROFESSIONAL
OBJECTIVE [top] |
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Identify
the position you are seeking in terms of specific role,
type(s) of environment, and skill utilization. You may
also include short and long term goals. These should
match the program or position.
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| SUMMARY
OF QUALIFICATIONS (OPTIONAL) [top] |
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This
category is used to provide a brief overview of your
background by succinctly describing most relevant skills
and personal attributes that relate to position.
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| EDUCATION [top] |
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Identify
all institutions, types of degrees, dates, and academic
disciplines. Also include majors/minors, concentrations,
and emphases. You may also wish to include coursework
related to the professional objective. Under this category
(or in a self-standing section), identify short abstracts
for dissertation and/or thesis information. This category
may also include postgraduate work and additional training.
List all entries in reverse chronological order.
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| CERTIFICATIONS
(OPTIONAL) [top] |
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This
category contains certifications and licenses that are
pertinent to your professional objective. List the name
of certificate and give status (active, expiration date)
in order of importance.
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| ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL
HONORS & AWARDS [top] |
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Identify
fellowships, assistantships, awards, and citations.
List name of honor/award and a brief description. Focus
attention on graduate performance. List all entries
in order of importance related to your professional
objective.
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| PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE [top] |
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Identify
all experiences and accomplishments that relate to your
specific professional objective. For each list position
title, name of organization, city/state, dates, and
description of duties, skills used and accomplishments.
It is important that the descriptions be concise and
involve short phrases. Depending on your professional
objective, this section could be titled research experience,
teaching experience, administrative experience, etc.
List all entries in reverse chronological order.
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| OTHER
EXPERIENCE [top] |
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Identify
additional experiences and accomplishments that you
would like to include, that indirectly relate to your
professional objective. Use same format as “Professional
Experience” section. List all entries in reverse
chronological order.
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| PUBLICATIONS
& PRESENTATIONS [top] |
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publications, identify all articles, audio-visuals,
chapters, books, periodicals, book reviews, technical
papers, research, and monographs that have been either
published or submitted, or are in progress. Be sure
to utilize citation style appropriate to your field
of study. If the list is extensive, include only the
most relevant items and provide an appendix separate
from the vitae. For
presentations, identify all relevant workshops, conferences,
exhibitions, lectures, panels, and other speaking
engagements. List name of event, topic, location,
and month/year. Use citation style appropriate to
your field of study. If the list is extensive, include
only the most relevant items and provide an appendix
separate from the vitae.
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| PROFESSIONAL
AFFILIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS [top] |
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Identify
all organizations in which you have held membership
and/or leadership positions. List offices held, name
of organization, and description of activity (optional).
List all entries in order of relevance to your professional
objective. (You may also choose to include events/conferences
attended that relate to your objective, if they are
of significant length or intensity.)
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| PROFESSIONAL
ACTIVITIES [top] |
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Identify
all activities related to your professional objective
that have not been previously mentioned, such as consulting
and or committee assignments. List name of organization,
title (or involvement), location, and dates. List all
entries in order of importance to your professional
objective.
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| RESEARCH
& GRANTS [top] |
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If
appropriate to your field of study, identify research
and grants received and in progress. List name of grant/research,
funding amount, purpose, program outline, program outcome,
and dates. List entries in either order of importance
or in reverse chronological order.
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| ADDITIONAL
SKILLS (OPTIONAL) [top] |
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Use
this category to describe “catch all” items
that do not fit with any other category. Possible items
to include are computer hardware/software skills, extensive
travel, volunteer or other community involvement, certifications,
and/or language skills (if not listed already). Limit
to items related to your professional objective.
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| REFERENCES
& PORTFOLIO [top] |
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This
should be the last section listed on a vitae. It is
helpful to provide a list of references on a separate
page. Include the professional name, official title,
department, street address, city/state, zip code, office
telephone and E-mail for each reference, as well as
the relationship of each individual (ex. advisor, supervisor).
Include a list of references only if you are prepared
for employers to contact each reference.
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| ADDENDA
TO VITAE [top] |
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| You
may have more than adequate number of entries to a section.
Since the human eye cannot absorb more than 8-10 lines
of information, it is best to highlight the most relevant
items and provide a separate detailed ADDENDUM page
that includes everything else. This idea works especially
well with Extensive Publications, Presentations, Professional
Activities and/or Affiliations. Some
career fields seek out various “competencies.”
If so, it may be beneficial to provide a separate
page of information that highlights 3-4 competency
areas with specific topics addressed under each area.
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| COVER
LETTER [top] |
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When
applying for a position through the mail, your vitae
should always be accompanied by a typewritten cover
letter. Employers pay close attention to the grammar
and punctuation of cover letters. Refer to CSC cover
letter handout for specific information.
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| REPRODUCTION [top] |
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| You
should prepare your vitae on a computer and use a laser
printer for your final printed draft. Since your vitae
needs to be targeted to each specific employer and position,
it is important that you be able to make changes to
the objective and categories on short notice. It is
not necessary to have your vitae typeset. Not only is
it more expensive, but the turnaround time for changes
is not as efficient. Choose
white, ivory, or light gray resume paper. Use 9”x12”
envelope if mailing. Purchase blank matching sheets/business
envelopes for future correspondence with same employer.
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