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Curriculum Vitae Basics
Curriculum Vitae Basics
What is a Curriculum Vitae?
The curriculum vitae, also known as a "vita" or CV, is an account
of your academic credentials and experience. In general, it includes a summary
of educational and professional experience, and usually lists publications,
presentations, and committee assignments. The origin of the term is Latin and
means, "the course of one's life or work." It is similar to a résumé
and the words are often used interchangeably, which leads to a great deal of
confusion. In the academic job search, a curriculum vitae is often your first
introduction to a search committee.
To learn more about the differences between a résumé and a CV
and when to use a CV, click here.
Writing a CV
The structure of your CV should reflect educational and professional experiences
that are most relevant to the position for which you are applying. During a
typical search process, your vita may be read by several people of varying positions
(Provosts, Deans, Chairs, etc.) within an institution. As you create it, keep
your audience in mind, and consider how they will view your material.
Organizing Your Information
While the format of your vita will be shaped in part by the standards of your
discipline, it is also important to consider which aspects of your background
you wish to highlight for the types of institutions and positions to which you
are applying. As you begin to structure your information, keep these general
tips in mind:
- Prioritize the information on your vita. Place your most important information
on the first page. A general guideline for vita writing is to order the sections
in descending order of importance.
- Devote more space to the most important aspects of your background. Not
everything on your CV demands equal space.
- The options for organizing your information are almost limitless. Choose
headings that emphasize your strengths and that are most appropriate for your
discipline or area of interest.
- You will want to tailor your vita for each position you seek. You may wish
to use headings that specifically address areas of responsibility detailed
in a job description. Even subtle changes in emphasis can enhance your candidacy
in the eyes of a search committee.
- There is no such thing as a standard length for a CV; length is determined
by many factors. Check with colleagues in your discipline to determine if
there are field-specific guidelines that you should follow. Keep in mind that
generally the vita of a new graduate will be shorter than that of a more experienced
professional.
Other Considerations
- Adequate white space is essential in a CV. Use margin space and space within
and between sections to help your printed information stand out.
- Use formatting techniques such as bolding and italicizing to highlight important
pieces of information. This will help the reader quickly identify key elements
of your background.
- It should be error free. Check for correct spelling, punctuation, grammar,
and word usage. Have at least two other people review your CV for these kinds
of errors.
- It should be printed using a high quality desk-jet printer or laser printer.
Use good-quality white or off-white bond paper.
Information to Include
What you include in your vita will be dictated by two factors: your background
and the types of positions and institutions to which you will be applying. The
process of building your vita will become easier as you develop clear job search
goals. In your efforts to keep the CV current, get in the habit of documenting
everything you do.
Contact Information
- Your full name as a heading at the top of the page. If you have multiple
pages, be sure to include your name and page numbers at the top of each subsequent
page.
- Full address, including phone number.
- E-mail address. Include your e-mail address only if you check it regularly
and your user name is somewhat professional.
- Website. It is becoming common for visual and performing artists to have
their work included on a personal web page. You could list the address after
your e-mail address.
Education
List all of the post-secondary academic degrees you have earned (noting honors).
Indicate your major, degree, and the date each degree was awarded for each school
attended. Eventually you'll include titles of theses or dissertations and chairs
of committees. If you haven't completed your degree, indicate the expected graduation
date.
Note: It is not uncommon to have studied the arts at a university without
completing the degree. You may want to list these periods of study, but they
should be listed after the degrees you have earned.
Education Subcategories:
A list of relevant categories you could include under Education.
Teaching Experience
Note the institution, title held, and the dates you taught. This section will
become more relevant during your graduate school years, but sometimes undergraduates
are assigned teaching roles. The exact professional titles you provide are very
important. There are distinct differences between such titles as Teaching Assistant,
Assistant Instructor, Instructor, Lecturer, Adjunct Professor, Visiting Assistant
Professor, etc. Also indicate whether you were the "instructor of record."
That tells the reader that you were responsible for all aspects of the course
(lectures, syllabi, grades, etc.).
Professional Experience
Each experience listed should include:
- Name and location of organization
- Your title (or role for actors--include name of the production)
- Dates of involvement, typically designated by month and year
- Description of the experience (other than roles, performances, etc., where
usually no description is necessary).
In describing your experiences, focus on skills developed and tangible accomplishments
in addition to your job responsibilities. Short, concise phrases beginning with
action
verbs, rather than whole sentences, will guide the reader through your descriptions
effectively.
Professional Subcategories
Performance Experience: This is an important category, especially
for musicians and actors.
Exhibits / Exhibitions
The exhibition record may be the most important category for studio artists.
It is the equivalent of a publication record in other academic disciplines.
- List all exhibitions by year so that the reader can easily see the number
and type of shows in any given year. Solo shows can be identified by an asterisk
or by using the word "solo" in parentheses at the end of the entry.
- For group shows, it is often useful to provide information about the juror,
awards, or the type of show (e.g., juried vs. invitational). Refereed activities
often carry more weight.
- If you work in different disciplines, you might note somewhere at the end
of the entry that it was sculpture, photography, etc.
- For those doing digital, technological, video, performance, etc., note if
a work is collaborative. If it is, develop a simple method for identifying
individual contributions.
Honors and Awards
List each award, granting institution, and the date awarded. If you have only
one award (e.g., graduation honors), consider incorporating this information
within the education section. A listing of academic and professional awards
may be included either as a separate section of your CV or as part of the Education
section. Awards not widely known in your field, such as those that are institutionally
based, may be explained briefly.
Teaching / Research Interests
A section outlining specific teaching or research interests will allow you
to demonstrate a wide range of areas in which you could contribute. This may
be especially important if your areas of interest are not entirely evident from
other sections of your vita. Be prepared to offer support for your areas of
interest during the interviewing process; search committees will often develop
questions based on your areas of interest. List courses you're prepared to teach
or would like the opportunity to teach, based on your qualifications. Update
as necessary. Briefly summarize your research interests with four to six key
descriptors.
Publications
Some institutions give more weight to articles that are refereed. You might
find it useful to indicate whether the publication was juried or invited at
the end of the entry. Use the standard bibliographic form for your field. For
articles, those that are published or in press are most advantageous; too many
publications listed as "submitted" or "in preparation" could
erode your credibility. Depending on the length of this section, you may need
to be selective by listing publications or presentations that are most relevant
to the position you are seeking.
Regarding publications in progress: It is unlikely that the young scholar will
have more than two or three publications. Given this reality, it is perfectly
acceptable to simply list your scholarly writings under the heading "Publications."
Additional Publication
Categories
Presentations
Participation at professional conferences is a significant activity. List only
those conferences where you were a participant (panel chair, delivered a paper,
served as a discussant, keynote or plenary speaker, professional workshop, honoree,
etc.).
If you have presented a certain paper on multiple occasions, list the institutions,
conferences, etc., under a single entry. Multiple listings of the same paper
may be viewed as padding the CV.
Service or Professional Activities
Most universities require a certain amount of service within the university
and local community. This can be in the form of committee work, serving on a
board, consulting for a public art project, assisting with a local art event,
manuscript reviews, juror for exhibitions or performances etc. Include the dates
of service.
References
How you handle references on your CV will be determined in part by whether
you are using reference letters or a reference list. If you use a reference
list, include name and contact information as the final information on your
CV.
Additional CV Categories
to Consider
Curriculum Vitae Resources
For assistance with writing a CV, a CV critique, or to see more resource materials
and samples of CVs in your discipline or area of study, stop by Fine Arts Career
Services in DFA 2.4.
Web Resources
College
Art Association: A great CV source for visual artists and art historians.
Eastman
School of Music
Add Chronicle of
Higher Education General CV tips. The CV doctor shows CV makeovers
and has a special section for MFA's.
Quintessential
Careers: Preparing a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
About.Com:
Curriculum Vitae Guide: Over 300 articles on writing CVs.
For examples of music and theatre & dance CVs, visit the FACS library.
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