Demystifying the Curriculum Vitae

Psi Chi Workshop

Dr. Bettina Casad

The curriculum vitae (CV) is an extensive, detailed resume documenting your entire professional career

The main sections of a CV include: Education Research Experience Teaching Experience Clinical Experience (if relevant) Publications Conference Presentations Awards, Honors, Grants Professional Memberships

What is a Curriculum Vitae?

How Does a CV Differ from a Resume?

Resume Short, 1-2 pages Used for non-academic

employment Tailored for a specific job or

position Succinct summary of

employment experience and qualifications

Includes objective or career goal

Curriculum Vitae Long, no page limit (~25) Used for academic

employment and graduate school

Not usually tailored for a specific position

Thorough and detailed account of all professional experience

Does not include objective or career goal

How to Write a CV

Educational Background List degrees obtained, major, minor, schools,

locations, dates, honors (summa cum laude, honor roll-GPA not usually listed), titles of honors theses and dissertation

Include expected degree and anticipated graduation date

Reverse chronological order

How to Write a CV

Research Experience Research assistantships and internships

List project title, PI/supervisor, description of your responsibilities, dates of position

No need to list whether for pay, credit, or volunteer Major research projects in courses

List project title, course, your role in project

How to Write a CV

Teaching Experience Teaching assistantships and internships

List class title, supervisor, description of your responsibilities, dates of position

Teaching experience includes Tutoring Mentoring Training other students

How to Write a CV

Clinical Experience Internships Community involvement (e.g., Friend mobile) Training or certification Describe relevant coursework

How to Write a CV

Publications (list in APA style) Journal articles

Major research projects from courses, senior project, McNair project, internships List as “in preparation”

Newsletter articles Publish in student professional magazines (e.g., Grad

Psych, Observer, online newsletters) Student newspaper articles Look for opportunities to co-author book chapters

with advisors Write a review paper or do a meta-analysis

How to Write a CV

Conference Presentations List submitted and presented List posters, papers, and symposia

Provide title of poster/talk, conference name, location, date

Cite in APA style Look for opportunities at local, regional, and

student conferences Higher acceptance rate for posters at student

conferences Present class research projects

How to Write a CV

Awards, honors, and grants List ALL awards you have EVER received, even from

high school Dean’s list, President’s list, travel awards,

Outstanding Athlete, Department, College, or University Awards, Certificates of Appreciation, scholarships

List any grants you helped write, even if not awarded Many student professional organizations

provide travel awards and mini research grants

How to Write a CV

Professional Memberships List all professional association memberships

Association for Psychological Science (APS) American Psychological Association (APA) Western Psychological Association (WPA) Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) APA Divisions: 8 (Social Psych), 12 (Clinical), 35 (Psych of

Women), 44 (LGBT), 45 (Ethnic Minority) And of course PSI CHI (national members) Leadership roles within organizations (e.g., student council) Other student clubs Other honor societies

How to Write a CV General Advice

Revise: Typos reflect poorly on your competence Get feedback from your advisor and peers Ask your advisor and peers for examples Use formatting to highlight key elements, but don’t

over format (bold, italics, and underlining) Many resources available for sample formatshttp://www.cvtips.com/ http://gradschool.about.com/od/curriculumvita/

Writing_Your_Curriculum_Vitae.htm Campus career center