When to Use a Curriculum Vitae

©2008 by Alison Doyle (http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/curriculumvitae/a/curriculumvitae.htm.com). Used with permission of About, Inc. which can be found online at www.about.com. All rights reserved.

When should job seekers use curriculum vitae, commonly referred to as CV, rather than a resume? In the United States, curriculum vitae is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants.

The Differences between a Resume and a CV

There are several differences between a curriculum vitae and a resume. A curriculum vitae is a longer (up to two or more pages), more detailed synopsis of your background and skills. A CV includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details. As with a resume, you may need different versions of a CV for different types of positions.

Like a resume, curriculum vitae should include your name, contact information, education, skills and experience. In addition to the basics, a CV includes research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards and other information relevant to the position you are applying for. Start by making a list of all your background information, then organize it into categories. Make sure you include dates on all the publications you include.