The Curriculum Vitae, or C.V., is something many Americans may not be very familiar with. One thing about the C.V. in an international scenario is that the C.V. tends to be more popular in nations with a lot of government subsidy of non-profit work. In America, more emphasis is placed on the resume, which is generally strictly a list of jobs held. The C.V. is a broader resources including more on education, volunteerism and other life skills building.

For beginners who need to start learning about what a C.V. is and how to use it, there are a lot of web resources from many places and covering the use of a Curriculum Vitae for beginners in America and beyond. Online resources can help with those in situations like the following:

1. Young professionals crafting their first Curriculum Vitae.

2. Business managers attempting to read a collection of C.V. inclusions in applications and looking for some general guidelines.

3. A business leader or H.R. worker helping a staffer with crafting a C.V. for any reason.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Note specific features and aspects of the resume and the Curriculum Vitae

One thing for those who are just starting out is to pay attention to all of the differences between the C.V. and resume models. This will help a lot when it comes to actually drafting or reading a C.V., as understanding the role of the document is often essential.

I recommend: WiseGeek articles will point the reader to the right track for figuring out how to distinguish an international or American type CV from its cousin, the resume. Find more on this distinction at the Sample Resume and Career Blog.

Locate Curriculum Vitae samples for beginning to think about format and content

Online samples of the Curriculum Vitae will help beginners to understand how these documents are formatted, what they generally include, and what they really look like on a page. These examples can also provide some insight into the venues that have posted them, including schools and universities.

I recommend: Get info and links to CV samples from sites like Noddit, where beginners come together to seek startup resources. For more specific Curriculum Vitae examples, check out items like this one (in PDF format) from Harvard to see how the big ivy league schools deal in Curriculum Vitae presentation.

Get extended help for preparing your Curriculum Vitae

For more that beginners can use to get assistance in preparing a Curriculum Vitae, there are more full-scale websites with links to services, tips and hints, writing guides and more.

I recommend: Find a lot of venues for extensive Curriculum Vitae at the Riley Guide. For another long list of info links, writing resources and general help with a Curriculum Vitae, check out the site at QuintCareers.

Curriculum vitae is Latin for "course of life. A CV is similar to a resume, but is longer and includes additional details about your experiences. Education, publications and accomplishments are often highlighted in a curriculum vitae. CVs are not as commonly used as resumes in the United States.

The curriculum vitae is the first impression an employer gets of you. A well-written CV can make the difference between you and another job candidate.

The following resources will help you to create the best possible curriculum vitae:

1. Get free curriculum vitae advice online.
2. Use a web-based CV program to save time creating your curriculum vitae.
3. Hire a curriculum vitae consultant to fine tune your CV.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Access curriculum vitae training for free online

Before setting out to write your curriculum vitae, spend some time learning what you should and should not include. You will also want to pay attention on how the CV should be formatted. Start your training with freely available online guides.

I recommend: The graduate studies office at Dartmouth provides detailed curriculum vitae information that will help you to write your CV. Click on the links at the bottom of the page to access samples. The OWL at Purdue outlines how to write a CV. There is also a link to the CV Doctor, a column written to help improve curriculum vitae writing.

Get help with curriculum vitae writing from a professional consultant

Whether you cannot write one on your own, or if you just want to get a professional opinion, you can hire a consultant to edit or re-write your curriculum vitae. The extra money spent on professional writing services could help you to land a job.

I recommend: ResumeEdge provides consulting services to help make your CV all it can be. Whether you are an executive, mid-career professional, entry-level job seeker or student, this company has a service to help you. A and A Resume offers curriculum vitae writing services. The company has a satisfaction guarantee. If you are not employed within 30 days, the company will make changes that will improve your CV.

Use a curriculum vitae program to create your CV

Use a curriculum vitae program to write your CV. Using a form-based CV tool will save you time by allowing you to focus on content rather than format.

I recommend: Use the Resume Writer Wizard to create a curriculum vitae. The service will even host your online so you will have an online presence. eCV is a web-based curriculum vitae writing tool. Contact the company to request a demonstration.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When typing your curriculum vitae, consider using font such as Georgia rather than Times New Roman. This font looks especially nice for a curriculum vitae in .pdf format.

Curriculum vitae emphasize college degrees and academic background for a particular field of study. A good length for curriculum vitae could range from four to 80 or more pages; a good length for a resume is approximately two pages. Although the format reflects headings similar to that of a resume, the order of major headings differs in placement. Place the education category directly under the name and contact information. Place additional category headings in order of importance. Here is an overview of some interesting, yet often overlooked, additional heading categories.

Action Steps
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Supplementary materials

Supplementary materials include, but are not limited to a cover letter, dissertation abstract(s), scholarly interests and course lists. Because length is not an issue when composing curriculum vitae, add supplementary materials that enhance your academic preparation as a candidate for a position.

I recommend: Look at some additional supplementary materials for curriculum vitae as provided by Dartmouth College.

Statement of research interests

A statement of research interests is a narrative of research history, present lab work and future aspirations. For each past research project, discuss specific lab skills and the results. List all career or research experience that relates directly to academic experience. Chronicle your future lab work as you envision it. Include areas of interest and the relationship to your postdoctoral studies.

I recommend: Open the presentation from the University of Pennsylvania developed to teach statement of research writing.

Statement of teaching interests

A statement of teaching interests is required for assistant professor positions and supplemental for other positions. It is similar to a statement of research interests. For each area of teaching interest, discuss specific qualifications, including academic preparation, proctor experiences or research and lab experiences that qualify you for future teaching interests.

I recommend: The University of Montana Career Services discusses how to write a balanced statement of teaching interests.

Dossier

A dossier consists of an additional set of documents with a table of contents to reflect each item, including but not limited to the curriculum vitae, a personal statement for future interests, published books, journal articles, scholarly or artistic work, confidential references, unpublished materials and pending grant applications.

I recommend: See the additional information from Smith College to format a dossier for outsider reviewers.

Personal statement

This supplemental heading is often overlooked or ignored, yet it reflects professional commitment, transparency and clarification on the part of the applicant. Include areas such as the rationale for your chosen profession, what you are looking for from a new position, your background, and your interests outside of your chosen career field.

I recommend: Take a look at some personal statement categories from the medical students' Guide to Writing Curriculum Vitae and Personal Statements.

Electronic curriculum vitae

Consider an electronic curriculum vitae to transmit through email or upload through a web server. Known also as an electronic portfolio, an electronic curriculum vita replaces hard copies of these lengthy documents. Forward these environmental-friendly documents to multiple times to recruiters for less cost than mailing or delivering hard paper copies.

I recommend: To begin to create an electronic curriculum vitae that you can scan, The University of Texas at Austin details some important steps in this process.