DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM VITAE
Scott W. Plunkett, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology, California State University Northridge, [email protected]
COMMENTARIES ABOUT THE VITA
A great vita will not get you
! Vita compared to resume – A resume tends toward brevity/conciseness (1-2 pages), while a vita
the job, but a poor vita can
is more comprehensive because it provides much more detail about academic and
sure lose you a job!
research/scholarly endeavors.
o Many people put way too much information in the vita. Hence, the important information is
lost in the quantity of information provided.
! The vita is a sales brochure on you. It is not a candid, all-encompassing list of everything you have ever done. The vita should
contain information that makes you attractive to the reader and strengthens your candidacy.
! An effective vita tracks your strengths and accomplishments in such a way that a potential employer, funder, or graduate school
takes positive notice of them.
! Your vita may be read by various people in different positions at an institution. As you create your vita, keep your audience in mind
and consider how they will view your material.
! There are two key components in the development of an effective vita: appearance and substance
REASONS TO ALWAYS MAINTAIN AN UPDATED VITA
! For the job market and consulting positions
! For graduate school applications for admission, assistantships, and/or fellowships
! For retention, promotion, tenure, or merit raises
! For publishing and editorial boards
! For leadership roles in professional organizations
! For grant applications
! To track achievements – you might forget later what you have done
! For a self-analysis of your strengths as well as your weaknesses
! For speech introductory material
IMPORTANCE OF THE VITA TO THE SEARCH COMMITTEE
! Allows the search committee to screen applicants by seeing if he/she is a good 'fit' with the department/institution
! Provides information for interview questions
APPEARANCE OF VITA
Do not under-estimate the
! Use 8.5 by 11 inches, quality, white or ivory paper with black type.
influence of the appearance
! Laser printed (only use ink jet if you use ink jet paper to decrease the ink from bleeding).
of your vita!
! Leave plenty of white space to make the areas more readable
o Put extra spaces between major sections
! The font should be 10-12 point size.
! Use a conservative, business-like, serif style font (e.g., Times New Roman, Century Schoolbook, AGaramond, or Palatino).
! Avoid script fonts (e.g., Sands, Comic Sans, Brush Script) and/or sans-serif fonts (e.g., Geneva, Arial, Helvetica).
! Use only one typeface (Exception: make your headings a sans-serif typeface and your text a serif typeface)
! Use boldface and italic type sparingly to emphasize items.
Underlining & ALL-CAPS
o Bold the headers of different sections.
were for typewriters, not
o Bold job titles and degrees instead of the institutions.
computers.
! Do not underline words because words that are underlined are more difficult to read.
o For example: Mary just wants to quit, and then she wants to get a better-paying job.
! Avoid using ALL CAPS because they are difficult to read. Use SMALL CAPS instead. Compare the following:
o NATIONAL COUNCIL ON FAMILY RELATIONS and NATIONAL COUNCIL ON FAMILY RELATIONS
! Do not include a photograph.
! Do not include any graphics, drawings, or shading.
! Do not have any errors or erasures!
! Do not revise your vita in handwriting.
! Mail the vita in nine-by-eleven inch envelopes so it remains flat and does not get folded.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE VITA CONTENT
! Quantify your accomplishments. Whenever possible use numbers to focus attention, add impact, and increase credibility.
! Tailor your vita to the job.
o Have more than one vita ready for different types of jobs (e.g., academic, consulting, grants).
o The order of the categories and/or job responsibilities might be changed to better fit with each position.
Developing an Effective Curriculum Vitae 2
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Do not exaggerate or falsify information.
Do not include why you left any position.
Do not use slang words. However, industry jargon is acceptable.
Do not use humor on the vita.
Avoid abbreviations/acronyms
o Exceptions
" Abbreviations/acronyms known throughout your discipline (e.g., SPSS, CV)
" Two-letter state abbreviations.
Do not state anticipated or past salary.
Do not use the word “I” to describe things you have done – It is your vita, so it is obvious who did what activities.
Use words or phrases. Avoid compound sentences.
Use past tense to describe past accomplishments, responsibilities, and activities.
o The exception is if you are currently doing a particular job, then use present tense.
o Use action words (Refer to “Action Words” section of this handout)
Put your name and page number on every page
o Exception: On the first page, put the date your vita was updated instead of the page number
Proofread obsessively – no mistakes!
o Have others proofread your vita.
o Spell checkers are not sufficient. They may find a misspelled word, but they may substitute the incorrect word.
Look at other people’s vitas in your department, at professional conferences, and on the internet.
o This will help in identifying common practices and vita categories used by faculty in your discipline.
After the contact information
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE VITA CATEGORIES
and education, the order of the
! List “Contact Information”, then “Education”, and then list the categories in order of
other categories depends on
importance for the position you are applying.
where the vita is going.
! Be consistent in how you list categories and subcategories.
! Compartmentalize your sections (e.g., Education, Scholarship, Teaching, Service, Outreach)
! List items within each category (e.g., Education, Experience, Publications, Presentations, Grants, Activities) in reverse
chronological order.
SAMPLE OUTLINE
! Contact Information
! Education
o Post Graduate Work
o Graduate Degree(s)
o Undergraduate Degree(s)
o Certifications
! Experience (organize these in the order of importance)
o Teaching Experience
o Research Experience
o Human Services/Clinical Experience
o Consulting Experience
! Research/Scholarship
o Publications
" Journal Articles
" Book Chapters
" Books
" Other Publications (e.g., magazine articles, research
monographs)
" Manuscripts in Review or Revision
" Works in Progress (only if you are a student and you
have a very solid draft of the manuscript)
o Grants
" Research Grants
" Teaching Grants
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" Program Grants
o Conference Presentations
" International/National Conference Presentations
" Regional and State Presentations
" Local Presentations
o Current Research Projects and Collaborations
Service
o Reviewing
o Professional Organizations and Offices
o University Service
" University
" College
" Department
Outreach
o Community Activities
o Invited Presentations
Skills
o Languages
o Computer Skills
o Research/Statistics Skills
Honors
o Professional Awards
o Community Awards
o University Awards
DETAILED INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC VITA CATEGORIES
! Contact Information – List name, address, phone number, email, and URL (if applicable).
o It is best to just list one address and one phone number.
Developing an Effective Curriculum Vitae 3
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" Note from Plunkett: I would not list a cell phone number (unless it is the only phone you have). Do you really want to get a call
from a university as you are driving down the road or hanging out with friends? If you are actively searching for a job and you
listed your cell phone number, then let voice mail pick it up. Then check voice mail immediately, check your notes about the
position, and then call the person back immediately.
Education – Include school(s), degree(s), major(s), minor(s) if applicable, and graduation date (if you have not graduated yet, then
list your expected graduation date).
o Do not include universities if you did not receive a degree there (unless it is a summer fellowship).
o Bold/Emphasize the major and degree, not the university. The more important information is the major and degree.
Experience – Include job title, dates, employer, city, state, accomplishments, and responsibilities.
o Do not list the address, phone numbers, or supervisors.
o Emphasize the accomplishments more than the responsibilities.
o Do not feel obligated to list every job you have ever had. List those positions that are pertinent to the position.
o Combine or omit short-term experience. For example, if you have worked in two or three childcare centers as a lead teacher in the
last five years instead of listing each of them you might make a section called “Other Teaching Experience” followed by “Five
years of experience working as a lead teacher in childcare agencies where the primary responsibility included developing and
teaching age-appropriate curriculums for children 3-5 years of age.”
o If you have experience related to the position and experience not directly related to the position, group the jobs together under
appropriate subheadings and then list in reverse chronological order (e.g., ‘Academic Experience’ and ‘Other Experience’).
Research Experience – List your postdoctoral, graduate, and possibly undergraduate research (if you are a graduate student and the
research is relevant to your application).
o Provide the name of the institution, project title, dates, duties, skills, and contributions.
o Note from Plunkett: Many candidates who had a research assistantship will list who the supervisor was, but not the project. I
want to know the title of the project, but I personally feel that it is not necessary to list the research supervisor UNLESS there is
some reason to believe it will help you (e.g., the supervisor is a leading scholar in the field). Generally, I believe leave the
supervisor off but if s/he is important, then include in your personal statement / application letter. Also, don’t list the funding
source/grant unless you wrote the grant.
Teaching Experience – List your title (e.g., teaching fellow, teaching assistant, adjunct faculty), institution, dates, and courses.
o Some list the names of courses taught in a separate section called “Courses Taught.”
o Many advocate listing teaching evaluations
" Note from Plunkett: I tend not to do this because people will often selectively list evaluations. I have a separate document that
lists ALL of my evaluations.
o You don’t need to list what the course covers or who takes it – too much info. List a course in this format: PSY 361: Adolescence.
This tells the reader it was a Junior level class and focused on adolescence. Keep the vita focused.
o If you were a teaching assistant, you do not need to list who your supervisor was for a teaching assistantship. Just list the classes
you assisted with and what you did (e.g., grading, lecturing, leading class discussions).
Publications – There are many different forms of publications. It is best to organize the publications by type (e.g., journal articles,
book chapters, books) and then by year (i.e., reverse chronological order).
o Use one standard bibliographic form for publications (e.g., APA).
o Articles that are ‘in press’ should be listed with your publications.
o List manuscripts under review or in revision in a separate section.
" There is disagreement as to whether you should list the place where the manuscript is under review. On the one hand, listing the
journal seems to give it more credibility, yet if the manuscript is rejected (and you change your vita when you resubmit), then
readers will know it was rejected.
o List published abstracts, proceedings, and ERIC documents in a separate section. Don’t mix them in with peer-reviewed journal
articles because it sends a message that you don’t understand the difference.
o Do not mix peer-reviewed/juried publications with ‘lay’ publications (e.g., research monographs, research instruments, magazine
articles, newsletters). You could call this section “Other Publications.”
" Note from Plunkett: I am never sure if people who collapse all kinds of publications together are trying to hide that they don’t
have many peer-reviewed publications or if they don’t know the difference. Either way, it does not look good.
o If you are a student, then list manuscripts that are in progress.
" Note from Plunkett: Only list manuscripts in progress if there is a VERY solid rough draft of the manuscript. I list manuscripts
that are ‘in progress’ on my vita as a way to keep track of what I am working on. However, I take them off when submitting my
vita for a job or for a grant.
o Another note: One faculty applicant had 6 manuscripts in preparation, but only one publication two years earlier. This makes me
wonder whether they can ever get the manuscripts done. In other words, it is a potential liability.
o One last note: One faculty applicant listed publications, but just said “with…”, instead of listing the author order. Hence, I did
not know if the person was first, second, or third author. Also, it makes me think the person did not understand the relevance of
author order.
Grants – List your title (e.g., Principal Investigator, Project Director or Co-Director), title of the grant, funding source, amount
funded, and funding period.
Developing an Effective Curriculum Vitae 4
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o Many professionals list the grants in which they had a significant role (e.g., Project Evaluator) even if they were not the Principal
Investigator or Project Director.
" Comment from Plunkett: I do this WHEN I actually help with writing the grant and the progress reports. I do not list the grant
if I am just getting funding from the grant, but I did not help with writing the grant.
o Many professionals list grants that they submitted but did not get funded.
" This is a good strategy if you are a student or junior faculty.
" One downside is if you have numerous unfunded grants with no funded grants. It might give the perception that you are not
able to acquire grants.
Conference Presentations
o If you have a sufficient number of presentations, then organize them by type (e.g., international, national, regional and state,
local) and then year (i.e., reverse chronological order).
o Use one standard bibliographic form for presentations (e.g., APA).
o Do not mix conference presentations with invited presentations (see section below).
o Many advocate listing conferences attended (even when not presenting).
" Note from Plunkett: I would only do this if you have no conference presentations or the conference you attended is very
relevant to the person who will be reviewing your materials.
Reviewing – Reviewing is a very important aspect of service to the profession. Many journals have programs (e.g., review
internships) to help students and junior faculty learn how to review.
o If you are on a editorial review board for a journal, list it in this section.
o If you review one manuscript, but are not on the review board, then say so (some call this “Ad Hoc Editorial Consultant.”.
o List the journal in which you edited a manuscript; do NOT list the title of manuscripts you reviewed
o If you edited a book, then list the book and publisher.
Professional Organizations or Activities
o Indicate the name of the organization, how long you have been a member (e.g., 2000 to present), and any leadership positions
held in the organization.
" It is important to put the dates because you might have only been a member of the organization for a month or year, or you
might have been a member of 10 years.
University Activities – Include this area when just graduating or if you have graduated in the past few years. Do not include high
school activities.
Honors – Examples include professional, community, and collegiate honors as well as fellowships.
o If the name of the honor is not self-explanatory, include a short description (e.g., 1999 Lincoln Award recipient – Ph.D. student
who best combines academic excellence and community service).
Community Service or Activities – Many potential employers like to see applicants who are involved in community service.
o This section could also include membership on a non-profit agency’s board and other volunteer activities.
Invited Presentations – This section is for presentations given to lay audiences (e.g., community organizations, radio talk shows,
TV talk shows).
Volunteer Experiences, Practicums, and/or Internships – If the experience directly relates to the career and you were treated like
an employee (i.e., they counted on your showing up at certain times on certain days), then list it like a job.
o Include the position title (e.g., “Intern” or “Volunteer”), place of “employment”, and responsibilities.
o If it is a one-time event or just a few hours then list it as community service or activity.
Certifications/Licensures – Include, if applicable, to the desired field.
Skills – Include language, computer, and research/statistics skills
o Language – Indicate if you are bilingual, fluent in reading and writing, or if you are just familiar with the language.
o Computer – Indicate if you are familiar with or proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PBworks, Google Docs, etc.
o Research/Statistics – Indicate if you are familiar with SPSS, EQS, Qualtrics, Martin, Dedoose, etc.
o Note from Plunkett: If you are not ‘proficient, but you have experience with a program, then you might say “familiar with”. In
other words, do not overstate your ability.
Skills (example)
! Fluent in spoken and written Spanish
! Proficient on all Windows and Macintosh operating systems
! Familiar with SPSS, LISREL, AMOS, EQS, HLM, Ethnograph, QSR*NUDIST
! Proficient with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Illustrator
QUESTIONABLE VITA CATEGORIES
! Job Objective – There is controversy as to whether job objective should be included.
o Pros
" The objective could give the employer more insight into the specific goals of the applicant, and a person can modify the job
objective on each vita to better fit the specific job description.
o Cons
Developing an Effective Curriculum Vitae 5
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" By stating a job objective on the vita an applicant might not be considered for other positions that do not precisely match the
objective.
" The job objective is redundant with the cover letter.
" Job objectives are often too broadly stated (e.g., To acquire an assistant professor position), meaningless (e.g., To acquire a
position that will enhance personal and professional growth in the academic setting), or too specific (e.g., To acquire an
assistant professor position in psychology at CSUN).
Professional References – You need to have three to five professional references who will speak very highly of you.
o Some include the line “Excellent character and professional references available on request.”
" Note from Plunkett: I think this statement is meaningless. I have a separate sheet of paper for references which includes full
name, title, institutional address, email, and phone number of 3-5 references.
o Some believe the references should not be included on the vita because:
" Applicants may be in a current position where they don’t want their references knowing they are applying for a position until
the search committee is seriously considering them.
" It is redundant with reference letters.
Poorly chosen references can
cost you a job if not properly
o Bonus material on references:
groomed
" Make sure references have different surname than you.
" Only solicit references from people who know you well.
" Always seek permission from references before listing them on an application, reference list, or vita.
" Make sure your references work where they can receive calls during business hours and can privately talk about you.
" Send a letter expressing appreciation for being a reference that includes a copy of your job search materials.
" Tell the reference the types of positions you are seeking and ask for referrals.
" Advise reference any time you give out his/her name. Tell the reference who will be calling,
What someone says about you
the nature of the position, your qualifications, any special areas of employer interest or
has a much greater impact than
concern. This allows the reference to tailor the recommendation toward the specific job
what you say about yourself!
position.
" Ask the reference to notify you when they are contacted.
" Advise and thank all references when you accept a new position.
Personal – Most agree there is no reason to include personal items unless they have a direct bearing on your occupation. Personal
items such as age, marital status, number of children, ethnic identity, religion, description of health, or gender may result in a
conscious or unconscious bias.
Hobbies/Personal Interests – You should only include hobbies or personal interests if they are relevant to the position you are
seeking.
Coursework – Include coursework only if you have no experience, few activities, and need to fill in space on your vita. Include
courses that relate to the target position, school, or fellowship.
SUPPORTING MATERIAL FOR THE VITA
! Cover Letter – The cover letter should state the position you are applying for, how you heard about the position, a brief statement
of your background, your teaching and research interests, and your personal attributes and skills.
! Statement of Professional Interests – This is a one page document that summarizes your professional interests (e.g., research
interests, teaching interests).
o Statement of Research/Scholarly Interests – This document is a 1-3 page statement of past, current, and future research
interests. This would include your experiences with various data collection techniques, statistical analyses, and research skills. In
regards to future research, describe what research you would like to do and how you might involve students in your research.
o Statement of Teaching Interests or Philosophy is often required for an assistant professor position. For good overviews on
writing a good teaching philosophy and/or teaching portfolios, refer to the following web pages.
" How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy
chronicle.com/article/How-to-Write-a-Statement-of/45133/
" Frequently Asked Questions About The Philosophy Of Teaching Statement
http://utsa.edu/tlc/Resources/Docs/Frequently_Asked_Questions_About_The_Philosophy_Of_Teaching_Statement.pdf
" Sample teaching portfolios can be found on the following webpage:
http://cetalweb.utep.edu/sun/cetal/resources/portfolios/samples.htm
! Transcript and/or Course Lists – Generally, applicants are asked to submit official copies of their transcripts.
! Teaching Evaluations
o Note from Plunkett: I believe you should not selectively provide teaching evaluations; that is, leaving out poor evaluations. If
your evaluations start off poor, but get better, that shows how responsive you are as a teacher. If you have a few disgruntled
students in one class, that is normal.
Developing an Effective Curriculum Vitae 6
ACTION WORDS TO USE TO WHEN DESCRIBING YOUR RESEARCH OR WORK EXPERIENCES
Accomplished
Computed
Entered
Inspected
Participated
Achieved
Conceived
Established
Inspired
Perfected
Adapted
Conducted
Evaluated
Installed
Performed
Added
Consolidated
Examined
Instituted
Persuaded
Adjusted
Constructed
Executed
Instructed
Piloted
Administered
Consulted
Expanded
Integrated
Pioneered
Advertised
Contracted
Expedited
Interpreted
Planned
Advised
Coordinated
Expressed
Interviewed
Prepared
Analyzed
Corresponded
Extracted
Introduced
Presided
Applied
Counseled
Facilitated
Invented
Processed
Appraised
Created
Familiarized
Inventoried
Produced
Arbitrated
Cut
Fixed
Investigated
Programmed
Arranged
Delegated
Formatted
Launched
Projected
Ascertained
Delivered
Formulated
Lectured
Proposed
Assembled
Demonstrated
Founded
Maintained
Publicized
Assessed
Designed
Generated
Managed
Purchased
Assisted
Detected
Guided
Mapped
Recommended
Attained
Developed
Handled
Marketed
Reconciled
Audited
Devised
Helped
Measured
Recruited
Averted
Diagnosed
Hired
Mediated
Reduced
Budgeted
Directed
Identified
Mentored
Reorganized
Calculated
Discovered
Illustrated
Modeled
Repaired
Catalogued
Dissected
Implemented
Modified
Replaced
Chaired
Distributed
Improved
Monitored
Represented
Coached
Diverted
Improvised
Motivated
Researched
Collected
Drafted
Increased
Negotiated
Resolved
Communicated
Edited
Influenced
Obtained
Restructured
Compiled
Eliminated
Informed
Organized
Retrieved
Completed
Enacted
Initiated
Overhauled
Revamped
Composed
Enforced
Innovated
Oversaw
Reviewed
SKILLS FOR THE VITA, COVER LETTER, OR INTERVIEW
Administering programs
Interpreting languages
Analyzing data, reports, etc.
Interviewing people
Budgeting
Investigating problems
Calculating numerical data
Making presentations
Communication skills
Managing others
Compiling/conducting statistics
Managing time
Computer graphics
Mediation
Conceptualizing
Motivating
Conducting experiments
Multivariate statistics
Coordinating events
Negotiating
Data base management
Organizing projects and/or tasks
Designing layouts and poster presentations
Persuading others
Desktop publishing
Planning programs/projects
Developing charts/graphs
Problem solving
Editing
Programming computers
Entering data in SPSS
Promoting events
Evaluating programs
Public speaking
Fundraising
Record-keeping
Handling complaints
Rehabilitating others
Revised
Salvaged
Scheduled
Selected
Served
Simplified
Solved
Sorted
Streamlined
Strengthened
Studied
Summarized
Supervised
Surveyed
Synthesized
Systematized
Tabulated
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transcribed
Transformed
Translated
Tutored
Upgraded
Updated
Utilized
Verified
Won
Wrote
Repairing mechanical devices
Researching
Running meetings
Scheduling
Selling products/services
Speaking foreign language
Speech writing
Spreadsheets
Supervising others
Synthesizing
Teaching
Team building
Thinking logically
Trouble shooting
Updating files
Using a PC/Mac/Mainframe
Word processing
Writing articles/reports