The Role of the Curriculum Vitae in Academic Life
The following is a presentation created by Diane J. Mick PhD RN CCNS GNP FNAP. It was designed to:
- Articulate strategies for developing an effective CV
- Outline elements of a carefully constructed CV
- Differentiate items that belong on a CV from those that do not
It's a fast scan and a great guide to review before you put together your CV.
What is the role of the CV?
The CV is a:
- Formal record of one's progress on the academic ladder
- The centerpiece of the academic review process
What's good about your CV?
Consider your CV as a:
- Tool for self-assessment
- Source of positive encouragement when your path deviates from the "Big Plan"
Why do you need to keep an updated CV?
You will be asked for it frequently for:
- Job applications
- Speaking engagements
- Introductions
Getting started
- Consult with the person in your deptartment who is responsible for the academic review process
- Find out whether your institution has a required CV format
- Ask more senior colleagues (faculty) for copies of their CVs
Design considerations
- Be conservative
- Keep it in perspective. The length of your CV is not an accurate indicator of
your worth as a person. - Avoid
- Fancy paper
- Multiple colors
- Spiffy fonts
- Embedded photographs
- Other desktop publishing marvels
Elements of a CV
- Demographic information
- Education
- Research interest and research support
- Accomplishments relevant to your professional career
- Intramural and extramural professional activities
- Invited speaking engagements
- Teaching and other educational activities
Demographics
- Do not include:
- Date and place of birth
- Marital status
- Number, gender, and ages of your children
- Political leanings
- Religious tendencies
- Social security number
- Do include:
- Post-secondary education
- Degrees
- Licensures
- Certifications
- Chronological listing of employment following post-secondary education
- Academic titles
- Administrative titles
Research Interests and Research Support
- Limit this section to a few terse statements about your major area of interest. It should be just a line or two, not a full-scale description.
- Statements should be analogous to global specific aims of a grant application
- Advertise general direction
- Allow titles of your published work to convey the details
- List amounts, dates or duration, and titles of awards you have received as the Primary Investigator (PI)
- Early in your career, list all research support, including individual fellowships to establish a funding history
- When listing awards on which you are Co-Investigator or Consultant, be scrupulous about identifying the PI
Professional Accomplishments
- List awards and honors relevant to your professional career
- Prizes for research or teaching
- Elected memberships in scholarly societies (it's okay to list awards for volunteerism, but avoid activities like Eagle Scout, PTA Parent of the Year, etc.
Professional Activities
- Describe how you contribute to your institution and to your health care specialty
- Distinguish between service to a divisional education committee from service to a campus-wide group
- Include peer-review involvement
- Grant reviewer
- Editorial board member
- Study section member
- Include dates of service and your precise role
Invited Speaking Engagements
- Invitations provide evidence of your reputation outside your own institution
- Critical criterion for advancement in academia
- Include title of presentation, audience, location and date
Teaching
- Course load, contact hours, #s of students
- Guest lectures in other courses
- Outline course titles, dates, description of your role in course leadership, design, or development
- Tutorial and/or advisory services
- Thesis and dissertation advisement
Paper in preparation as a promissory note
- Can backfire, if it remains on your CV for too long -- it can look like padding
- Submitted is okay (it's not necessary to identify the journal)
NIH Biosketch
- Keep an updated copy of an NIH biosketch along with your CV
- A biosketch forces you to pare down
Updates
- Update at least quarterly
- Update when you have published a paper, given a presentation, etc.
References
- Barrett, K. E. (2002). Preparing your curriculum vitae. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 34, 362-365.
- Hinck, S. M. (1997). A curriculum vitae that gives you a competitive edge. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 11, 174-177.
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