University of Minnesota
Office of Human Resources
http://www.umn.edu/ohr
612-625-2016

Writing the Curriculum Vitae

Resources

Tips

  • Organize your first page to highlight your strengths.
  • Headings should be bold and in capital letters.
  • Information placed at the top of the page stands out more than information in the middle or bottom of the page.
  • Left-hand side of the CV stands out more than right-hand side, so put the most pertinent information on the left.
  • Use one professional looking font (e.g. Times) and readable size (e.g. size 12), not smaller than size 10.
  • Grammatical or spellings errors can cause your CV to be discarded.
  • Print your CV on white, ivory, or cream paper; print only on one side.
  • Include your name and page number on each page.
  • Be consistent; use the same format throughout.
  • Invite a peer or colleague to critique your CV.

Evaluating Your CV

This rubric will help you and your peer reviewer to better assess your CV as a complete document. (Adapted from WI Peer Review Groups & Criteria Grids See especially Sample 7. )

Is It Informative?

  • Is the information in the CV presented in a logical order?
  • Are all of the basic subheadings present - education, teaching experience, research experience, presentations/publications (service)?
  • Is "work in progress" included - current degree program, current teaching and research responsibilities, draft publications?
  • Does the CV contain only essential, relevant information for an academic position?
  • Is the information presented as concisely as possible?
  • Is the information elaborated on in sufficient detail?
  • If you were leading an interview based on this CV, what two questions might you ask?
  • What additional information might you like to have?

Is It Persuasive?

  • Does the CV emphasize the applicant's strengths?
  • Does the CV emphasize what is unique about this person's experience?
  • Does the CV demonstrate a central interest or ability? (Leadership, teaching experience, dedication, creativity, etc.)

Is It Attractive?

  • Does the CV look neat? (Appropriate spacing, clear headings)
  • Is the CV easy to read?  Are your eyes drawn to important information?
  • Are the sections of the CV presented in a parallel format and style? (Active verbs; consistent use with typeface choices; parallelism within sections)
  • Are there any distracting grammatical, typographical, or spelling errors?