A vita, or curriculum vita, is a more extensive document typically used by those with graduate education who are pursuing positions in academia or research.
A curriculum vitae or CV is similar to a resume in that it provides an overview of your professional and educational experience. The difference between the two primarily lies in content and purpose. A CV is typically developed for application for teaching or research positions in a university or research setting. A resume is prepared for employers outside the academic environment.
Content
The CV should begin with name, contact
information (including email), and education.The education category should
include the name of the colleges or universities attended, city and state of
each, degrees earned, area(s) of study, and graduation dates. Degrees should be
listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent listed first. List
the title of each thesis/dissertation, as well as the primary advisor. Beyond
this basic information, category headings used within CVs may vary widely.
However, there are certain major areas that require mention, regardless of
specific headings used. These are:
Research
Include all relevant research experience
in your area of specialization. You may choose to list publications, conference
presentations and any other evidence of scholarly work in this
section.
Teaching
List all teaching fellowships,
assistantships, or any other experiences working with students in a classroom/laboratory setting. You may also choose to list teaching interests or
similar categories.
Service
Include service to the university or
community. You may also include professional associations, volunteer work,
committee membership, etc. in this section.
Format
It is important to incorporate evidence of
research, teaching, and service in your CV, but choice of category headings to
cover these areas is purely subjective. Most CVs include a sampling of the
category headings listed below. Choose category headings that emphasize your
particular strengths and achievements. Also, depending on the position to which
you are applying, it may make more sense to rearrange categories. For instance,
if you are applying for a college teaching position where teaching is the focus,
it is recommended to focus on that general area early in the CV. If research is
the primary focus of the institution to which you are applying, listing
research-related categories near the beginning of the CV will be most
effective.
