CV vs. Resume Writing Center Workshop Series Cynthia Castillo, Undergraduate Writing Consultant Tanvi Patel, Assistant Director Writing Center

CV stands for “Curriculum Vitae” What Does CV Stand For? CV stands for “Curriculum Vitae” Curriculum vitae is Latin for “course of one’s life” The aim of a CV is to identify your detailed background and qualifications as it relates to a specific field.

Why Create a CV? CVs include area-specific information about your academic background and are tailored towards specific disciplines or jobs. A CV assists the writer in setting future goals for their academic or professional career. A CV aids in the organization of non-academic information such as organizations, professional affiliations and memberships. A CV helps with asking for letters of recommendation from academic references. In many disciplines, it is the only accepted format for professional and academic qualifications.

The 5 “C”s of CV Clear: Well-organized and logical Concise: Relevant and important Complete: Includes all aspects of your professional life in relation to your job search Consistent: Doesn’t mix styles or fonts Current: Up-to-date and inclusive of current positions UCLA Graduate Division

Formatting The CV General Rules Font: Times New Roman Print on A4 (8.5 x 11) regular, white paper Font Size: 12pt Single-sided Margins: 1” all around Include page numbers and Full Name on both sides of page No graphics and usually no photo of self Use bold and CAPS only to highlight key areas Avoid underlining words General Rules UCLA Graduate Division

Formatting The CV Cont. Sections on the CV Always Include: Education (usually listed first) Honors and Awards Professional Experience Publications and Presentations Extracurricular and Volunteer Activities Professional Affiliations Sections on the CV Optional: Depending on Discipline Objective Certifications and Licenses Professional Activities Research Skills

Formatting The CV Cont.    More About CVs 

What did you learn from the resume? What information stood out? Formatting The Resume The Quadrant Test Split your Resume into four parts – each should have equal amounts of writing Quadrant 1 – Include the most important information Avoid excessive white space with this strategy 20 Second Test Use formatting to emphasize your important content – underline, italics, bold. Ask a friend or professor to scan your resume for 20 seconds and answer: What did you learn from the resume? What information stood out? https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/631/1/

Formatting the Resume Cont. Business: Pick specific words to highlight regarding position Focus on specific areas Highlight specific achievements exceeding expectations Use numbers to show progress you have made Show leadership experience within extracurricular activities Arts and Communication: Portfolios and samples should be mentioned Graphics can demonstrate creativity Include language proficiency For other specific fields, See UC Davis’s resume and CV samples page! https://icc.ucdavis.edu/materials/resume/samples.htm

Language Tips: Diction Wordiness Avoid excessive use of words! Do not repeat your ideas Avoid using the same word twice in one sentence/phrase When revising, try to simplify the idea Keep the most important words Vagueness The more descriptive your language, the better! Avoid vague words like you, different, stuff, everything, we, something, our, thing, and certain. Avoid verbs like complete, do, is, appreciate, create, experience, feel, understand, know, and participate in. Objectivity Use a formal tone and remove biased opinion! Avoid putting your own feelings and beliefs into the CV Do NOT criticize the company or your boss Remain professional when identifying your critiques Be respectful! See sample exercise career services

Language Tips: Gapping Instead of writing your ideas in complete sentences, use the technique of Gapping to save space in your resume or CV. “Gapping is the use of incomplete sentences in order to present your information as clearly and concisely as possible.” – OWL Purdue Writing Lab Examples: Do not: “I taught composition for four years, during which time I planned classes and activities, graded papers, and constructed exams. I also met with students regularly for conferences. Instead, do this: Composition Instructor Planned class activities; Graded all assignments; Held regular conferences with students https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/641/1/

Language Tips: Parallelism In terms of language choices, it is important to follow the Parallelism principle. The aim is to use the same pattern of words to show that each description has the same level of importance. Parallelism is the consistent use of tenses, formal language, diction, verb phrasing when describing your responsibilities or abilities. – OWL Purdue Writing Lab Example: Do: Mary likes hiking, swimming and biking OR Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bike. Do NOT: Mary likes hiking, to swim and bicycle rides.

Content Advice Make sure to include a list of accomplishments instead of just your responsibilities. Mention the skills you’ve learned from other positions that you might bring to this new one. Have your professors, friends, and the Writing Center look over your content and formatting before sending it out. Do not try to make your CV or resume longer. If you taught one course four times, do not list each one as a separate line. Tailor the CV or resume for the specific jobs you seek – do not include all experiences if they do not fit. Do not explain every detail of your experience.

** Now follow up with a visit to the Cal Lutheran Writing Center ** Questions? Thank you! ** Now follow up with a visit to the Cal Lutheran Writing Center ** www.callutheran.edu/writing_center cluwritingcenter.wordpress.com writingcenter@callutheran.edu 805-493-3257