No one ever volunteered advice on how to construct a CV.
I think I was expected to know how to create one by osmosis.
So I looked up the CV of the doc program advisor & patterned mine after theirs.
When it was done, I had a reasonable CV that was unreasonably difficult to navigate.
As I approached the job market, a few assistant professors offered to look it over - it was the blind leading the blind - their CVs were no more navigable than mine.
Much later, I found a template suggested by professional association - which helped.
Only lately, have I been satisfied with my CV - and after chatting with students at my place and beyond.
I realized a few tips might be helpful for a rookie - beyond fonts & margins.
So how can you craft a narrative in your CV? And what should you include? And not include?
Take some time to think through the story that you want to tell.
Your story should introduce you, your research, your service, your teaching, something interesting about you, & point to someone who can testify to its veracity.
Sit down & pencil out each of those components.
First, start with contact info & pedigree.
Early career faculty include their advisor & dissertation committee.
Second, research.
Get straight to the point.
Journal pubs, conference proceedings, & presentations.
Books come first - book chapters later - for whatever reason we value book chapters less in my field.
Grants come last & separate. Make them easy to find.
Use a standard format. This makes it easy to maintain.
Third, teaching then service.
Senior people sometimes flip these.
Junior people should put their teaching.
Include courses, a succinct description & key evals.
Senior people break service out into sections based on who they serve or where.
Junior people may not have enough to break out into sections.
Don’t sweat it. A few years into your first job, you will have plenty.
Fourth, awards.
Other than research or teaching excellence, explain the award.
Awards are idiosyncratic to fields and institutions.
Your job is to keep it simple for a reader to understand.
Fifth, work experience.
Same as any industry resume.
But don’t include flipping burgers.
Sixth, references.
Junior people should include their advisor.
Senior people should include someone more proximal.
Seventh, red flags to think carefully about.
I never include GPA - it’s something you see on resumes - you almost never see it for academics.
I never include info from before undergraduate degrees.
I never include coursework.
I never include personal information. I selectively disclose my faith, family status & so on to friends - not employers.
Finally, some folks start with a short bio & picture. It is fine but don’t go long.
Once you have a wire frame in place. Fill it in consistently.
You will find you nuance your CV over time. It will get better if you attend to it.
Best of luck!
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