How to Make a CV

CV vs resume: what's the difference?

A resume is a one- to two-page summary tailored to a specific job. A CV is a longer, comprehensive record of your academic and professional life. In the United States, resumes are the norm outside academia. In Europe, the UK, and much of Asia, "CV" is used for what North Americans call a resume.

Know which one is expected before you start. If the job posting says "CV" and it's an industry job outside academia, they usually mean a one- to two-page resume.

CV structure

Academic and research CVs follow a predictable structure. Recruiters and committees read them in a specific order, so match expectations.

• Header — name, current position, institution, email, phone, and personal website or ORCID.
• Research interests — two to four lines describing your focus.
• Education — degrees with institutions, dates, and dissertation titles.
• Academic appointments — postdocs, faculty, and visiting positions.
• Publications — grouped by type (peer-reviewed, book chapters, conference papers).
• Grants and fellowships — with funding amounts and role.
• Teaching experience — courses taught, guest lectures, mentoring.
• Presentations — invited talks, conference presentations.
• Service — peer review, committees, editorial boards.
• Awards and honors — with dates and selectors.
• Skills — languages, technical skills, methodologies.
• References — three to five, with relationship and contact details.

Length and formatting

Academic CVs have no fixed length. A graduate student might have two pages. A full professor might have twenty. Length is not the goal — completeness for the reader is.

Formatting rules are strict in academia:

• Consistent citation format throughout (APA, MLA, Chicago, or a discipline standard).
• Chronological or reverse-chronological ordering — check the convention in your field.
• Serif fonts and generous line spacing are common.
• Single column. No graphics, no photos, no colored headings.
• Plain text PDF, not a scanned or image-heavy document.

Publications section — how to write it

This is the section committees read most carefully. Use one citation style consistently. Common patterns:

• Authors (with your name bolded or underlined), year, title, journal, volume, pages.
• Peer-reviewed articles first, then book chapters, then conference proceedings, then other.
• Do not include manuscripts in preparation unless the convention in your field allows it.
• Do not mix formats between sections.

Tailoring your CV to the position

An academic CV is a living document that you update continuously. Before submitting it, adjust these parts to the position:

• Move the most relevant sections to the top. A research position emphasizes publications. A teaching position emphasizes teaching experience.
• Add a teaching philosophy statement or research statement as a separate document if asked.
• Choose references who are most relevant to the role, not the most senior.

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