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Curriculum vitae writing

What is a curriculum vitae?  

  • A presentation of credentials for a research/teaching position in a university, a research institute, or company with R&D requirements. A résumé (two pages maximum) is prepared for employers outside the academic and research environment
  • An indispensable job hunting tool that represents an objective, factual, personal history of you - an advertisement designed to market you by highlighting your abilities and future potential
  • A summary of your career aspirations, educational background, employment experience, achievements, and interests

Before you apply

  • Preparing a proper CV requires a complete assessment of yourself in an organized way. Anyone advertising a product must know that product, and the product here is "you”
  • Before applying for a position, determine your fit to the area where the job vacancy occurs
  • It would be helpful if you could do some preliminary research about the department and institution prior to sending your application so that you do not put emphasis in the wrong place: are teaching and research of equal importance? What other duties are expected?

Major sections of a curriculum vitae

Curriculum Vitae (optional at top of page)

Name (this should be the largest font size on the document)

Address and Telephone (addresses such as current and permanent, e-mail, website, LinkedIn URL) (no heading necessary when listing only one address)

Citizenship (if beneficial)

Research and/or Professional Interests

  • Provide a brief summary of your research/teaching interests and areas of expertise from both inside and outside your institution that could be called upon
  • List in point form, beginning with a general or broad spectrum and ending with the more specific areas. More details can be included in your letter

Summary of Qualifications (optional)

This section provides a concise overview of your qualifications, showing the employer how you will offer a competitive advantage. Qualifications may be drawn from any area of your life (e.g., work i.e., research, teaching, industry, and/or service, education, or other activities i.e., professional/community activities). Typically, include four to six points outlining your relevant strengths, beginning with the most relevant to

the job. Points may begin with nouns or adjectives. Describe your competitive advantage—the value you offer.  For example:

  • Three years process engineering experience with key responsibilities in product design and implementation

All points in your Summary of Qualifications should be targeted to your potential employer, elaborated on throughout your CV, and be accurate. Employers indicate that job applicants often falsely claim to possess skills and that such misrepresentation is perceived negatively. Precision and accurate wording will help you obtain a job to which you are well-suited and in which you can excel.

Your summary points must reflect the work you have done. Consider including key words commonly used in the field to which you are applying.

Include:

  • As a first bullet (if applicable), your work experience (paid or unpaid) relevant to the position (e.g., "7+ years research and teaching experience in material science engineering")
  • Your relevant knowledge/expertise (e.g., in-depth knowledge of artificial intelligence application in construction management; experience in construction project management)
  • Your relevant skills (e.g., computer proficiency, report writing, program planning, public speaking, problem-solving)
  • If applicable, technical, computer, and/or laboratory skills (e.g., GIS, SPSS, SAS)
  • A general reference to where you developed the skill (e.g., "proven leadership skills developed through team lead experiences"). Include this level of detail only once or twice so that points do not become too lengthy
  • Specialized training/education (e.g., "Certificate in Project Management")
  • Fluency in a language other than English, specifically noting your level of verbal and/or written competency if required

Education/Professional Training/Certifications

  • Include all information on Bachelor, Master, Ph.D., postdoctoral or other relevant studies, in reverse chronological order, i.e., most recent first
  • Include degree awarded or anticipated, name of institution, location, date
  • In the U.S. you might encounter the ABD (all but dissertation) abbreviation which is not widely accepted in Canada
  • Show areas of specialty by topic, with thesis/dissertation titles and advisors’ names, and courses of special interest, if helpful
  • List a qualifying year for a program of studies as a separate entry, in the same format as your other degrees, e.g., Master of Arts (Qualifying Year), 20xx
  • List certification or licence status, with dates issued (if relevant) (e.g., “P.Eng. (ON) licence,  Professional Engineers  Ontario (20xx)”
  • Create 3 separate sections (i.e., Education, Professional Training, Certifications) to highlight details if beneficial

Employment

  • Describe your professional and/or work experience relating to the job you are seeking, e.g., graduate research, internships, assistantships, teaching, field placements, consulting, administration, management in both the public and private sectors
  • Create separate sections to highlight details:
    • research - activities and contracts, with the dollar value optional
    • teaching - class size, undergrad/grad levels, course preparation, marking
    • industry/government/not-for-profit experiences – job title, company name, location, dates
    • service
    • University - department, faculty, and university responsibilities, including committee work (such as thesis examination or hiring committees)
    • Professional - referee or reviewing/editing functions for journals, granting agencies
    • Academic Community Outreach - significant volunteer activities showing leadership or service 
  • Create an “Academic Experience” section to include both research and teaching experiences if you do not have enough experience for separate sections
  • Organize jobs in reverse chronological order within each section, i.e., most recent first. Include beginning and terminating dates, job title, name of company or organization, and location
  • Start points with action verbs; do not write in complete sentences or paragraphs
  • List accomplishments, including benefits to organization; show your skills and abilities
  • Do not forget to add supervisory experience (if applicable) within the appropriate sections of research, teaching, industry, and service

Publications

Inventions/Patents

  • Include all, most recent first, in correct bibliographic format so that the reader can check details. Include relevant information such as author(s), title, publisher, place of publication, name of periodical, volume, issue number, date, page(s)
  • Show both independent and collaborative work (if applicable)
  • Create separate sections with headings for a lengthy publications list, placing sections in appropriate order:
    1. authored or co-authored books, book chapters, monographs
    2. refereed, peer reviewed: journals, full papers or letters
    3. conference papers, abstracts or posters
    4. invited, non-refereed
    5. book reviews
    6. work in press, work submitted, work in preparation (separate headings)
    7. creative writing outside of one’s professional field (if relevant)
  • List inventions and patents; when listing a patent it is mandatory to include the country and year of issue

Presentations/Conferences

  • List conference seminars, professional workshops, and presentations

Awards, Scholarships, Fellowships, Prizes, Grants

  • Include both academic and professional
  • State name of honour, granting institution or agency, and date (value optional)
  • Explain acronyms; the meaning of the recognition may not be clear, especially those awarded by international universities/organizations

Professional Affiliations

  • Include current memberships, with dates
  • Mention offices held, significant appointments, with dates

Volunteer Experience

Format volunteer experience according to the message you wish to convey.

  • If you wish to highlight two or more volunteer activities, create a separate heading (e.g., Volunteer Activities, Volunteer Experience, or Community Service)
  • In this section, either list the organizations for which you volunteered or add detail about your contributions, beginning each point with an action verb

Languages spoken, read, written (if relevant)

Hobbies, Interests, Leisure Activities, Travel

  • Show those with relevance to academic life (e.g., photographer with expertise to use as a teaching tool), or, if you wish, include a broader range of activities, such as athletic, social, intellectual, cultural, if applicants in your field traditionally include this information 

References

  • Supply the name, title, address, and contact information of 3 (or more) individuals who can comment on your fit to the institution where you are applying
  • Choose your referees wisely, i.e., persons who know you and your work well, referees with high external visibility
  • Be sure to ask their permission before submitting their names
  • Whenever you provide reference information to an institution, advise your referees that they may be getting a request and keep them up-to-date on your professional activities
  • Select individuals who can speak well on your behalf from various perspectives: one may be able to give a general overview while others may speak to the specific aspects required by the position
  • Of special interest will be your referees’ comments about your unique experiences (from personal, academic, or work experience), your strengths, and your weaknesses (with any extenuating circumstances explained)
  • Tell your referees what particular topics they need to discuss so that their reference letter can be tailored to the positions you are seeking. Provide them with a copy of the job ad. It might also be useful to give them a copy of your cover letter
  • If the advertisement requests that reference letters be sent immediately, provide sufficient information to your referees and tactfully follow up to ensure that the letters have been mailed well before the deadline

Notes on writing a curriculum vitae

  • Place sections in the order of importance to correspond to the academic posting, particularly the employment section. It is important to determine the order of importance of research, teaching, other work experience, and service and reflect that in your CV. If you are not sure about the traditional formatting for CVs in your field, check with your supervisor or department chair. Also, include specific sections that are relevant to your field, e.g., computer proficiency, scientific instrumentation, etc.
  • Include sufficient, well-written details about yourself to enable a good assessment of your qualifications for the position:
  1. 2 to 4 pages for a young professional
  2. 4 to 7 pages or more for a person with more experience
  • If applying in North America omit reference to marital status, children, health, spouse’s work, religious affiliation
  • Do not include as headings, words such as "Personal Information,” "Name,” “Address”
  • Omit negative words or information. Ensure that you use correct spelling and grammar. Take care to produce an excellent physical product with appropriate font sizes, paper stock, and good laser printing

Writing effective bullet points

Use bulleted statements throughout your CV. Each bullet point should strongly communicate your qualifications and accomplishments that are relevant to the position. If you have only one bullet point in a section, find a way to incorporate it into another section.

Review the “Summary of Qualifications” for advice on writing bulleted statements if you are including this section.

Any bullet point in the Research/Teaching/Industry/Service Experience, Volunteer Experience, and Hobbies/Interests/Leisure Activities/Travel sections should begin with an action verb that will create a vivid image of your accomplishment. Be concise and avoid repeating verbs. Please refer to the list of “Action verbs” (Appendix A) provided. Remember that all action verbs are not created equal! Verbs like "helped," "assisted," "participated," and "worked," although technically in the active voice, fail to provide a specific picture of what you have done, so avoid them wherever possible.

If you intend to use such words to show that your role was to participate in but not to lead a project, consider using other strategies.  If you were one member of a two-person team, consider using "co-" as the prefix to the action verb describing your role (e.g., "Co-edited user's manual"); if you were part of a team with 2+ members, explain your role and end by indicating that others were involved (e.g., "Edited user's manual for XYZ software, as member of communications team," or "Edited user's manual for XYZ software, in collaboration with supervisor"). If, on the other hand, your goal is to hide the fact that your role was minimal, omit the statement.

You may find it helpful to think of the following four components as you begin to write bulleted statements:

  1. Skill: what action you took—action verb (e.g., "designed")
  2. Task: ways in which you applied skills—using descriptors, adjectives, and nouns (e.g., "client database")
  3. Tools: how you performed the task—attitude conveyed, hardware/software, or process used (e.g., "MS Access")
  4. Result: what outcome you achieved—quantified wherever possible (e.g., "doubled speed of information retrieval") 

Complete statement: Designed client database using MS Access; doubled speed of information retrieval

Although each bullet point should include skill and task components, always adding tools and results may be too lengthy. Try to include points that use three or all four components several times throughout your CV, especially when demonstrating key achievements.

Strengthening teaching experience 

  • Make the head of your department aware of your desire to teach. Submit your CV to him or her and indicate what courses you would 1) be willing to teach and 2) be willing to develop. Some department heads like to know who is available to fill in for a course in the event of illness or an increased demand for a particular course
  • Complete the Certificate in University Teaching (CUT) or the Fundamentals of University Teaching programs. These programs are provided by the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) office. The CUT programs will help you to: become a more effective and reflective teacher and communicator; increase your knowledge of teaching and learning; have a forum in which to discuss teaching issues with others; and develop presentation and writing skills that prepare you to compete in today’s job market. Some department heads are nervous about considering graduate students for teaching positions because graduate students are viewed as inexperienced. However, showing that you have completed the CTE programs demonstrates that you have teaching experience and have reflected upon your teaching. This may give you an edge in getting additional teaching experience. You may learn more about these programs at uWaterloo, Centre for Teaching Excellence
  • Search out opportunities to give guest lectures. This is a great way to gain teaching experience, particularly when there is little opportunity to teach a full course. Giving guest lectures gives you teaching experience as well as exposes you to a variety of classroom settings. Following are some ways to get guest lecture opportunities:
    1. Ask your supervisor if you can give a guest lecture in one of the courses he or she is teaching. Again, be specific and identify which topics you can teach in which courses
  • Be creative in your tutorials. Tutorials can be wonderful opportunities to improve your teaching and to try new teaching techniques. For example, you may wish to be a facilitator and have students be responsible for the discussion content, or decide to use a more formal lecture format. Gaining experience practicing in front of a group of people can help you overcome any nervousness you may have speaking in group settings as well as give you teaching experience in general. You can also ask the course professor to have the students evaluate your performance, resulting in data which you can use
  • Get involved with your department or faculty TA orientation sessions. Volunteer to organize the TA orientation session, get guest speakers, or facilitate the actual session. Helping to train your peers as teachers indicates that you are recognized as a model by your department or faculty. You may list this volunteer experience under the “Service” section of your CV, demonstrating to potential hiring committees that you are thinking about teaching and that you are involved outside of class time in building your teaching skills

Getting publications

  • Talk to your supervisor. He or she should know about the process of publishing and the appropriate publishing outlets for your work. Your supervisor can give you advice on your research and the best format for publishing it (e.g., book chapter, journal, monograph). It may be appropriate to ask your supervisor to co-author your first publication so that he or she can mentor you through the process
  • Find out what the journals are in your field. Go to any internet search engine and type in “<your discipline> journals list” to see if a list exists in your area. Also talk to your supervisor to see what journals are available. As well, find out more about the journals from which you collect articles. Do not just find out the titles of the journals, but also find out their mission statements, areas within your discipline that they focus on, preferred research methodologies, and submission guidelines (i.e., page length, reference style). For example, a journal focused on statistics would probably not publish research based on qualitative methods
  • Learn the process of publishing. The publication process (for a journal) can be summarized in four steps:
    1. Select an appropriate journal—study other articles to identify style, and review the submission guidelines carefully
    2. Prepare a manuscript and submit it to that journal—you can only submit the manuscript to one journal at a time
    3. The editor of the journal sends the manuscript to anonymous reviewers to review and to provide comments on the manuscript. Recognize that this whole process can take months to complete
    4. The editor of the journal then determines whether the manuscript should be published in that journal or not and returns the reviews and their decision to the author(s)
  • Write up your thesis as a series of articles. In some departments, you have the option to write a series of journal-ready articles rather than a full dissertation. In following this option, you will have developed articles that can be submitted for publication (or submitted during the writing process) rather than developing articles from your completed thesis. Investigate with your supervisor to see if your department offers this option
  • Do book reviews. This is a good way of getting a publication credit and getting your name in print. Many scholars look at book reviews before considering whether a book is worth reading. In addition, in most cases you get to keep the copy of the book that you reviewed. It is a great way to build your library!
  • Participate in conferences. Conferences are good arenas to share your ideas and receive feedback on them. While most conference presentations do not make it into published form, if you do prepare a publishable manuscript from your presentation, you have completed one round of reviews already. Also, at many universities (particularly in the United States) a conference presentation is considered the equivalent of a published paper. If you feel your presentation may warrant publication, conferences are also good places to meet journal editors and suggest your ideas to them
  • Always submit a very polished version of an article to journals or a conference abstract to conferences. An article or conference abstract that reads well will make a better impression on an editor or a conference committee than a poorly written one

Cover letters

  • How can you differentiate yourself from the many good applicants applying for the position? What points will draw attention to you as a worthwhile candidate to interview? There is a fine line between projecting yourself positively and too aggressively, however, resulting in overkill and a concern about your ability to fit into the department
  • Personalize your letter by addressing it to the Chair of the Department or Chair of Search Committee, with the person’s name correctly spelled. A form letter is less well received, and you may therefore need to make a decision on the quantity vs. the quality of your letters
  • Ensure the highest quality of information possible in the letter accompanying your CV. Include a summary statement about your qualifications in clear, unambiguous points. Discuss your strengths and area of specialization. Observe the rules of good writing to help the reader ascertain your credentials quickly. Write short paragraphs with a clear opening sentence to define the topic of the paragraph and highlight relevant, important information. Use correct spelling and grammar
  • In addition to talking about your current research, include a one-paragraph or one-page, personalized (not vague or generic), concise, coherent statement about your future research interests or long-term goals so that your potential can be determined. It is especially important to make that connection when you are applying for a job that is somewhat different from what you are currently doing
  • It could also be to your advantage to mention the courses/general areas you would like to teach. Elaborate on your experience in seminars, lectures, and talks. Include details such as course name (and description if necessary) and number of students
  • Add information on what you feel are other strengths, such as enjoyment in working with groups, obtaining funding for projects, action-oriented research
  • Your potential for service (the third part of the triumvirate of research, teaching and service) and your collegiality can more easily be evaluated by including details of your work with committees, organizations, and clubs, e.g., organizing graduate student seminars or research presentations
  • The individuals reviewing your application are interested in continuity. If you have unexplained gaps in your CV, discuss them in your letter, e.g., the ten years it took to finish your Ph.D. after completing your Master’s degree. If you prefer, you could ask one of your referees to explain the situation in his/her letter of recommendation. However, patch up the holes as well as you can to make a good presentation
  • If currently employed and want to apply confidentially for another position, it is not necessary to tell your supervisor initially. The three referees you select can include trusted colleagues from your organization or individuals from other institutions who know you and your work well. In your letter, you could include a note that when the institution is serious about you and wishes to obtain a reference from your supervisor, you would then be prepared to supply the information
  • It may be to your advantage, if you are female, to indicate that fact if your first name cannot easily be identified by the reader. You could add Miss, Mrs. or Ms. in brackets before your name is typed at the end of your letter
  • Have your application package reviewed by others to check for relevance and quality of presentation
  • If you discover a potential job opening prepare a broadcast letter to send with your CV. Details about broadcast letters are available in the “Letter Writing” module
  • In addition to submitting a cover letter and CV you might need to prepare a research statement, research plan and budget, and teaching philosophy statement and/or teaching dossier

Selection process

Because of the expense usually incurred when bringing in candidates to campus for an interview, you may find an institution with an agenda as follows:

  • The receipt of your application may be acknowledged by a note which may also inform you of the progress and, if necessary, request information not included in your package
  • One person or several individuals will screen all applications with a few (10 - 12) promising candidates selected, and the documentation from the others filed in the "not-of-interest-at-this time” category
  • If letters of reference have not already been sent by their referees, the promising applicants may be told to have their referees contact the hiring institution, or the referees may be notified directly by telephone or letter. If the person hiring for the position personally knows someone at the candidate’s institution, that person may also be contacted
  • To permit an easier check of your teaching ability if you are applying for your first full-time position after graduation, you may wish to include in your CV the name of the instructor(s)/co-ordinator(s) for whom you taught the courses listed in your CV
  • After hearing from the referees, 3 to 6 candidates are selected and invited for an interview
  • It is advisable to send as complete an application package as possible as early as you can as some invitations to interview may be given before the advertised closing date
  • The interview day(s) may comprise:
    1. a tour of the institution
    2. appointments with one or more of - department chair, individual faculty members, department search committee, dean of faculty
    3. one or more talks, such as a talk to a panel based on your research where you can choose your own topic
    4. a mini-lecture to a group on a predetermined topic, so that the relevance of your background and your ability to express ideas can be determined
    5. session with students, usually at the graduate level
    6. social activities
  • Remember, at all times you are being evaluated. To be able to present yourself as well as you can, it may be helpful to find out what is expected and what the evaluation criteria are, e.g., communication skills and comfort level in talking with groups
  • Research the scientific background of all search committee members. Such information will enable you to determine how familiar they may be with your expertise and how you will complement their research areas
  • It may take one to two months before a decision is made, particularly if you are one of the first candidates interviewed. Ask about the follow-up steps in the recruitment process
  • It is helpful to know that most applicants are rejected because their interests do not seem to match the department’s interests or someone else is viewed as a stronger candidate
  • Prepare a list of questions for the members of the committee to help you evaluate if the department is a good fit for you
  • When you receive a job offer, evaluate it carefully; be prepared to negotiate the terms and conditions

Proofreading

Before you give your application documents to any potential employer, proofread it carefully and have at least one other person review your copy. Your computer's spell checker will catch some typing and spelling errors, but it will not point out words that have been correctly spelled but incorrectly used (e.g., "precious" when you meant "previous"). In addition, pay attention to the following:

  • Appearance: At first glance, will the employer find the résumé attractive and want to read it (attractive paper weight/colour, layout of sections/points/margins, font size/style; smooth paper; no corrections in handwriting, etc.)?
  • Accomplishments: Does the document present your qualifications from both theoretical and practical perspectives and cover education, skills, experience, personality, etc?
  • Writing/presentation: Is each point relevant to the job to which you are applying? Is your writing clear, concise, and complete? Are your words precise and action-oriented? Are there any spelling, typographic, or grammatical errors?
  • Contact information: Have you provided your name, street/e-mail address(es), voice/fax numbers, and website/blog address on the top of page one so that an employer can easily reach you?

CV Worksheet/Template

A CV worksheet is available in Appendix B and a CV template is in Appendix C.


Appendix A

Describe your skills using action verbs. Review these sample verbs and select those that apply to you

Action verbs

accelerated

accentuated

accomplished

achieved

acquired
acted
adapted
addressed

adjudicated
adjusted
administered

advanced

advertised
advised

advocated

allocated

altered
analyzed

anchored

answered

applied

appointed
appraised

approved
arbitrated
arranged

articulated

ascertained
assembled
assessed

assigned

associated

attained
audited

augmented

authenticated

authored

authorized

balanced

began

bestowed

brainstormed

briefed
broadened
budgeted
built

calculated
calibrated

capitalized

captured
catalogued

catapulted
categorized

centralized
chaired

championed

changed

charted

clarified
classified

closed

coached

coded

collaborated
collected
combined

commanded

commercialized
 

commoditized

communicated

compared

compelled

compiled

completed
composed
computed

conceived

conceptualized

concluded

condensed
conducted
configured

conserved
consolidated
constructed

consulted

continued
contracted
contrasted

contributed
controlled
converted

conveyed

cooperated

coordinated
corrected
corresponded
counselled

crafted
created
critiqued

crystallized

curtailed

customized

cut

debugged

deciphered

decided
decreased
defined
delegated
delivered
demonstrated

deployed

derived
described
designed

detailed

detected
determined
developed
devised
diagnosed

differentiated
directed

discerned
discovered
dispensed
displayed
dissected

distinguished
distributed

diversified

diverted
documented

dominated
doubled
 

drafted
drew

drove

earned

edited

educated

effected

effectuated

elected
eliminated

emphasized

empowered

enabled

enacted
encouraged

endeavoured

endorsed

endured

energized
enforced
engineered
enhanced
enlarged

enlisted

enlivened
ensured

entertained

entrenched

equalized
established
estimated
evaluated
examined

exceeded

executed

exhibited

exhorted
expanded
expedited

experimented
explained

explored

exported
expressed

extracted

extricated

fabricated
facilitated

familiarized

filed
financed
finalized
fixed
forecasted

forged

formalized

formed
formulated

fortified

fostered
founded

gained

generated
governed

graduated

guided

I halted

handled

headed

hired

honoured

hosted

hypothesized

identified
illustrated
imagined

implemented

imported
improved
improvised
incorporated
increased

influenced
informed
initiated

innovated
inspected
inspired

installed

instilled
instituted
instructed
integrated

intensified
interpreted

intervened
interviewed
introduced
invented

inventoried
investigated
itemized

joined
judged

justified

launched
led
learned
lectured

leveraged
liaised

licensed
listed

listened
located

logged

lowered

maintained
managed
manipulated

manufactured

mapped

marked
marketed
mastered

masterminded

maximized

measured
mediated

mentored

merged
minimized
modelled
moderated
 

modernized

modified

monetized

monitored
motivated

narrated
navigated
negotiated

networked

nominated

normalized

observed
obtained

offered

officiated

operated

optimized

orchestrated
ordered
organized
oriented

originated

outlined

outsourced

overcame

overhauled

oversaw

participated

partnered

perceived

perfected

performed
persuaded

photographed
piloted

pinpointed

pioneered
planned

positioned
predicted
prepared
prescribed
presented

presided

prevented

prioritized

processed

procured
produced
programmed

progressed
projected
promoted

propelled
proofread
proposed
prospected

protected
proved
provided
publicized
published
purchased

qualified

quantified

questioned

raised
rated

ratified

realigned

rebuilt

recaptured

received

recognized

recommended reconciled
recorded
recruited

rectified
redesigned

reduced

reengineered

referred
refined

regained

registered

regulated
rehabilitated
reinforced

rejuvenated

remedied

remodelled

rendered

renegotiated

renewed

renovated
reorganized
repaired

replaced
reported

repositioned
represented

researched

reserved
resolved
responded

restored
restructured
retained

retrieved
reviewed

revised
revitalized

routed


satisfied

saved
scheduled

screened
searched
secured
serviced
selected
separated

served
shaped
shared

shepherded
simplified
sketched

slashed

sold

solicited

solidified
solved

sparked

spearheaded
specified
spoke

specialized

standardized

started

streamlined

steered

stimulated

strategized strengthened

studied

structured

submitted

substantiated

succeeded

suggested
summarized
supervised

supplemented
supplied

supported

surpassed

surveyed

synergized

synthesized

systematized

tabulated

talked

targeted
taught
tended

terminated
tested

thwarted
traced
trained
transcribed
transferred

transformed

transitioned
translated

transmitted
travelled
treated
trimmed
troubleshot
tutored

uncovered
unified
united

updated
upgraded
used

utilized

validated
verbalized

verified
viewed
vitalized
visualized
 

weighed
welded
widened
won

worked
wrote

Appendix B

Curriculum vitae worksheet

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name:                                                  _________________________________________________________________________________________

Address:                                              _________________________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number:                           _________________________________________________________________________________________

E-mail:                                                 _________________________________________________________________________________________

Homepage:                                                             _________________________________________________________________________________________

LinkedIn:                                            _________________________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL TRAINING/CERTIFICATIONS

Date:                                                    _________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             _________________________________________________________________________________________

Degree (to be) obtained:                                        _________________________________________________________________________________________

Dissertation/Thesis Title:                                      _________________________________________________________________________________________

Advisor:                                               _________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Date:                                                    _________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             _________________________________________________________________________________________

Degree (to be) obtained:                                        _________________________________________________________________________________________

Dissertation/Thesis Title:                                      _________________________________________________________________________________________

Advisor:                                              _________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Date:                                                    _________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             _________________________________________________________________________________________

Degree (to be) obtained:                                        _________________________________________________________________________________________

Dissertation/Thesis Title:                                      _________________________________________________________________________________________

Advisor:                                               _________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Professional Training:                     _________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Certifications:                                  _________________________________________________________________________________________

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Title:                                                     ________________________________________________________________________________________

Date:                                                    ________________________________________________________________________________________

Institution/Organization:                                        ________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             ________________________________________________________________________________________

Responsibilities:                                ________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Accomplishments:                          ________________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                          

Title:                                                     ________________________________________________________________________________________

Date:                                                    ________________________________________________________________________________________

Institution/Organization:                                        ________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             ________________________________________________________________________________________

Responsibilities:                                ________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Accomplishments:                          ________________________________________________________________________________________

 


TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Title:                                                     ________________________________________________________________________________________

Date:                                                    ________________________________________________________________________________________

Course:                                                ________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             ________________________________________________________________________________________

Responsibilities:                                ________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Accomplishments:                          ________________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                          

Title:                                                     ________________________________________________________________________________________

Date:                                                    ________________________________________________________________________________________

Course:                                                ________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             ________________________________________________________________________________________

Responsibilities:                                ________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Accomplishments:                          ________________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                          

INVITED LECTURES

Date:                                                    ________________________________________________________________________________________

Title:                                                     ________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             ________________________________________________________________________________________

SERVICE EXPERIENCE

Date:                                                    ________________________________________________________________________________________

Description:                                                            ________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                             ________________________________________________________________________________________

INDUSTRY

Title:                                                     ________________________________________________________________________________________

Date:                                                    ________________________________________________________________________________________

Institution/Organization:                                        ________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             ________________________________________________________________________________________

Responsibilities:                                ________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Accomplishments:                          ________________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                          

Title:                                                     ________________________________________________________________________________________

Date:                                                    ________________________________________________________________________________________

Institution/Organization:                                        ________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:                                             ________________________________________________________________________________________

Responsibilities:                                ________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Accomplishments:                          ________________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                          

PUBLICATIONS/INVENTIONS/PATENTS

PUBLICATIONS

Journals

Name(s) of Author(s):                        _________________________________________________________________________________________

Date of Publication:                           _________________________________________________________________________________________

Title of Chapter:                                  _________________________________________________________________________________________

Journal Name:                       _________________________________________________________________________________________

Vol., No., Pg #s:                                  _________________________________________________________________________________________


Book Chapters

Name(s) of Author(s):                        _________________________________________________________________________________________

Date of Publication:                           _________________________________________________________________________________________

Title of Chapter:                                  _________________________________________________________________________________________

Book Editors:                                      _________________________________________________________________________________________

Book Title:                                          _________________________________________________________________________________________

Place, Publisher:                                 _________________________________________________________________________________________

Pg #s:                                                  _________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          

Submitted for Publication (under review)

Name(s) of Author(s):                        _________________________________________________________________________________________

Date of Publication:                            _________________________________________________________________________________________

Title of Article:                                     _________________________________________________________________________________________

Journal Name:                                    _________________________________________________________________________________________

Vol., No., Pg #s:                                  _________________________________________________________________________________________

PRESENTATIONS/CONFERENCES

PRESENTATIONS

Name(s) of Presenter(s):                                        _________________________________________________________________________________________

Title of Presentation:                          _________________________________________________________________________________________

Name of Conference:                         _________________________________________________________________________________________

Date & Location:                                 _________________________________________________________________________________________

AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS/FELLOWSHIPS/PRIZES/GRANTS

Name of Award:                                  __________________________________________________________________________________________

Granting Agency:                               __________________________________________________________________________________________

Date Received:                                   __________________________________________________________________________________________

Title/Purpose:                                     __________________________________________________________________________________________

Dollar amount:                                    __________________________________________________________________________________________

(if significant)

Date:                                                    __________________________________________________________________________________________

Description:                                                            __________________________________________________________________________________________

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Date:                                                    __________________________________________________________________________________________

Name:                                                  __________________________________________________________________________________________

Positions Held (if any):                                          __________________________________________________________________________________________

OTHER INFORMATION

Citizenship:                                                             __________________________________________________________________________________________

Languages:                                                             __________________________________________________________________________________________

Other Work Experience: (e.g., co-op/internship)                                        __________________________________________________________________________________________

                    __________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                             __________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                             __________________________________________________________________________________________

Interests/Activities:                             __________________________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES

Reference 1:                                        __________________________________________________________________________________________

Reference 2:                                        __________________________________________________________________________________________

Reference 3:                           __________________________________________________________________________________________

CV header

 

RESEARCH AND/OR PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS (optional)

 

  • Provide a brief summary of your research/teaching interests and areas of expertise that could be called upon from both inside and outside your institution
  • List in point form, beginning with a general or broad spectrum and ending with the more specific areas. More details can be included in your letter

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS (optional)

  • Number of years experience in relevant paid or unpaid work
  • Related special knowledge/expertise
  • Relevant accomplishment/skill/attribute
  • Relevant accomplishment/skill/attribute
  • Relevant accomplishment/skill/attribute

EDUCATION (or section most related to work being sought)

Candidate for Degree Name (remove “Candidate for” if completed)

Plan, Specialization/Option, Institution, City, Province, Start date - present (or completion date)

Relevant courses: (optional)

Thesis:

Thesis Supervisor:

Candidate for Degree Name

Plan, Specialization/Option, Institution, City, Province, Completion date

Relevant courses: (optional)

Thesis:

Thesis Supervisor:

Professional training/certificates, listed as above with locations and dates

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE (or section most related to academic posting)

Most Recent Job Title, Organization, City, Province, Month/Year - Month/Year

  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb

2nd Most Recent Job Title, Organization, City, Province, Month/Year - Month/Year

  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb

TEACHING EXPERIENCE (or section most related to academic posting)

Most Recent Job Title, Organization, City, Province, Month/Year - Month/Year

  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb

2nd Most Recent Job Title, Organization, City, Province, Month/Year - Month/Year

  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb

INDUSTRY/GOVERNMENT/NON-PROFIT EXPERIENCE (or section most related to academic posting)

Most Recent Job Title, Organization, City, Province, Month/Year - Month/Year

  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb

2nd Most Recent Job Title, Organization, City, Province, Month/Year - Month/Year

  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb

SERVICE EXPERIENCE (or section most related to academic posting)

Most Recent Job Title, Organization, City, Province, Month/Year - Month/Year

  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb

PUBLICATIONS/INVENTIONS/PATENTS

  • Create separate sections with headings for a lengthy publications list, placing sections in appropriate order:
    1. authored or co-authored books, book chapters, monographs
    2. refereed, peer reviewed: journals, full papers or letters
    3. conference papers, abstracts or posters
    4. invited, non-refereed
    5. book reviews
    6. work in press, work submitted, work in preparation (separate headings)
    7. creative writing outside of one’s professional field (if relevant)
    8. inventions
    9. patents

PRESENTATIONS/CONFERENCES

  • Provide list of presentations with title of presentation, location of presentation/conference, dates

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, PRIZES, GRANTS

  • Name of Award/Scholarships, Fellowships, Prizes, Grants, Institution, City, Province, Date (value optional)
  • Name of Award/Scholarships, Fellowships, Prizes, Grants, Institution, City, Province, Date (value optional)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • Include current memberships, with dates
  • Mention offices held, significant appointments, with dates

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE (unless including in another section)

Title, Organization, City, Province, Month/Year - Month/Year

  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb
  • An accomplishment/statement relevant to type of job you are hoping to attain, preferably detailing unique actions and benefits to organization, beginning with action verb

LANGUAGES spoken, read, written (if relevant)

HOBBIES, INTERESTS, LEISURE ACTIVITIES, TRAVEL (if relevant)

References

Name                                                                                       

Title                                                                                         

Department                                                                              

University/Company                                                                 

Address                                                                                    

Phone

Email

Name                                                                                       

Title                                                                                      

Department                                                                              

University/Company                                                                 

Address                                                                                    

Phone

Email

Name                                                                                       

Title                                                                                                     Department                                                                              

University/Company                                                                 

Address                                                                                   

Phone

Emai

Name                                                                                       

Title                                                                                          

Department                                                                              

University/Company                                                                 

Address                                                                                     Phone

Email

COVER LETTER TEMPLATE

 

123 University Avenue West

Toronto, ON, 1A1 A1A

 

Date

 

Professor X

Chair, Faculty Search Committee

Faculty of X

University of Waterloo

200 University Avenue West

Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1

 

Dear Dr. Smith:        

   First Paragraph

Name the position you are applying to and where you saw or heard the advertisement. If applicable, include a reference to the person(s) you spoke to about the department/faculty. Include a summary statement about your value to the department/faculty in clear, unambiguous points. Discuss your strengths and area of specialization. Express interest in the department/institution.

Middle Paragraphs

Highlight your qualifications and achievements in regards to the position and use (occasionally) words from the job description. Group your qualifications according to themes and prove points by using examples. Organize your paragraphs carefully and place the most important ones first.

Final Paragraph 

Refer to your enclosed CV and other enclosed materials. Mention that you would like to provide more information in an interview. Include your phone number with the best times to reach you, and your email address. 

Sincerely,

Your name