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:
- authored or co-authored books, book chapters, monographs
- refereed, peer reviewed: journals, full papers or letters
- conference papers, abstracts or posters
- invited, non-refereed
- book reviews
- work in press, work submitted, work in preparation (separate headings)
- 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:
- 2 to 4 pages for a young professional
- 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:
- Skill: what action you took—action verb (e.g., "designed")
- Task: ways in which you applied skills—using descriptors, adjectives, and nouns (e.g., "client database")
- Tools: how you performed the task—attitude conveyed, hardware/software, or process used (e.g., "MS Access")
- 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:
- 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:
- Select an appropriate journal—study other articles to identify style, and review the submission guidelines carefully
- Prepare a manuscript and submit it to that journal—you can only submit the manuscript to one journal at a time
- 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
- 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:
- a tour of the institution
- appointments with one or more of - department chair, individual faculty members, department search committee, dean of faculty
- one or more talks, such as a talk to a panel based on your research where you can choose your own topic
- 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
- session with students, usually at the graduate level
- 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 adjudicated advanced advertised advocated allocated altered anchored answered applied appointed approved articulated ascertained assigned associated attained augmented authenticated authored authorized began bestowed brainstormed briefed capitalized captured catapulted centralized championed changed charted clarified closed coached coded collaborated commanded commercialized |
commoditized communicated compared compelled compiled completed conceived conceptualized concluded condensed conserved consulted continued contributed conveyed cooperated coordinated crafted crystallized curtailed customized cut debugged deciphered decided deployed derived detailed detected differentiated discerned distinguished diversified diverted dominated |
drafted drove earned edited educated effected effectuated elected emphasized empowered enabled enacted endeavoured endorsed endured energized enlisted enlivened entertained entrenched equalized exceeded executed exhibited exhorted experimented explored exported extracted extricated fabricated familiarized filed forged formalized formed fortified fostered gained generated graduated guided |
I halted handled headed hired honoured hosted hypothesized identified implemented imported influenced innovated installed instilled intensified intervened inventoried joined justified launched leveraged licensed listened logged lowered maintained manufactured mapped marked masterminded maximized measured mentored merged |
modernized modified monetized monitored narrated networked nominated normalized observed offered officiated operated optimized orchestrated originated outlined outsourced overcame overhauled oversaw participated partnered perceived perfected performed photographed pinpointed pioneered positioned presided prevented prioritized processed procured progressed propelled protected qualified quantified questioned |
raised ratified realigned rebuilt recaptured received recognized recommended reconciled rectified reduced reengineered referred regained registered regulated rejuvenated remedied remodelled rendered renegotiated renewed renovated replaced repositioned researched reserved restored retrieved revised routed
saved screened served shepherded slashed sold solicited solidified sparked spearheaded |
specialized standardized started streamlined steered stimulated strategized strengthened studied structured submitted substantiated succeeded suggested supplemented supported surpassed surveyed synergized synthesized systematized tabulated talked targeted terminated thwarted transformed transitioned transmitted uncovered updated utilized verified weighed worked |
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: __________________________________________________________________________________________

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:
- authored or co-authored books, book chapters, monographs
- refereed, peer reviewed: journals, full papers or letters
- conference papers, abstracts or posters
- invited, non-refereed
- book reviews
- work in press, work submitted, work in preparation (separate headings)
- creative writing outside of one’s professional field (if relevant)
- inventions
- 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
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Name Title Department University/Company Address Phone Email |
Name Title Department University/Company Address Phone Email |
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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



