Amy Lindgren

And now for something completely different, as they used to say on the Monty Python show. If you’d like a break from political news and holiday planning, I have just the thing: A close-up look at CVs (that’s curriculum vitae in the full Latin).

Thanks to the magic of longevity in my work, I have critiqued literally hundreds of these critters (actually, more than a thousand) and I have some insights to share. For today, I’ll focus on content choices and the CV’s purpose. Next week, we’ll dive into tips for formatting to make the document more navigable while doing a better job of promoting you.

Who uses CVs?

For the most part, CVs are used by academics, scientists, lawyers, physicians and other professionals with letters after their name. That said, the job opening also plays a part. For example, while the candidate vying for university professor or academic dean should apply with a CV, the same professional could be advised to use a résumé for non-academic roles, such as the university’s finance director. For individuals with multiple career paths, it wouldn’t be unusual to maintain both documents.

The difference between CVs and résumés

The most obvious difference between CVs and résumés is length. Since a CV provides all the events of someone’s professional and academic life (including articles they’ve written and talks they’ve given), 10 to 15 pages is common, with some CVs tipping the scale at 50-plus pages.

It’s also common for CV information to be presented very plainly, often without the benefit of job descriptions, personal detail or even the use of bold type for the headings. It’s a just-the-facts approach, with all the facts given equal weight.

By contrast, a résumé for the same professional might range from two to four pages. The difference in length comes from strategic editing. Rather than asking the reader to identify the important information, the candidate decides which points are most relevant and highlights that data. Everything else is either eliminated or reduced to very few words.

Choosing between a résumé and a CV

Which is better for you – a résumé or a CV? As noted above, the answer depends more on the work you’re going for than on your specific background. If you lean toward a CV,  consider borrowing elements from the résumé world. For example, since committees hire the person as well as the credential, an initial professional summary is a good way to introduce yourself.

Building your CV

Although there are dozens of potential categories in a CV, following are some of the main ones to consider, including a couple borrowed from résumés:

Professional summary

At three to four narrative sentences, the summary usually begins with an overview, moves into more specific detail, and ends with something a little warmer or personal, such as a career goal.

Education

These are your formal training and education experiences, placed with the most recent first.

Experience (administrative, research, teaching, etc.)

“Experience” may encompass one or several categories, depending on your professional background. Adding a few sentences or bullets, as you would in a résumé, will provide helpful scope and context.

Workplace leadership

If you’ve had leadership experiences, it’s smart to highlight them. Entries here might include committees, mentorship programs, events you’ve initiated, etc.

Professional activities

This is just what it sounds like: A listing of such activities as publications, presentations, conference attendance and professional memberships. Depending on the number of entries, you might name this category Professional Activities, followed by subheads. Or you can jettison the Professional Activities heading in favor of a main category for each activity. At some point, however, you might consider annexing the bulk of this information to an addendum, to keep your document from becoming too cumbersome.

Community involvement

Any interesting or significant experience in the community will add a dimension to your candidacy.

Additional information

This could also be named Personal Interests, but if you have leftover facts to include, Additional Information is more flexible. For example, you could include items such as:

— Fluent in Arabic and English.

— Previous career in law.

— Personal interest in studying botany.

Next steps

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when writing a CV. A good process is to dive in, do your best, then hand it off to someone who can help you polish the final product. Come back next week for tips on formatting your CV; then you can organize your content on the page before taking that last step.

Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.