
Graduate Resume and Curriculum Vitae Guide 
 
WHAT IS A RESUME? 
  Your markeng tool to prospecve employers in industry 
  A concise one- to three-page document that highlights your most relevant experiences and skills tailored to each posion to 
which you are applying  
Tip: Create a master resume of all your experiences and accomplishments. Use this record to write a one- to three-page tailored     
resume for each posion you apply for highlighng your most relevant qualicaons. 
 
WHAT IS A CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)? 
  An academic version of a resume that provides a professional archive of all your experiences related to your academic career 
  For graduate students, a CV is typically a few pages. Length can be determined by the amount and depth of your experiences. 
A CV should then be tailored to the posion you are applying for by ordering your secons from most to least relevant 
  Use your CV as a professional archive and keep it updated with all your accomplishments 
Tip: Consider consulng with a faculty member or advisor for advice and feedback on your CV because they oen serve on hiring 
commiees and have experienced an academic job search. 
 
TO GET STARTED WITH YOUR RESUME OR CV: 
  Make a list of your experiences: Educaon, research, teaching, publicaons/presentaons, organizaons, etc. 
  Think about your contribuons, skills you used and developed, and your signicant achievements 
  Begin to cra your resume or CV by organizing these experiences into secons (examples below) 
 
There are many secons that could be a part of your document. It is important to keep in mind that your document should be   
specic to your experience and the posion for which you are applying. You have exibility in the choice, naming, and placement of       
secons. While your contact informaon and educaon are usually listed rst, other secons can be in any order, based on your 
strengths and the requirements of the posion or opportunity. If you are unsure if you should provide a resume or a CV, you may 
want to contact the organizaon directly to see which they prefer. 
 
RESUME AND CV SECTIONS  
Below is a list of common secons you may use when creang your document. To see examples of these secons, refer to the      
example resume and CV at the end of this guide. 
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
CONTACT INFORMATION:  
Include your name, present and/or permanent address, telephone number, and email address. 
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:  
Included on a resume, a set of bullet points (skills statements) that concisely highlight skills and experiences on your resume that 
relate directly to the posion.  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
EDUCATION:  
Include all instuons of higher educaon you have aended and are currently aending in reverse-chronological order (most  
recent rst). Include: The degree you are seeking, university name, college name, city and state of the university, your (expected) 
graduaon date, and GPA. Thesis and dissertaon tles, minors, coursework, academic awards, and study abroad programs may 
also be included in this secon.  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
THESIS/DISSERTATION:  
Provide the tle and a short descripon of your work, its framework, and your ndings, as well as your advisor and commiee 
members. Also include the compleon date. 
Page 1