Developing an effective curriculum vitae (CV) is an essential part of the academic journey of a PhD student. The CV is our lifeline for acquiring full-time employment following our programs – many of us having previously given up employment to do so. I learned a lot about CVs during this module which will help me as I further tailor my CV as I prepare to enter the workforce.
There are so many components involved in writing a good CV. From fonts to colors to spacing, the overall document must be clean and easy to read as well as engaging for your audience. You also have to find the balance to achieve adequate white space to ensure the document does not look too overwhelming or empty. Resources suggest that you include all relevant experience within 15 years, which makes some CVs rather lengthy, so deciding if I wan to to include all of my experience, and if not, what I want to include will be something I’ll have to think about as I progress in my career.
Another key point where I deviate from the norm is the ordering of sections. For example, many resources suggest placing education last, but because I am still in school, I felt it was important to have it in the forefront. In a former job, a coworker was accused of hiding the fact that she was still in school by listing her education last when submitting her CV for a job. To avoid any confusion, I’m listing it first and clearly indicating that I am still in the process of earning my degree. I believe that learning from experienc, viewing different CVs, and seeing what works and what doesn’t work seems to be the best strategy for developing my own.
I previously created my CV while applying for the program and initally revised it in PADM 800 during the CV module. Due to this, I have a good understanding of what goes into a CV which was further reinforced through this module. I will continue to develop my CV as I gain more experience and learn more from observing other professionals in the field.
Please take a moment to check out my CV on the Curriculum Vitae section of my site, and feel free to leave a comment if you have any feedback!
