Vitae or Resume?

Both are important documents for a job search. Common elements:

• Marketing documents
• Provide key information about your skills, experiences, education
• Must be concise
• Target for audience
• Motivate prospective employer to invite you for an interview
• Both format and content important

What's the Difference?
Use, format, and length

Resume

• Primarily for business, government, nonprofit and administrative positions
• Brief summary (usually 1-2 pages) of education, skills and experience
• Focuses on what's important to employers

CV/Vitae

• For faculty, research, clinical, or scientific positions
• Detailed listing (2+ pages) about academic and research experiences
• Focuses on what's important to you

The Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Literally this means "the course of one's life." It is a concise overview of your educational and scholarly background and accomplishments as they relate to your academic career goals. It is important that your vitae reflect your interests, as well as highlight your particular teaching and research strengths. There are general standards for an academic CV but there are some variations across disciplines.

When to use a CV
Admission to grad school or for a GA or TA position

• Grant proposals
• Teaching, research, and upper-level administrative positions in higher education
• Academic departmental and tenure reviews
• College or university service appointments
• Professional association leadership positions
• Speaking engagements
• Publishing and editorial review boards
• Research and consulting positions
• School administration positions at the superintendent, principal, or department head level

In academia, the CV is the foundation of applications for employment, funding, honors/awards, or fellowships. It is important to consult with members of your department about unique or particularly important features for your field. For most ABDs and recent PhDs, two to four pages is the standard length.

What to Include

• Contact information
• Educational background
• Honors, awards and fellowships
• Teaching experience
• Research experience
• Publications
• Presentations
• Professional training/development
• Languages
• Other relevant skills
• Related experience
• Research Interests
• Professional affiliations/service
• References

Do not include personal information such as age, sex, marital status, race, ethnic background, or religion.

CDC's Quick Reference Guide "Writing a Curriculum Vitae" provides more details

Additional Resources in CDC

• How to Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae
• The Curriculum Vitae Handbook: Using Your CV to Present and Promote Your Academic Career
• Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae

The Resume
An individually designed summary (usually one or two pages) of education and experience intended to demonstrate suitability for a particular position or type of position. A resume focuses attention on an individual's strongest qualifications and develops them to fit the specific or general position for which the material is provided.

• From CV to Resume
• The CV Doctor is Back

Types of Resumes

• Chronological: Emphasizes titles, organizations, and dates;Best for people whose experience is in the field where job is currently sought
• Functional Skill: Emphasizes transferable skills; Best to illustrate skills gained through different types of experiences

Writing a Professional Web Page

The website of the Career Development Center at Binghamton University contains links to other websites as a convenience for its users and is not responsible for the contents of any linked site.