Crafting a Curriculum Vitae (CV) as an undergraduate can be a difficult task, especially when professional experience is limited. Many students find it challenging to fill a page, let alone create a document that effectively showcases their capabilities. This guide will walk you through transforming your academic and extracurricular achievements into a compelling narrative for recruiters and admissions committees. The goal is to build a CV that highlights the unique strengths and potential you have developed throughout your university life.
Understanding the Purpose of a CV
A Curriculum Vitae, which translates to “course of life,” is a detailed document providing a comprehensive overview of your academic and professional history. In academic, research, and international settings, a CV is the standard application document. It is used when applying for graduate school, scholarships, research positions, and academic roles. The purpose is to present a full history of your scholarly accomplishments.
It is important to understand the distinction between a CV and a résumé. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, in the United States and Canada they represent different documents. A résumé is a concise summary of your skills and experiences, limited to one page and tailored to a specific job. A CV is more detailed and can be longer, as it is an exhaustive record of your academic life. For an undergraduate, a CV is one to two pages, but for experienced academics, it can extend to many pages.
Essential Sections for an Undergraduate CV
Contact Information
This section should be placed at the very top of your CV. Include your full name, a professional email address, your phone number, and a link to your LinkedIn profile. Ensure your email address is appropriate for professional correspondence; avoid using informal or outdated email handles. This makes it easy for a potential employer or admissions officer to contact you.
Education
For an undergraduate, the education section is often the most significant part of the CV. List your current institution first, in reverse chronological order. Include the full name of the university, its location, your degree, your major and any minors, and your expected graduation date. You can include a high GPA (3.5 or above) and academic honors like being on the Dean’s List.
Relevant Coursework and Academic Projects
This area allows you to showcase academic work directly related to the opportunity you are pursuing. You can list advanced courses that provided you with specific knowledge or skills. For academic projects, provide a brief description of the project, your role, the methodologies you used, and the outcome. This demonstrates the practical application of your academic learning.
Professional Experience (Internships, Part-Time Jobs)
Include any internships or part-time jobs you have held, even if they don’t seem directly related to your career goals. For each position, list the organization’s name, your title, the location, and the dates of employment. Focus on describing your responsibilities and achievements to highlight transferable skills like communication, teamwork, and time management. This section can also be titled based on the job area, such as “Editorial Experience,” to better align with your trajectory.
Volunteer Work and Extracurricular Activities
This section demonstrates your interests and personal qualities outside of academics and work. Detail your involvement in student organizations, clubs, sports teams, or community service. If you held a leadership position, such as a club president or treasurer, be sure to highlight it. These activities show your ability to manage responsibilities, work in a team, and demonstrate leadership potential.
Skills (Technical, Language, Laboratory)
Create distinct categories for different types of skills to make this section clear and easy to scan. Under “Technical Skills,” list any software, programming languages, or hardware you are proficient with. For “Language Skills,” list the languages you speak and your level of proficiency (e.g., basic, conversational, fluent, native). If you are in a science field, a “Laboratory Skills” subsection can include specific techniques or equipment you have experience with.
Awards, Honors, and Scholarships
List any competitive awards, scholarships, fellowships, or grants you have received. Include the name of the award, the granting institution, and the date it was received. This section provides third-party validation of your abilities and achievements. It serves as concrete evidence of your academic excellence and potential.
How to Frame Your Experience
The way you describe your experiences can significantly alter the impact of your CV. Instead of listing duties, focus on framing your accomplishments to demonstrate your value. Use strong action verbs to start each description and quantify your achievements with numbers whenever possible. For example, instead of “responsible for social media,” you could say “managed the organization’s social media accounts, increasing follower engagement by 25% over six months.”
Think about the skills relevant to the position you are seeking and connect your experiences to them. A part-time retail job can demonstrate customer service, communication, and cash-handling skills. A group project for a class can show teamwork, research, and presentation abilities. Translate what you did into the language of the employer or academic committee, showing them you have the qualities they are looking for.
When describing academic projects, go beyond the topic and detail the specific actions you took. Mention the research methods you employed, the data you analyzed, or the specific software you used. For instance, you could write, “Analyzed a dataset of over 10,000 entries using SPSS to identify trends in consumer behavior for a marketing research project.” This provides concrete evidence of your skills and initiative.
For leadership roles in clubs or volunteer activities, focus on measurable outcomes. Instead of “organized events,” you could say, “Coordinated and executed three fundraising events, raising over $2,000 for the local food bank.” This approach turns a statement of responsibility into a demonstration of your ability to produce results. Using the Problem-Action-Result (PAR) formula is an effective way to structure these descriptions, outlining a problem you faced, the action you took, and the positive result.
CV Formatting and Presentation
The visual presentation of your CV is as important as its content. A clean, professional, and easy-to-read format ensures that your information is accessible. For an undergraduate CV, the length should be one to two pages. Use a standard, professional font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri in a size between 10 and 12 points.
Maintain consistency in your formatting. All headings should be the same font size and style (e.g., bold). Use one-inch margins on all sides of the document to create ample white space, which improves readability. You can use bolding and italics sparingly to draw attention to specific items, but avoid excessive design elements that can be distracting.
When you have finished writing and formatting your CV, save it as a PDF. This ensures that the formatting remains intact, regardless of the device or operating system the reader uses. Naming the file professionally, such as “FirstName_LastName_CV.pdf,” is an important detail.
Final Steps Before You Submit
Before you send out your CV, tailor it for each specific application. This may involve reordering sections to highlight your most relevant experiences for a particular role or program. For example, if applying for a research position, you would place your “Research Experience” and “Relevant Coursework” sections more prominently. This targeted approach shows that you have carefully considered the requirements of the position.
Proofreading is a necessary final step. Carefully check for any spelling or grammatical errors. Reading your CV out loud can help you catch awkward phrasing or mistakes your eyes might miss. It is also helpful to read the document backward, word by word, to focus on spelling.
Finally, ask someone else to review your CV. A fresh pair of eyes can often spot errors you have overlooked. A career advisor, a professor in your field, or a mentor can provide valuable feedback on both the content and presentation of your document. These final quality control steps will ensure you submit a polished and professional CV that reflects your qualifications.