Drafting a CV
After you have reviewed the position and brainstormed every single academic aspect of your life that you can reasonably include, it is time to outline and draft the CV. There are many ways to create a CV, so most of its design is up to your own preferences.
- Create a header.
- oCreate a header with your name, address, and contact information.
- List your education first.
- oList the university/college, the degree, your GPA, and the date you graduated.
- oThere is no need for high school diplomas once you have a degree listed.
- Think about the skills your experiences have given you.
- oBrainstorm any skills and accomplishments from your academic career.
- Outline the headings you want to use AND their order.
- oUse UNC at Chapel Hill's "CV_Handout" for help on headings ideas:
- https://careers.unc.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2023/06/CV_Handout.pdf
- oAfter education, organize the headings in order of importance to the position.
- Be clear and concise in your descriptions.
- oShort phrases like “Taught class of 20” or “Operated heavy machinery” are acceptable, if still being descriptive.
- If it is too short, be creative!
- oYou may not have a long CV, especially as an undergraduate. To lengthen it, make sections for your research interests and projects, tutoring or mentoring opportunities, community service, on-campus organizations, and even some specific classes that gave you a new skill.
- Include non-academic material if your experiences will benefit the program.
- oCertain jobs and volunteer work can give you skills that are translatable to an academic setting. If you can make the connection, then feel free to use it.
- Start early, receive as much feedback as you can, and proofread.
- oReach out to professors, peers, and the Writing Center to receive diverse feedback.
- oProfessors may even show you their CVs to give you guidance.
- oUse NC State University’s Career Development Center examples:
- https://careers.dasa.ncsu.edu/resumes/
- oProofread your CV more than once before submission.