Currently, I’m in the process of updating my Curriculum Vitae (CV) and have found an excellent source for quick information. Here’s an excerpt that I found helpful.

CV’s are frequently longer than resumes, since the emphasis is on completeness rather than brevity. While there is no single correct format or style for writing a CV, the following types of information are generally included, and typically organized in this way:

• Name and Address
• Education
• Dissertation
• Fellowships and Awards
• Prepared to Teach or Areas of Research Interest or Areas of Specialization or Areas of Competence/ Expertise or Principal Research and Teaching Interests
• Teaching Experience
• Research Experience
• Publications and Presentations
• Works in Progress
• Related Professional Experience
• Languages
• Other
• References
• Dissertation Abstract

For more information, and the direct source of the above material, please check the MIT CV guide, found here:  http://mit.edu/career/www/guide/cv.pdf.

The suggested tips appear to be for already established professionals in academia, but what if you are applying to a doctorate program and the highest education you have is a master’s degree, or only a bachelor’s degree?

Some candidates to PhD programs may not have very much research experience, but it is important to include in your CV. You’ll have more opportunities to elaborate on it in your cover letter and statement of purpose. Remember that the quality- not quantity- of the research and the lessons learned go a long way.

Things that you may be lacking: teaching experience, fellowships, publications, and dissertation. If you have it, great. If not, leave it out.

Keep in mind, that just because you lack this experience, now, doesn’t mean that you are not qualified for a PhD program. This is the point of doctorate programs. After years of rigorous work to obtain your PhD, you’ll have more than enough experience to fill out an academic professional’s CV with all the bells and whistles.

For the references section, I advise listing professional and academic references that can speak about your strengths and how your past experience will help you succeed and excel in a PhD program. If you can list professors or deans, that will greatly help. However, resist the temptation to list people that barely know you just to have them on your CV. It’s not worth it. You want someone that can provide a strong, honest, and supportive opinion of you and your capabilities. If you don’t have academic references, don’t worry. A manager or colleague that can provide information about your work ethic and past projects is equally good.

Here are the curriculum vitae bullet points revised for someone that does not already have a PhD, and just graduated with their bachelor’s degree. I’ve highlighted the bare-minimum sections in bold.

• Name and Address
• Education
• Fellowships and Awards (If you have any)
• Areas of Research Interest or Areas of Specialization or Areas of Competence/ Expertise or Principal Research and Teaching Interests
• Teaching Experience (Teaching Assistant experience counts)
• Research Experience
• Publications and Presentations (If you have it)
• Works in Progress (Some of you may have this)
• Related Professional Experience
• Languages
• Other
• References

My final advice for the CV to submit to PhD programs is the same as that found on the MIT careers website: tailor it to teaching and or research, and don’t be discouraged. A CV is only one part of the application process.