Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
Advice

CV Doctor Returns - English

Julie Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong September 25, 2008

Once a year we take on the mantle of CV Doctor. We ask readers to send in their CV’s and select four for an online critique.

This year we chose to evaluate three faculty CV’s: one for a Ph.D. candidate in English, one for a Ph.D. in the history of medicine, and one for an Ed.D. in social work. We also selected the CV of a Ph.D. candidate seeking an administrative position in a campus teaching and learning center.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

Once a year we take on the mantle of CV Doctor. We ask readers to send in their CV’s and select four for an online critique.

This year we chose to evaluate three faculty CV’s: one for a Ph.D. candidate in English, one for a Ph.D. in the history of medicine, and one for an Ed.D. in social work. We also selected the CV of a Ph.D. candidate seeking an administrative position in a campus teaching and learning center.

Every year in our annual critique, we notice a few common mistakes. The following list, along with the CV critiques provided here, should serve as a starting point for anyone drafting a vita, or as a model for anyone looking to refine their current document.

  • Follow directions. Please. A fairly high number of people sent us documents -- such as teaching or research statements -- that we did not offer to critique. We wonder how many of those same people send in documents to search committees that they never requested. You will make the best impression in applying for positions by giving a committee the documents it asks for.
  • Quotations attached to the bottom of the e-mail message on which you submit your CV are unprofessional and cheesy. As much as we like chocolate or respect the accomplishments of Gandhi, we agree that jaunty little quotes on such subjects don’t belong at the end of your career-related e-mail messages. It is important to conduct yourself professionally in all work-related communications.
  • We say this every year, but we’ll remind readers once again that the correct singular of CV is curriculum vitae, as in “you’ll find attached my curriculum vitae.” The spelling “curriculum vita” is incorrect. Sometimes, people use the term “vita” as in “I’ve attached my vita to this message.” This is also correct, but causes confusion for many. Why are both terms correct? Curriculum vitae means “course of life” so vitae is in the genitive form, rather than the nominative, and in the genitive vitae means “of life.” Vita is the nominative, so when people say they are sending you a vita, the literal translation is “life.”
  • When you send your CV via e-mail, don’t just label the attachment “CV.” Label all of the attached documents with your name and a one- or two-word description of what the attachment contains: “Smith CV” or “Smith teaching statement.” Search committees may receive several hundred applications; labeling your attachments properly will make it easier for them to find yours quickly.
  • Be sure to include your name on each page of your CV. Beginning on the second page of the document, include a page number next to your name on every page.
  • Do not include on your CV the full mailing addresses of institutions from which you earned degrees or organizations at which you’ve worked. Specifying the institution’s city and state, or city and country if it’s foreign, are sufficient. Drop all street addresses and postal codes. They just clutter up your vita.
  • Don’t feel that you need a lot of white space on your CV. If you spread your information out by having huge margins, deep indents, and lots of skipped lines, you just make it harder for people reading it to scan information quickly, and you do yourself a disservice. Tighten it up, and make sure your most significant accomplishments appear on the first and last pages of your CV.
  • Avoid sloppiness. Check repeatedly for spelling mistakes, and use a consistent format and spacing. While it might seem insignificant to you to sometimes refer to Minnesota as “MN” and other times as “Minn.,” that, added to other inconsistencies and errors, makes it look as if you don’t care enough to polish this all-important document. Have a few other people look at it, and ask them to be thorough. If you’re not a detail-oriented, copyeditor type, find someone who is to read your job-market materials.

If you need more help, we recommend consulting previous columns of The CV Doctor (listed by year on the right side of this page).

We would also like to note that we received CV’s from people at institutions that we know have very capable career-services offices that can give excellent feedback. When seeking career advice, try your Ph.D.-granting institution first. Even if you have moved away from the university, its career counselors may be able to help you.


Have a question you would like answered in Career Talk? Send it to careertalk@chronicle.com. While we are unable to answer letters personally, we will consider them as material for future columns. Confidentiality is assured.


We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Protesters attend a demonstration in support of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, March 10, 2025, in New York.
First Amendment Rights
Noncitizen Professors Testify About Chilling Effect of Others’ Detentions
Photo-based illustration of a rock preciously suspended by a rope over three beakers.
Broken Promise
U.S. Policy Made America’s Research Engine the Envy of the World. One President Could End That.
lab-costs-promo.jpg
Research Expenses
What Does It Cost to Run a Lab?
Research illustration Microscope
Dreams Deferred
How Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Are Derailing Young Scholars’ Careers

From The Review

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan keeps his emotions in check during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Charlottesville. Va. Authorities say three people have been killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia and a student is in custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Review | Opinion
Jim Ryan’s Resignation Is a Warning
By Robert Zaretsky
Photo-based illustration depicting a close-up image of a mouth of a young woman with the letter A over the lips and grades in the background
The Review | Opinion
When Students Want You to Change Their Grades
By James K. Beggan
Photo-based illustration of a student and a professor, each occupying a red circle in a landscape of scribbles.
The Review | Opinion
Meet Students Where They Are? Maybe Not.
By Mark Horowitz

Upcoming Events

Chronfest25_Virtual-Events_Page_862x574.png
Chronicle Festival: Innovation Amid Uncertainty
07-16-Advising-InsideTrack - forum assets v1_Plain.png
The Evolving Work of College Advising
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin