Curriculum Vitae - Wikipedia

Summary of career For other uses, see Curriculum vitae (disambiguation).

In English, a curriculum vitae (English: / ... ˈviːtaɪ,-ˈwiːtaɪ,-ˈvaɪtiː/,[a][1][2][3] Latin for 'course of life', often shortened to CV) is a short written summary of a person's career, qualifications, and education.[4] This is the most common usage in British English.[1][3] In North America, the term résumé (also spelled resume) is used, referring to a short career summary.[5][6]

The term curriculum vitae and its abbreviation, CV, are also used especially in academia to refer to extensive or even complete summaries of a person's career, qualifications, and education, including publications and other information. This has caused the widespread misconception that it is incorrect to refer to short CVs as CVs in American English and that short CVs should be called résumés, but this is not supported by the usage recorded in American dictionaries. For example, the University of California, Davis notes that "[i]n the United States and Canada, CV and resume are sometimes used interchangeably" while describing the common distinction made in North-American academia between the use of these terms to refer to documents with different contents and lengths.[7]

In many countries, a short CV is typically the first information that a potential employer receives from a job-seeker, and CVs are typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview. CVs may also be requested for applicants to postsecondary programs, scholarships, grants, and bursaries. In the 2010s it became popular for applicants to provide an electronic version of their CV to employers by email, through an employment website, or published on a job-oriented social-networking service such as LinkedIn.

In the United States, both a CV and resume represent experiences and skills and are used in application processes, but they serve different purposes. A CV presents a full history of academic accomplishments, while a resume provides a concise summary of qualifications. Both are tailored for specific positions, with CVs typically required for academic positions and resumes needed otherwise.[8] In the U.S., most employers use resumes for non-academic positions, which are one or two page summaries of experience, education, and skills. Employers rarely spend more than a few minutes reviewing a resume, so successful resumes are concise with enough white space to make them easy to scan. A CV, by contrast, is a longer synopsis of educational and academic background as well as teaching and research experience, publications, awards, presentations, honors, and additional details.[9]

Contents

[edit]

General usage

[edit]

In general usage in all English-speaking countries, a CV is short (usually a maximum of two sides of A4 paper),[1][3] and therefore contains only a summary of the job seeker's employment history, qualifications, education, and some personal information. A CV's format is not fixed: its main purpose to impress an employer, showcasing skills, experience and creativity. A short CV is often referred to as a résumé only in North America, where it is however also often called a CV outside academia.[5][6] CVs are often tailored to change the emphasis of the information according to the particular position for which the job seeker is applying. A CV can also be extended to include an extra page for the jobseeker's publications if these are important for the job.

A comprehensive CV should include several standard sections: a heading with name, address, telephone number and email address; education history listing degrees earned and specialized training received; professional history or research experience relevant to the position; and clearly stated research interests.[10]

In academia

[edit]

In academic and medical careers, a CV is usually a comprehensive document that provides extensive information on education, publications, and other achievements. Such a CV is generally used when applying for a position in academia, while shorter CVs (also called résumés in North America) are generally used when applying for a position in industry, non-profit organizations, and the public sector.[7] In recent years, there has been a move by research funding organizations, supported by the responsible research movement, towards the use of narrative academic CV formats, intended to add more emphasis to the societal relevance of a scientist's research, teaching, and outreach work.[11] In October 2024, the Government of Canada's main research granting councils—NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR—announced "... a new CV template that would allow applicants to include a free-form narrative personal statement, aligning with trends seen in other funding agencies like the US National Institutes of Health and UK Research and Innovation".[12]

Etymology, spelling, and plural

[edit]

The term curriculum vitae can be loosely translated as '[the] course of [one's] life'. It is a loanword from Neo-Latin, which is why it was traditionally spelled curriculum vitæ using the ligature æ, also in English,[b] but this is now rare.

In English, the plural of curriculum alone is often curriculums instead of the traditional Latin plural curricula, which is why both forms are recorded in English dictionaries. The English plural of curriculum vitae is however almost always curricula vitae as in Latin, and this is the only form recorded in the Merriam-Webster, American Heritage, and Oxford English dictionaries, for example[1][2][3] (the very rare claim that the Latin plural should be curricula vitarum is in fact a hypercorrection based on superficial knowledge of Latin;[13][14] although it would be technically acceptable (though arguably pretentious) if referring to a group of CVs of different people).

See also

[edit]

• Applicant tracking system
• Background check
• Cover letter
• .cv
• Europass – European Standardised model
• Human resources
• Résumé fraud
• Video résumé

Notes

[edit]

1. ^ In English, the second word vitae may be pronounced in various ways. A common pronunciation is /ˈviːtaɪ/, which is the pronunciation of Latin commonly taught in school in the past, or less commonly /ˈwiːtaɪ/, the one increasingly taught today. Another less common possibility is /ˈvaɪtiː/.
2. ^ See list of English words that may be spelled with a ligature.

References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Curriculum Vitae | Definition of Curriculum Vitae by Merriam-Webster". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
2. ^ a b "American Heritage Dictionary Entry: curriculum vitae". ahdictionary.com. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
3. ^ a b c d Definition of "curriculum vitae" by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com
4. ^ "Curriculum vitae | Definition, Example, Meaning, Format, & Resume | Britannica Money". Encyclopedia Britannica. 30 August 2025. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
5. ^ a b Definition of "résumé" by Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b Definition of "résumé" by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com
7. ^ a b "Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae: What's the Difference? | Internship and Career Center". icc.ucdavis.edu. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
8. ^ Ling, Justin P. (5 March 2024). "Resume vs CV | Career Center". careercenter.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
9. ^ "Resumes and CVs". Graduate School. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
10. ^ Bay, California State University Monterey. "The Academic Resume and Curriculum Vitae | California State University Monterey Bay". csumb.edu. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
11. ^ Fritch, Rochelle; Hatch, Anna; Hazlett, Haley; Vinkenburg, Claartje (22 December 2021). "Using narrative CVs: process optimization and bias mitigation". DORA. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
12. ^ "Message from the Tri-agency Presidents: Granting councils transitioning to a new CV template". Government of Canada Interagency News, Announcements, and Statements. 24 October 2024.
13. ^ "alt.usage.english FAQ". Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
14. ^ Thesaurus Linguae Latinae. Vol. IV (1906-09 edition, digitized by Thesaurus Linguae Latinae ed.). p. 1506. iuventuti prolixa vitae [curricul]a data sunt (attributed to Marcus Cornelius Fronto)

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curricula Vitae. Look up curriculum vitae in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• CV guide – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Global Education & Career Development, United States

v t e Employment
Classifications	Academic tenure Casual Contingent work Full-time job Gig worker Job sharing Part-time job Self-employment Side job Skilled worker Journeyman Technician Tradesperson Independent contractor Labour hire Temporary work Laborer Wage labour
Hiring	Application Background check Business networking Cover letter Curriculum vitae Drug testing Employment contract Employment counsellor Executive search list Induction programme Job fair Job fraud Job hunting Job interview Letter of recommendation Onboarding Overqualification Person–environment fit Personality–job fit theory Personality hire Probation Realistic job preview Recruitment Résumé Simultaneous recruiting of new graduates Underemployment Work-at-home scheme
Roles	Cooperative Employee Employer Internship Job Labour hire Permanent employment Supervisor Volunteering
Working class	Blue-collar Green-collar Grey-collar Pink-collar Precariat White-collar Red-collar New-collar No-collar Orange-collar Scarlet-collar Black-collar Gold-collar
Career and training	Apprenticeship Artisan Master craftsman Avocation Career assessment Career counseling Career development Coaching Creative class Education Continuing education E-learning Employability Further education Graduate school Induction training Knowledge worker Licensure Lifelong learning Overspecialization Practice-based professional learning Professional association Professional certification Professional development Professional school Reflective practice Retraining Vocational education Vocational school Vocational university Mentorship Occupational Outlook Handbook Practice firm Profession Operator Professional Tradesman Vocation
Attendance	Break Break room Career break Compassionate leave Bereavement leave Furlough Gap year Leave of absence Long service leave No call, no show Sabbatical Sick leave Stress leave Time clock
Schedules	35-hour workweek Four-day week Eight-hour day 996 working hour system Flextime On-call Overtime Remote work Six-hour day Shift work Working time Workweek and weekend
Wages and salaries	Frisch elasticity of labor supply Global labor arbitrage Labour economics Labor share Labour supply Living wage Maximum wage National average salary World Europe Minimum wage Canada Hong Kong Europe United States Price elasticity of demand Progressive wage Singapore Overtime rate Paid time off Performance-related pay Remuneration Salary cap
Benefits	Annual leave Casual Friday Child care Disability insurance Health insurance Life insurance Marriage leave Parental leave Pension By country Perk-cession Sick leave United States Take-home vehicle Well-being washing
Taxes	Payroll tax Tax bracket Income tax Negative Disposable income Salary packaging Unreported employment
Safety and health	Crunch Epilepsy and employment Human factors and ergonomics Karoshi List of countries by rate of fatal workplace accidents Occupational burnout Occupational disease Occupational exposure limit Occupational health psychology Occupational injury Occupational noise Occupational stress Personal protective equipment Repetitive strain injury Right to sit United States Sick building syndrome Work accident Occupational fatality Workers' compensation Workers' right to access the toilet Workplace health promotion Workplace phobia Workplace wellness
Equal opportunity	Affirmative action Discrimination Equal pay for equal work Gender pay gap Glass ceiling
Infractions	Corporate collapses and scandals Accounting scandals Control fraud Corporate behaviour Corporate crime Exploitation of labour Dress code Employee handbook Employee monitoring Evaluation Labour law Sexual harassment Sleeping while on duty Wage theft Whistleblower Workplace bullying Workplace harassment Workplace incivility
Willingness	Boreout Careerism Civil conscription Conscription Critique of work Dead-end job Employment rate List Job satisfaction McJob Organizational commitment Refusal of work Slavery Bonded labour Human trafficking Labour camp Penal labour Peonage Truck wages Unfree labour Wage slavery Stay interview Workforce Work ethic Work–life interface Downshifting Slow living Workaholic
Termination	At-will employment Dismissal Banishment room Constructive dismissal Wrongful dismissal Employee offboarding Employee turnover Exit interview Labour market flexibility Layoff Notice period Pink slip Resignation Letter of resignation Restructuring Retirement Mandatory retirement Retirement planning Retirement spend-down Severance package Golden handshake Golden parachute
Unemployment	Barriers to entry Discouraged worker Economic depression Great Depression Long Depression Frictional unemployment Full employment Graduate unemployment Involuntary unemployment Jobless recovery NEET Phillips curve Recession Great Recession Job losses caused by the Great Recession Lists of recessions Recession-proof job Reserve army of labour Structural unemployment Technological unemployment Types of unemployment Unemployment benefits Unemployment Convention, 1919 Unemployment extension List of countries by unemployment rate Wage curve Youth unemployment
Public programs	Workfare Unemployment insurance Make-work job Job creation program Job creation index Job guarantee Employer of last resort Guaranteed minimum income Right to work Historical: U.S.A.: Civil Works Administration Works Progress Administration Comprehensive Employment and Training Act
See also	Bullshit job Busy work Credentialism and educational inflation Emotional labor Evil corporation Going postal Kiss up kick down Labor rights Make-work job Narcissism in the workplace Post-work society Presenteeism Psychopathy in the workplace Sunday scaries Slow movement (culture) Toxic leader Toxic workplace Wage compression Working poor Workhouse
See also templates Aspects of corporations Aspects of jobs Aspects of occupations Aspects of organizations Aspects of workplaces Corporate titles Critique of work Organized labor

Authority control databases: National	France BnF data Czech Republic Spain