Also called a CV or vita, the curriculum vitae is an overview of accomplishments relevant to the academic realm with no page limit. A curriculum vitae is most often used for graduate school, research positions, scholarships, and academic or educational employment.
The structure of a CV should be well-organized with highlights of your qualifications and accomplishments that are relevant to the position(s).
The most common format is Chronological where experience is arranged by date in reverse chronological order.
CVs differ from resumes in that their length is typically 2 – 4 pages for emerging professionals and 10 pages for seasoned professionals.
- Font Style and Size are important for spacing
- Use easy to read fonts like Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri
- To make it easy to read use 10-point to 12-point font
- Your name at the top of the page can be a larger (usually no more than16-point bold)
- These are the basic components of Resume Name section:
- Name, professional email address, phone number, and LinkedIn
- You may add city and state or region, but for security purposes do not include your full address
- Margins are generally 1” – ½”
- Be consistent with fonts and bullet points and use black ink
- Third person language is used throughout a resume
Resume Sections
The key information in this section should include:
- Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts
- Emphasis: Your major
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
- Anticipated graduation month and year
- Community College degrees can also be added beneath your current school information.
Example (Kinesiology Resume):
Bachelor of Science, Kinesiology
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
This can include full-time and part-time jobs, internships, or seasonal work including paid or unpaid work. The goal is to focus on your outcomes/achievements, leadership, and items that show what you are capable of.
- This section should list your professional experiences in reverse chronological order.
- If you have specialized or relevant experience, you may choose to title this section “Related Experience” followed by Additional Experience.
- Each job experience should include the following:
- Job title
- Employer/company name
- Location (City, State or “remote”)
- Dates of employment
- Bullet-point details of your accomplishments and contributions
- A bullet-point list makes it easy for recruiters to quickly read through your content. Do not simply list the “responsibilities” or “daily tasks” of the job. Include details such as:
- Quantifiable examples of your outcomes/achievements
- Leadership and special projects
- Items that highlight your capability
- Word choice is critical and you should use action verbs
- A bullet-point list makes it easy for recruiters to quickly read through your content. Do not simply list the “responsibilities” or “daily tasks” of the job. Include details such as:
Example (Biology Resume):
Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Department-Pomona, CA
Undergraduate Research Assistant January 2025 – Present
- Assisted in a faculty-led research project studying microbial growth patterns, conducting 20+ controlled lab experiments, and accurately recording observations in detailed lab reports.
- Prepared and analyzed biological samples using microscopy and staining techniques, improving data accuracy and reducing contamination rates by 15%.
Add important skills according to your Industry.
- To give context, you can describe how you have or are currently using the skill(s).
- Organize your skills in some way. (Ex. ABC order or order or priority to the job posting)
- Always be truthful with skill level.
Example of skills list (Sociology Resume):
Research & Analysis: Excel, SPSS, qualitative & quantitative research, data interpretation
Data Collection: Survey design, interviews, transcription
Communication: Report writing, documentation, presenting findings
Technical: Microsoft Office (Excel, Office 365, Word)
Example of descriptive skill list (Business Resume):
Created quarterly reports using Excel pivot tables.
Unlike a resume that mostly focuses on an experience section or academic projects to demonstrate abilities, a CV should include specialized sections such as:
- Academic and Research Projects
- Publications
- Volunteer Activities
- Conferences and Showcases (Attendee and/or Presenter)
Academic projects are often used to expand on industry experience or there is a very descriptive way to convey your capability. When using individual or team project(s) include:
- Your title/role in the project
- Class/Club the project was for
- Name of the project
- Bullet point similar to how you would for work experience highlighting the outcomes and your capability
- Timeframe that you worked on the project
- If it is an on-going project, describe it as such, and change it once the project has been completed
Example (Plant Science Resume):
Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA January 2025 – May 2025
Soil Health & Nutrient Analysis Project
- Collected and analyzed soil samples from up to 11 sites to evaluate nutrient composition, pH levels, and overall soil health.
- Conducted 35 lab tests and interpreted results to determine soil quality and recommend appropriate fertilization and management strategies.
- Applied findings to develop a soil improvement plan aimed at enhancing plant growth and sustainable land use practices.
Use standardized formatting for your industry (Example: APA for higher education). If you make formatting changes, be sure to be consistent.
Link to online content if available, and always double-check your links to ensure they work. Get copies and/or screenshots of the content (PDF format) in case the publication becomes unavailable online later.
Example (Higher Education Resume):
Bronco, B. (2025). Student leadership: Exploring the impacts of first-generation representation in student club leadership. Innovative Higher Education.
Some common places of volunteer opportunities include:
- Non-profit
- Civic organizations
- Professional associations
- Educational institutions
- Emergency Services
Format similarly to work experience:
- Your title/role in the volunteering opportunity
- Name of the organization or event you volunteered for
- Month and year OR date range that you’ve volunteered
- Bullet point the tasks or activities performed.
Examples (Early Childhood Resume):
Youth Volunteer, Connect & Play Program, Pomona, CA January 2023 – August 2024
- Facilitated play-based learning activities for children ages 3–8 focused on social-emotional learning, language development, and cooperative play.
- Maintained safe and welcoming play environments in alignment with child supervision best practices by supporting positive behavior strategies by modeling conflict resolution and turn-taking skills
Use standardized formatting for your industry (Example: APA for higher education). If you make formatting changes, be sure to be consistent.
Include the presenters, date, title of the presentation, and the title of the conference, showcase, etc.
Example (Psychology Resume):
Bronco, B. (2025) Polytechnic models in psychology. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association in Los Angeles, CA.
