HTML Preview Abroad Curriculum Vitae page number 1.
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THE BASICS
The curriculum vitae, also known as a CV or vita, is a comprehensive statement of your
educational background and your teaching, performance, and research experience. It is the
standard representation of credentials within academia.
Your CV should include a comprehensive list of the teachers you have studied with, as
well as any master classes you have participated in.
Include all relevant performance experiences, beginning with undergraduate study.
This should include solo and ensemble performances, subdivided into categories such
as orchestral experience, solo recitals, chamber, concertos, piano, voice, etc. You
may need to list specific performances (ex: Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, November
2010), or simply describe your role (ex: Principal Cello, University of Illinois Symphony
Orchestra, 2008-2010). If you do not include comprehensive performance
experiences, your CV will appear weak when considered next to a candidate with
complete information.
The CV is only used when applying for academic positions in four-year institutions. Do
not use a CV when applying to community colleges; use a teaching-focused résumé
instead.
There are no length restrictions for CVs, but be certain that all the information you
include is relevant.
FORMATTING
Your CV must be well organized and easy to read.
Choose an effective format and be consistent.
Use bolds, italics, underlines, and capitalization to draw attention.
List all relevant items in reverse chronological order in each section.
Strategically locate the most important information near the top and/or left side of
the page. In general, place the name of the position, title, award, or institution on the
left side of the page and associated dates on the right.
Use a footer to include page numbers and your last name to help the reader in case
pages get separated.
DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCES
Articulate what you have done and take advantage of the opportunity to describe
your performance and teaching experiences—do more than simply list them. For
instance, be sure to mention if you are a specialist in the performance of
contemporary music.
Avoid the bland phrase “responsibilities included.” This can sound like a dull job
description. Instead, use bullets to describe your activities and successes.
Rev 06/2014
CV Sample
for DMA Students