A curriculum vitae is also referred to as a CV or just vita for short. (The plural form is curricula vitae.) It's similar to a resume, in that it's a summary of one's qualifications.

But, it typically includes more details than a resume. In fact, a curriculum vitae is more like a brief biography than a resume; its name means "course of life" in Latin.

In the U.S., some scientific, healthcare, and academic jobs and internships require that you submit your curriculum vitae instead of your resume.

The same goes if you apply for graduate or professional school in the U.S.; submitting your curriculum vitae might be part of the application process.

For jobs in some countries outside of the U.S., a curriculum vitae is the norm over a resume. Employers in other countries can be quite nosy by U.S. standards, because the laws are different.

For example, an overseas employer might require personal information in curricula vitae that could spawn discrimination charges against a U.S. employer requiring the same, such as age, nationality, martial status and number of children.

Writing Your Curriculum Vitae

Generally, you'd follow the same rules in writing your curriculum vitae as you would when writing your resume; for example, you'd organize it by headings and be brief, but concise.

However, a curriculum vitae is typically at least two pages and can be up to ten or more, because of the details it provides.

Tip: If you don't feel comfortable writing your CV, then hire a professional CV writing service to write it for you. It's worth it.

For a list of elements that an employer or school might require you to include in your curriculum vitae, plus professionally-written CV samples that you may use as writing aids, refer to Curriculum Vitae in the Resume and Letter Center.