Career Resources

Resumes & CVs

Overview

Your resume and curriculum vitae (CV) are often the first representation of your professional identity. These documents serve distinct purposes: one is concise and targeted; the other, comprehensive and archival. Understanding the difference is essential to presenting yourself effectively in various creative, academic, and professional contexts.

Resume Versus CV: Key Distinctions

  • Resume: A resume is a one-page summary of your most relevant education, experience, and skills. It should be tailored to a specific opportunity and designed for quick readability.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV): A CV provides a full account of your professional history, typically used in academic, research, or grant-based instances. It includes all relevant teaching, publications, exhibitions, residencies, and accomplishments, and may be several pages long.
  • Artist CV: The artist’s curriculum vitae provides a detailed overview of your artistic professional history and achievements, listed in chronological order of your career.
     

If you are unsure which to use, CAPX advisors can help you navigate field-specific expectations and tailor your materials accordingly.

Structuring Your Resume

A strong resume emphasizes clarity, intentional hierarchy, and visual consistency. The goal is to communicate your qualifications quickly.

    • Use one to two professional fonts with consistent formatting.
    • Avoid graphics, photos, or decorative elements.
    • Use clear section headers and bullet points.
    • Submit as a PDF labeled: FullName_Resume.pdf
       

    If you are struggling to get started, we recommend exploring Harvard’s Bullet Point Resume Template for a clean structure that works across disciplines, or explore these copy-and-paste templates from Career Contessa for formatting inspiration.

    You can also use Big Interview’s Resume Builder, available through SAIC. This tool offers ATS-optimized templates, customization options for tailoring resumes to specific opportunities, and AI-powered personalization to help align your resume with job descriptions. It provides a simple, step-by-step process for creating polished resumes that highlight your strengths.

  • Include your preferred name, city/state (no full address), professional email, phone number, and relevant links (website, LinkedIn, or professional social media).

  • Structure your resume to reflect your strengths and relevance to the opportunity.

    • Summary (optional): A 2–3 sentence overview of your professional identity, experience, and goals.
    • Experience: Include relevant jobs, internships, freelance projects, and teaching roles.
    • Education: Include institution, degree, and expected or completed graduation date.
    • Skills: Studio, technical, digital, or language proficiencies.
    • Awards and honors
    • Exhibitions or publications: This is especially relevant for artists, writers, or curators.
    • Community engagement or leadership roles

  • Each bullet point should demonstrate impact and intent. Prioritize clarity and specificity. For a quick breakdown, watch this video on three common resume mistakes and how to fix them.

    • Start with strong action verbs.
    • Focus on outcomes and measurable results (e.g., “Curated two-person exhibition attended by 300+ guests”).
    • Align language with the position or opportunity description.
    • Emphasize transferable skills and articulate your contribution with precision.
    • Include recognition or achievement when applicable.

CV & Artist CV Guidance

CVs should include:

  • Full academic history
  • Teaching experience
  • Research projects
  • Publication and presentations
  • Grants, fellowships, or awards
  • Professional affiliations
     

Artist CVs should focus on:

  • Press, reviews, or bibliographies
  • Residencies
  • Curatorial and collaborative projects
  • Solo and group exhibitions
  • Academic credentials related to your practice
     

Find discipline-specific guidance via the College Art Association’s standards.

Final Considerations

  • Always tailor your resume or CV to the opportunity. You do not need to include everything you have ever done on your resume; just what is relevant to the opportunity for which you are applying.
  • Proofread thoroughly. Visit SAIC’s Writing Center for feedback.
  • Accomplishments should be listed in reverse chronological order.
  • Make sure keywords are easy to find and that they match what is used in the job description.
  • Sections could include: Experience, Administrative, Teaching, Curatorial, Design, Exhibitions, Skills
  • Your resume, cover letter, portfolio, and other materials should match in design.
  • Do not include a headshot for jobs located in the US.
  • Keep your resume under-designed.
     

CAPX hosts an in-person resume development workshop each semester to help you refine your materials in real time. To see if there is one coming up and to register, visit the Handshake events page.