Curriculum Vitae and Resume Writing

First Virtual Symposium of the

AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOMATHEMATICS

June 26-27, 2025

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Amos Oladele POPOOLA (Ph.D)

Professor of Mathematics & Director of Quality Assurance,

Osun State University Osogbo, Nigeria.

amos.popoola@uniosun.edu.ng

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Outline

• Definition
• What to include in a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Clarity and Simplicity
• What recruiters and hiring managers look for in a CV
• Writing a winning Curriculum Vitae
• Conclusion 

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Definition

• Curriculum vitae (CV) is Latin for “course of life”
• A CV is a comprehensive document detailing your entire career journey - including education, work experience, research, publications, awards, presentations, skills, ... 
• There is no strict length limit— but pay attention on the job posting where this is often limited to a certain number of pages (e.g., not more than 10 pages)
• CVs are most commonly required for: Academic and research roles, scientific positions, application for grants, fellowships, international jobs, …

Difference between CV and Resume

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• A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is to showcase your qualifications, experience, and achievements in a way that stands out to employers 

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What to include in a Curriculum Vitae

• Employers expect a CV to include 
• Personal information, e.g., Contact details,
• Professional and academic history (Profile)
• Work experience
• Education qualifications
• Skills
• Publications (if any)
• Other relevant achievements

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Clarity and Simplicity

• In writing a Curriculum Vitae, it is pertinent to balance clarity, simplicity and trying to make prospective employers develop a strong impression about the applicant
• clearly present your identity, skills, experience, and education background . This of course will make the prospective employer to develop a strong impression about the applicant
• A professional and legible winning CV should
• be strong and aspirational
• be skillful and outcome-focused
• be engaging and persuasive
• emphasize achievements
• highlight uniqueness

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What recruiters and hiring managers look for in a CV

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• Start with a powerful headline or summary
• Start with a short phrase that tells recruiters what makes you a good fit (e.g., Experienced Data Analyst)
• Be specific and quantify results
• Avoid peacock terms and vague buzzwords (e.g., hard‑working, team player) and instead use concrete examples (e.g., Led a team to launch project X a week ahead of schedule)
• Use active verbs
• Start bullet points with action words like Led, Delivered, Streamlined, Achieved
• Tailor it to each job
• Customize your headline to be job specific
• Keep it clear and concise
• Use bullets and bold styling on key terms

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Writing a winning Curriculum Vitae

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Before you start, you should

• have a mindset that your CV is “your image”.
• choose the relevant format required by the Organization you intend to submit your CV to
• focus on work history, listed in reverse chronological order (most common):
• focus more on skills rather than work history (best for career changers or gaps)
• mix or combination skills and relevant work experience.

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Writing a winning Curriculum Vitae...

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To prepare your CV, you need the following Ingredients;

• Full name
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• Profile
• LinkedIn profile (optional)
• Google scholar profile (optional)
• ResearchGate (optional)
• Portfolio/website (if applicable)

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Education

• Academic (and Professional) Qualification
• Degree Name (Include honors)– Institution, Location,(Month/Year – Month/Year)
• Skills: Applicant should mention relevant hard and soft skills
•       (e.g., Python, Data analysis, Project management, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.)
• Other Certifications & Professional Training received (optional)

(e. g. CISCO, Google Ads, PMP, CPR, etc)

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• Work experience/history (To be listed in reverse chronological order)
• Job Title – Company Name, Location�Month/Year – Month/Year
• (List achievements/responsibilities)

e.g.: Professor of Applied Mathematics – Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria

October 2017 – Present

• Taught six Undergraduate Courses and two Postgraduate Courses per semester.
• Supervised X number of Postgraduate students through an extensive and valuable research on waste management.
• Facilitated a donation of computers to the Department of Mathematics, University of ...
• Any other useful and relevant Information the organization needs to know about you.

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Personal Statement / Professional contributions  

You need to write few sentences that will summarize:

• Your professional identity
• Your notable strengths (what you have done)
• Your career aspiration (what you desire for success or achievement)

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Other relevant information (optional)

You may include (if relevant and professional) Languages, Volunteer experience, Publications, Projects, Interests 

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What are the tips for writing acceptable CV?

• Keep your CV concise  1–3 pages
• Shape your CV: Adjust your CV for each role using keywords from the job description
• Use action verbs: e.g., managed, examined, designed, developed, improved, led, implemented
• Quantify your contributions: If possible, use numbers or percentages to show impact

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Editing

• Proofread and revise your CV
•  Give it to a friend of progress to also proofread

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Conclusion

• Writing a winning CV requires careful consideration of the afore-mentioned key elements. This should be tailored to your target job to increase your chances of making a positive impression on getting your dream job

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• Please note that writing a winning curriculum vitae is not a one-time task, but rather an ongoing process. As you continue to grow and develop in your career, your CV should evolve with you. With a strong CV and a commitment to continuous improvement, you can achieve your long-term career goals and succeed in your chosen profession.

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Acknowledgements

• I thank you all for listening
• I appreciate all ASB Board of Directors and leaders for organizing this first symposium.

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