Everything on the vita should be up-to-date and true. Because a vita quickly becomes obsolete as you complete various research projects, join professional associations, and progress in your academic studies and career, it is imperative that you carefully review your vita regularly to improve and update it. Include the date your vita was written or updated (month and year) on the first page.

Within each heading, list accomplishments in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. These should be brief, specific, clear and honest. Use short, descriptive statements instead of complete sentences. Stress skills and accomplishments. Describe experiences using action words.

• Contact/Personal Data
  Your name, address, phone and e-mail address should be included at the top of your CV. If you are still in school, you may list both your current and your permanent addresses. Do not include personal information, such as date of birth, marital status, religion or biographical information.
• Education
  List the name and location of all colleges/universities you have attended. Include dates attended, degrees completed, concentrations, certificates and academic distinctions. Accuracy about academic degrees and experiences is critical. Even the slightest discrepancy can be damaging. Even if all requirements have been met, do not state that you hold a degree until it has been officially conferred. If you feel the need to do so, include an annotation explaining that all the requirements are completed and the degree will be conferred on a particular date.
• Employment Experience
  In addition to paid jobs, be sure to include descriptions of relevant unpaid experiences, such as fieldwork placements, volunteer work, internships and extracurricular involvement. These may be of equal or greater value than relevant paid employment.
• Publications and Creative Works
  List bibliographic citations of articles, pamphlets, monographs, chapters in books, research reports, etc. Include descriptions of recitals, performances, productions, art exhibits, etc.
• Awards and Honors
  List, with dates, membership in professional honorary societies, receipt of competitive assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, grants, teaching or research awards.
• Other Important Items (Optional)
  List papers presented at conferences, professional association memberships and recent or current research projects.