A curriculum vitae, or CV, is used to land a job, grant or award in the academic world more often than its well-known sibling, the résumé.

Assemble your information: degrees, diplomas, papers published, books and articles authored, patents earned, courses taught, grants and prizes earned.

Decide on a style. As with résumés, there are formats geared toward every objective.

Clarify your objectives. Are you looking for a position? Graduate admission? A patent? Are you sending a book query?

Check out current trends in CVs in books and magazines and on Web sites dedicated to careers and graduate programs. Look at CVs on the Internet, especially within your orbit of interest.

If you're a job seeker, list courses taught (latest first), including institutions, departments and courses. Also include special classifications such as department head, graduate advisor, committee member, etc.

If you're a would-be contributor, first list articles, books, papers or columns authored; include publication, issue, year and publishing house.

If you're a hopeful graduate student, list diplomas, GPA, experience and education first.

Include thesis topics and areas of interest in detail; this document will be used to gauge experience, applicability and interest.

Have a literate friend or colleague proofread, edit and generally review your document for clarity and polish.

Remember to include a bit of personality in your CV through your language and your personal style.

Update and polish your curriculum vitae every time something changes: a Ph.D. earned, a professorship at MIT, a book accepted for publication, etc.

Tips:

Curriculum vitae loosely means "this is my life," so make certain yours reflects your every success and achievement in its best light.

Print out your CV on high-quality paper - even in this virtual world, people equate quality presentation with quality content.

Be sparing in your use of fonts; a nice, simple design is best. Keep in mind that designers and résumé crafters specialize in this area and can help you if you're struggling.

Dates and names can be easily checked, especially in this Internet age. Keep your CV up-to-date and honest.