For students enrolled in higher education, the concept of professional development sounds like something that
students are obviously already working on. However, in addition to pursuing a degree, there are steps that can
be taken to continue to develop professionally while in school and beyond. Ideally, professional development
should be a lifelong process. It can cover a lot of different areas and feel like an overwhelming task. However,
like all large and ongoing tasks, breaking it down into smaller pieces and working on it regularly is one of the
best ways to stay on top of it.
Perhaps the most fundamental piece of the larger professional development picture is the curriculum vitae — or
CV — for tracking professional qualifications and accomplishments. Having a CV and keeping it up-to-date is
part of being a professional in the field of psychology. In many professional situations, your CV will serve as your
initial introduction and doorway into new opportunities. If you do not already have a CV, now is the good time
to put one together. If you do have one, now is a great time to make sure it is up-to-date and that it presents your
accomplishments in their best light.
Here are some things to consider as you create or review your CV:
There is not a standard format or APA style for CVs, but a quick Google search (use terms like "psychology CV
examples") will yield a host of examples for you to get ideas about typical CVs.
•Additionally, the American Psychological Association has some good resources and guidelines to
help you develop your CV: https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2015/01/curriculum-vitae.
•This link includes a handy checklist for items to include in your CV:
https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2018/04/how-to-format-your-cv-or-resume.html
Spend some time reviewing these tips and recommendations, then apply them to your CV so it is ready to go
whenever you may need. Additionally, consider setting periodic reminders in your calendar, perhaps once
a quarter, to review and update your CV. Keeping your CV current and in good form is well worth the effort
professionally.
Please feel free to send any ideas or recommendations you have for professional development topics to the
NCUPA at ncupa@ncu.edu.
References
American Psychological Association (2015). Build a better CV.
https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2015/01/curriculum-vitae
American Psychological Association (2018, April 2). How to format your CV or resume.
https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2018/04/how-to-format-your-cv-or-resume.html
NCUPA FOCUS ON
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Sherr y Rieder, PhD
3
NCUPA Summer Bulletin
