Start with the purpose
Identify the role, program or grant you are applying for and the evidence its readers need. Your library can preserve a complete history; each submitted CV should make relevant experience easy to find. Follow any format or length requirements specified by the recipient.
Describe academic and professional work clearly
For publications, verify author order, title, journal or conference, year and publication status. Distinguish published, accepted and submitted work. For research, describe the question, your contribution and methods. For employment, describe your responsibilities and verifiable outcomes without presenting team results as entirely your own.
Arrange sections for the application
Education, relevant coursework and research may be most useful early in an academic career. As your publication record grows, you may move publications and research forward. For industry applications, relevant work and skills may deserve priority. Section order should help readers understand your fit.
Keep both languages consistent
English content should communicate the same facts as its Chinese counterpart; it does not need to be a word-for-word translation. Use official institution names, qualifications and job titles where available. Verify dates, quantities and publication status whenever you update either language.
Check both facts and the exported document
Check contact information, dates, ongoing roles and links. Open the exported PDF and inspect every page for missing glyphs, awkward section breaks or long URLs extending beyond the margin. A correct preview does not guarantee a correct PDF on every browser.
Keep a record of what you sent
Give each application snapshot a meaningful name, such as “Research assistant application — Fall 2026”. Keep both the submitted PDF and its saved snapshot so later updates can be distinguished from the contents you originally sent.