How to list talks on a CV

In our October "how can we help you?" thread, a reader writes:

How should talks appear on a CV? I'm late-junior stage (about to be tenured) so I've given more than a few. Do I just list the most recent? Going back how far? Do I list the most prestigious and somehow indicate that it's a selected list? Do I not list any? For context, the 'talks' section of my CV is currently taking up a little over a page, about the same as my publications. How do other people navigate this?

Another reader submitted the following reply:

A common practice is to have a list of invited talks, and then a list of refereed conference talks. Each list is labelled - clearly! I assume, if you have some publications (a page worth), that that is what will really determine whether you get tenure or not. Talks are much more important for early career people with few pubs. I am far along, and generally just list recent talks.

I'm curious what other people think. What do you all do, and why?

 

Comments

[anonymous person]

It depends what the CV is for. I assume this person is not asking about their tenure file since the requirements are typically set there by the university, but on that CV it should be exhaustive (at least since the beginning of the period of employment). If you look at philosophers' websites I think some people list more recent ones only, some people have an exhaustive cv up there, etc., and I don't see any reason why "whatever you want to do is fine" is not the answer.

[Ernie]

I'd be interested in the same question but for earlier-career people (PhDs and postdocs).

[Tim O'Keefe]

I list all of my talks, but to keep it a little less cluttered and easier to read, I list talks per paper, not per presentation. For instance, if I gave the same paper three times at different venues, it would be as follows:

“Lucretius Rocks My World”
• APA Central Division Meeting, April 2002
• Minnesota Philosophical Society meeting, September 2001
• New Mexico State University, July 2001

rather than

“Lucretius Rocks My World," APA Central Division Meeting, April 2002

“Lucretius Rocks My World," Minnesota Philosophical Society meeting, September 2001

“Lucretius Rocks My World," New Mexico State University, July 2001

[new dept chair]

I do the same as Tim O'Keefe.