A Glossy Curriculum Vitae refers to an academic or professional curriculum vitae that appears impressive due to its length, formatting, or volume of entries — but lacks depth, originality, or meaningful impact.

• Long lists of publications, many of which are low-impact, repetitive, or minimally contributive.
• Inflated authorship — frequent co-authoring on consensus papers or multi-author reviews.
• High volume of presentations, often at minor conferences or self-organized events.
• Prestigious affiliations used to signal value, even when the actual role was minor.
• Committee memberships and task forces with unclear or nominal contributions.
• Strategic buzzwords (e.g., AI, leadership, innovation) peppered throughout.

A spinal surgeon’s CV listing 100 publications, 20 societies, and 30 committees — but upon review, 90% are position papers or reviews with no original data or clinical translation.

Glossy CVs:

• Obscure real merit behind volume and branding.
• Encourage careerism over substance.
• Reinforce gatekeeping by rewarding appearance over insight.
• Contribute to academic theater, where performance replaces genuine contribution.

• Careerism
• Academic Theater
• Mediocrity
• Formalism
• Institutional Prestige

Bottom line: *A glossy CV may shine on the surface — but often reflects polish, not purpose.*