Creating an Effective CV for the Academic Job Search

Presented by

MIT Career Services - GECD

Room 12-170

Marilyn Wilson
mcwilson@mit.edu

Overview of this Workshop

Constructing Your CV
Headings and content

Your References
Including reference etiquette

Types of Universities
Developing your List

Question
What kind of institution do you want to work in; what role do you want to have?

How big? Public, private, something else? Research (how much)? Teaching (how much)? Students (what level)? Other roles in the institution?

Question
What are the top 3-6 things you want potential employers to know about you? Consider:

Skills Achievements Knowledge Areas Professional qualities Other

Question
Name a few people who could review your CV and give you helpful feedback, e.g.

Mentors Other postdocs or students Friends Others

Curriculum Vitae
The term curriculum vitae comes from the Latin Curriculum - course and Vitae - life The course of ones life.

What is a CV Used For?

Applying for: Teaching or research opportunities Fellowships or further academic training A grant or contract funding proposal Tenure or promotion Membership in a professional society or organization
Submitted as background bio for an introduction to a lecture or presentation

CV Quick Review Exercise

We will hand out a CV to you Dont look at it until we tell you to You will have 20 seconds to read it and form an impression of the person

What are Your Strongest Assets?

As you develop your CV, ask yourself: What 3-6 skills, achievements, knowledge areas do you want to leap off the page for readers of your CV? How can you make that happen? You want to survive the early culling of candidates

Think Strategically
Who is your audience? How technically savvy are they? What will they find interesting about you? Material you present early in your CV is likely to make a stronger impression than material placed later. An exception publications, which tend to be at the end

CV Format
There is no single correct format or style for writing a CV. Consult with people in your department about particularities of CVs in your field CVs are often longer than resumes completeness is more important than brevity. 2 to 4 pages for a young professional 4 to 7 pages for a person with more experience Etc.

Typical Sections on a CV
Most Common: Name & Contact Information Education Dissertation Title or Topic Fellowships/Awards/Honors Research Experience Teaching Experience Other Professional Experience, e.g., Industry Experience, Government Experience Presentations Publications Other Common Headings: Skills may include subcategories such as Computer, Languages, Lab Instrumentation Professional Associations Leadership & Activities or University Service Research Interests Areas of Expertise Prepared to Teach References

Your Name & Pagination

Make name larger than the basic font size Put your name on every page Number pages in header or footer:
Page one of five or Page 1 of 5 Page two of five

It may read:
Grace Hopper - Page one of five

Education
Start with Institution in bold Include locations Do not have to include every institution that you have attended only those where you received a degree

Highlighting Your Thesis

May include a brief summary of your thesis topic in the Education section. List your advisor; some people suggest you list all members of your committee
Include a one-or-two page abstract of your thesis (recommended, but optional) Write See Abstract Attached in the Education Section after thesis title

Dissertation Abstract
A separate page or two at end of CV Briefly summarize your research Place your work within its scholarly context Note its contribution to the field Write up should be: Comprehensible to people outside field Scholarly enough to interest people in your field.

Fellowships and Awards

Clarify awards and other information if readers are not likely to grasp their significance Dont have to include every award This section can go later if you prefer not to feature it

Which Experiences Should be Included?

Describe both teaching and research experience in detail For positions that primarily involve research, put research experience first For primarily teaching positions, put teaching experience first

Should You Include Work Experience?

Work experience is fine to include If its relevant to your academic interests, describe it and make that apparent. If not directly relevant to your academic interests,

Are there skills you gained that make the experience worth including? May describe briefly, list without description, or omit.

What Not to Include

Omit references to Age, Marital status, Children, Health, Spouse's work, Religious affiliation Not necessary to title the document Curriculum Vitae - its understood that its a CV Do not need to write these words: "Personal Information, Contact Information, Email; they are understood.

Research is Noted in Several Places onYour CV

Include thesis title under Education Include thesis research under Research Experience Attach a Statement of Research Interests at the end Discuss now how to write your descriptions under your Experience sections

PAR Statements
P=Project A=Action R=Results - Setting Tell a Story - Plot - Ending

Use PAR statements when describing your Experiences feature skills and accomplishments Projects you were involved with Activity/Actions you took (verbs=skills) Results impact of your work, usefulness of the project

PAR Statements
Project establishes the setting What problems are you trying to solve? What knowledge area are you working in? What impact, in the real world might your work ultimately lead to? Write this so that nontechnical people, as well as technical people, can get some idea of what you are/were working on.

PAR Statements
Action/Activity the plot Verbs reflect your skills Page 22 in the workbook: a list of great action verbs to use Elaborate your skills e.g., Develop can mean you did 67 different things. What were those things? Which ones would be good to mention? Think about transferable activities: E.g., collaborated, wrote, presented, lead a team, supervised

PAR Statements
Results what happened in the end? What impact did you have? Doesnt have to be a research finding Doesn't have to be a positive result E.g., Created a methodology that has now been adopted for ongoing use Research is ongoing Work is being written up for publication Finished project ahead of schedule and under budget

PAR Statements
Quantify your experience when possible Convey size/scale of project, budget, results List relevant accomplishments and skills Not job duties and responsibilities Example Before: Responsible for supervising undergraduate researchers After: Supervised 3 undergraduate research students who have since gone on to graduate school in astrophysics

Gaps
In general its not a good idea to leave a gap undescribed Talk over with others how to handle complicated time periods

Publications
List in reverse chronological order. Put your name in bold Can use asterisk* on papers for which you made leading contribution Can create separate categories: Publications, Presentations Can group Publications in sections, e.g: Books, Refereed Articles, Abstracts Can list Works in Press, Submitted Articles or Works in Progress

Presentations
Papers Presented at Conferences include: Title of paper Name of conference Dates Location
May indicate: Invited Presentations, Posters

References
3 - or more - individuals who can comment (positively) on your fit with institutions to which you are applying
Provide: Name Title University affiliation Address Telephone/fax /email

Choose Referees Who:

Know you and your work well Have high external visibility Can speak well on your behalf from various perspectives Can comment on your unique experiences, strengths, and address any weaknesses or issues that may be of concern

Reference Etiquette
Ask permission before submitting referees names When you provide reference information to an institution:
Advise referees that they may be getting a request

Keep referees up-to-date on your professional activities

Reference Letters Prepare Your Referees

If letters of recommendation are required: Give 2-4 weeks advance notice to referees Meet, discuss with referees topics to cover - they can tailor letters to positions If pursing teaching, include a teaching reference Provide clear information about deadlines, addresses, specifications if any

Reference Letters Follow-up with Referees

Tactfully follow-up to be sure letters will be/have been mailed in time Im checking in to see how things are going with my letter of recommendation, if you would like any more information from me, if I can be helpful in any way, etc.

When To Prepare Your CV for the Academic Job Search

Sept.-Nov. - Seek advice and support of your advisor and other mentors. Develop CV and begin to apply for jobs. Network. Nov.-Jan. Prepare for screening interviews at annual conferences. Ask advisors to help if they can (for example, by making calls on your behalf).

Jan.-Mar. Prepare for campus visits. Follow up with enthusiastic letters following each interview.
March-May Negotiate offers. Be sure you are being offered the space and resources you need.

Types Of Institutions
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education:
http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/

Research/Doctoral Universities (260+) Masters Colleges and Universities (500+) Baccalaureate Colleges (600+) other categories (2000+)

Additional Documents
Research Statement
Keep it under 3 pages Include info about what you want to do 2/3 what you did, 1/3 what you want to do

Teaching Statement
Are you articulate about your own science? Being able to raise money for research depends largely on how articulate you are about it

Cover Letter
If theres anything more I can provide for you, please let me know.

Thank You and Best Wishes!

Postdocs are generally welcome to attend our career workshops. For more information see our Calendar of Events at http://web.mit.edu/career/www/events/ MIT Career Services - GECD Room 12-170 Marilyn Wilson