Effective CV for Academia

8/13/2019 Effective CV for Academia

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Creating an Effective CVfor theAcademic Job Search

Presented byMIT Career Services GECDRoom 12 170Marilyn [email protected]


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Overview of this WorkshopConstructing Your CV

Headings and content

Your References

Including reference etiquette

Types of UniversitiesDeveloping your List


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Question

What kind of institution do youwant 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?


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Question

What are the top 3-6 things you

want potential employers to

know about you? Consider: Skills

Achievements

Knowledge Areas

Professional qualities

Other


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Question

Name a few people who could

review your CV and give you

helpful feedback, e.g.

Mentors

Other postdocs or students

Friends

Others


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Curriculum Vitae

The term curriculum vitae

comes from the LatinCurriculum - course and

Vitae - life

The course of ones life.


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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 ororganization

Submitted as background bio for anintroduction to a lecture or presentation


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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


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What are YourStrongest 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


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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


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CV FormatThere is no single correct format or style for

writing a CV.

Consult with people in your department about

particularities of CVs in your fieldCVs 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.


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Typical Sections on a CVMost 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: Skillsmay include

subcategories such as

Computer, Languages,

Lab Instrumentation Professional Associations

Leadership & Activities or

University Service

Research Interests Areas of Expertise

Prepared to Teach

References


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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


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Education Start with Institution in bold

Include locations

Do not have to include everyinstitution that you have attended

only those where you received a

degree


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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 theEducation Section after thesis title


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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 yourfield.


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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


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Which ExperiencesShould be Included?

Describe both teaching and research

experience in detail For positions that primarily involve

research, put research experience first

For primarily teaching positions, putteaching experience first


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Should You IncludeWork 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 withoutdescription, or omit.


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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.


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Research is Noted in SeveralPlaces 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 yourdescriptions under your Experience

sections


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PAR StatementsP=Project - Setting

A=Action Tell a Story - Plot

R=Results - 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


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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.


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PAR Statements Action/Activity the plot

Verbs reflect your skills

Page 22 in the workbook: a list of great actionverbs 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


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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


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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


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Gaps In general its not a good idea to

leave a gap undescribed

Talk over with others how to

handle complicated time periods


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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


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Presentations Papers Presented at Conferences -

include:

Title of paper

Name of conference

Dates

Location

May indicate:

Invited Presentations, Posters


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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


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Choose Referees Who: Know you and your work well

Have high external visibility

Can speak well on your behalf fromvarious perspectives

Can comment on your unique

experiences, strengths, and addressany weaknesses or issues that may be

of concern


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Reference Etiquette Ask permission before submitting

referees names

When you provide referenceinformation to an institution:

Advise referees that they may be getting a

request Keep referees up-to-date on your

professional activities


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Reference Letters -Prepare Your RefereesIf letters of recommendation are required:

Give 2-4 weeks advance notice toreferees

Meet, discuss with referees topics tocover - they can tailor letters to positions

If pursing teaching, include a teaching

reference Provide clear information about

deadlines, addresses, specifications if any


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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 behelpful in any way, etc.


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When To Prepare Your CVfor the Academic Job SearchSept.-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, bymaking 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 thespace and resources you need.


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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+)
http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/Classification/index.htm


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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.


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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 GECDRoom 12 170Marilyn Wilson
http://web.mit.edu/career/www/events/http://web.mit.edu/career/www/events/