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Kylie N. Barnes, Pharm.D., BCPS
Item Development Workshop:Curriculum Vitae and Letter of Intent
Missouri Pharmacy AssociationAnnual Meeting – Fall 2016
WRITING A CURRICULUM VITAE
What is a CV?
• Curriculum vitae– Latin for “course of life” – grows as you grow– Used in the United States in a large majority of
healthcare settings and in academia– Outlines your personal background, education,
and experience – Required for applications to residency and
fellowship programs– Usually requested when applying for jobs
Curriculum Vitae vs. Résumé
Curriculum Vitae Résumé
Higher degree of detailSeveral pages in lengthGeneral; not tailored to
a specific jobGenerally used for academia or
research positionsMore widespread usage abroad
OverviewLimited to a single page
Tends to be tailored towards a specific job or position
Used widely in the United States
Main Heading
• Your Name, Pharm.D. Candidate– Left or centered– Larger than the other font – May include contact information here
Typical Categories
• Personal information• Educational background• Postgraduate training• Professional practice
experience• Other work experience• Licensure and certification• Research experience• Teaching experience
• Publications• Presentations • Professional memberships• Service activities• Awards and honors• References
Personal Information
• May be listed directly under your name on the first page or under its own heading– “Personal Information” or “Contact
Information”• Want to include:
– Temporary and permanent address– Telephone number – include area code – Email address – be professional
Personal Information: What NOT to include…
• Age / date of birth• Social security number• Nationality • Marital status • Statement about your health• Photograph
– If asked to supply, use a passport-sized head shot
• Goals / personal statement
Educational Background
• Listed in reverse chronological order• Include:
– Name of the institution– Dates attended / date of anticipated graduation– Type of degree earned
• If only attended to take 1-2 courses to fulfill a degree requirement, do not include
Educational Background
Educational Background
• What about high school?– Do not include if:
• You have a college degree• You have earned at least two years of college credits
• Academic standing– May include as GPA, class ranking, or
graduation honor (e.g., graduated manga cum laude)
– Optional to include
Postgraduate Training
• Includes all professional training (e.g., residency, fellowship)
• May have its own heading, or be included with educational information or professional experience section
• Make sure to include the name and location of the institution where you received your specialized training, dates attended, and the type of certificate or credential earned
Professional Practice Experience
• Should be a prominent section • Include only experience within line of work
– Other experience should be highlighted elsewhere
• Include:– Name and location of the employer – Beginning and end dates of employment– Title of position held– A description of duties
Professional Practice Experience
• How do you write a description?– Use action verbs to emphasize
accomplishments– Keep descriptions brief and organize key
information using bullets or dashes • Do not have to provide supervisor’s name
and contact information for each position– Especially if they are one of your references
Professional Practice Experience
Experiential Education
• IPPE and APPE experiences – Include once scheduled– Include:
• Experience type• Organization name• Location• Preceptor name• Dates• Description of responsibilities
• APPE
Experiential Education
Other Work Experience• Be selective in this section• Use it to highlight leadership experience
(e.g., team lead, scheduler, trainer)
Licensure and Certification
• Include licenses and certificates you hold as well as their status. Include:– Awarding agency– License number – Date of issue– Most recent renewal date
• List in reverse chronological order
Licensure and Certification
Research Experience• Showcase all research and scholarly
pursuits (e.g., grants, patents, projects)• In general, does not include a description • As a student include:
– Title of your research or scholarly activity– Name of the institution – Names of co-investigators – Dates of the activity – Special knowledge or skills you acquired
Research Experience
Teaching Experience
• Examples of teaching experience:– Lecturing– Coordinating conferences– Giving workshops or recitation sessions– Serving as a mentor– Precepting students in a practice environment – Providing continuing education to practitioners– Preparing electronic course materials– Tutoring
Teaching Experience
• May include in professional experience section, but achieves greater prominence when a separate header is created
• For each appointment list:– The institution– Course number and title– Date provided– Number of students involved
Teaching Experience
Publications
• Examples to include on your CV:– Articles published in professional journal– Books you have authored– Book chapters you have authored– Reports you have prepared – Published poster abstracts
• Cited following a uniform style– Stay consistent for each publication listed
Presentations• Especially invited, highlight your
professional experience and scholarship• Provide:
– Title of each– Inviting or sponsoring organization– Location– Date
Professional Memberships
• Document memberships in professional organizations or associations here
• Provide:– Name of the organization– Dates of membership – May also highlight offices you have held or
note other kinds of participation (e.g., committee memberships or task force assignments)
Professional Memberships
• Committee assignments– Add details (e.g., co-chair, chair, member) to
clarify your role
Leadership
• If you have a lot, consider highlighting section on its own.
• Shows:– Time management– Planning– Promotion of the profession
• May get lost within professional organization section if you are really involved
Leadership
Service Activities
• Documents professional and personal efforts to meet the needs of the profession or community – Service to the profession
• Holding an office in an organization • Serving on university committee
– Service to the community• Working a 5K event • Providing a Brown Bag event at an elderly
community center
Service Activities
• Only list items once on your CV– For example, if you list your volunteer
activities with an organization in the Professional Organizations section, do not repeat them in the service activities section
• If takes up more than 1 page, consider only including pharmacy relevant or recent activities
Awards and Honors
• Beginning or the end? • Provide:
– Name of the award– Sponsoring organization– Location where given– Date
Awards and Honors
References• Last section on your CV• Heading only with statement
“References available upon request”• Create separate page providing name of
each reference including contact information– Mailing address– Telephone number– Fax number– Email address
Other Sections
• Highlights individual experience and attributes – Military service
• Branch of service• Entry and discharge dates• Rank• Type of discharge• Reserves activities
Design Tips
Design Tips• Make headings stand out – boldface,
CAPITALIZE letters, italics, or underlining• Use a font size between 10 and 14 points• Use various design formats – (e.g., bullets,
lines, italics, boldface, shading) to create this appearance, but do not overuse them
• 1 inch margins • Justify the left margin• Avoid using graphics
Design Tips• Use present tense for current duties / past
tense for others• Write out numbers < 10 as “one, two, three,
etc” and use numbers for 10 and higher • Be consistent
– MO vs Missouri– (816)235-2187 vs 816.235.2187– 9/2016 vs September 2016 vs Sept 2016
Design Tips
Appropriate FontsArial
Bookman Old StyleCourier NewGeorgia
Lucida SansTahoma
Times New RomanVerdana
Design Tips• Neat• Appeal to reader’s eye• Adhere to basic guidelines for readability• Proofread for both mechanical and
typographical errors– Experiential vs. experimental – HIPPA vs. HIPAA – Blood Borne vs. Bloodborne
• Name and page number on each page
Reverse Chronological Order
• Typical preference • May not always be best
– If the last time you served your community was 4 years ago, it might look odd. Where did you go? Why did you stop serving?
Printed Version
• Use high quality paper– Business stationary with bond weight 20 or 24
pounds with more cotton fiber– Résumé paper
• Only print on one side of the paper • Do not fold or staple the pages• Inspect for print errors/ink smudges
List of Don’ts
• Use vague descriptions• Exaggerate your responsibilities or
accomplishments• Use jargon, unfamiliar abbreviations, or
slang• List works “in preparation”
– Has various meanings and can be misleading
Don’t compare your beginningto someone else’s middle.
--John Acuff
CV Updates• Updates while in school
• Once or twice a year prior to APPE rotations• Once a month when on APPE rotations – this is a
likely time you will be asked for a copy of your CV
• Methods– Box to keep a copy of your presentations,
articles, and activity reminders– Electronic folder to keep track of items to add
• Set up a calendar reminder to update CV– Compare activity lists with classmates
CV Updates
• Some tailoring may be needed to highlight specific accomplishments most relevant to the job application
• May have more than one CV – One for job in academia– One for job in clinical pharmacy
WRITING A LETTER OF INTENT
Cover Letter vs. Letter of Intent
Cover Letter Letter of IntentServes as an introductionProfessional correspondence or business letter that states:• Purpose for writing• Reason for interest• Qualifications Ends by directing the reader to attached résumé or CV, and contain contact information
Generally more comprehensiveAddresses same as cover letter in addition to:• Career goals and objectives• Professional experience• Leadership skills• Unique attributes to set you apartEmphasizes what you can offer the organization
Letter of Intent – Structure
• Explain reason for writing• Tell how you know about the organization Paragraph 1
• Highlight your skills and background• Point out specific experiences or
accomplishments• Identify an attribute that makes you stand out
Paragraph 2(May end up being 2 paragraphs)
• Express your interest• Request an interviewParagraph 3
Letter of Intent – Formatting
• No real format that must be followed • Keep your reader in mind!
– Choose sentence structure that projects your message without losing focus
– 1 inch margins– 11-12 point font– Residency programs often receive 200+
applications – Do not exceed 1-2 pages
Letter of Intent -- Formatting
• An employer will not decide to interview you based solely on your letter – Has a big impact– This is your first impression– “Less is more”– Catch their attention, and leave them wanting to
know more about you
Letter of IntentWhat are they looking for?
• Looking for a match with a purpose • Keep your letter specific to the potential
employer
If your heart is set on being an inpatient pediatric pharmacist, but you are applying for an ambulatory care geriatric program – there is a disconnect.
Letter of IntentWhat are they looking for?
• Employers are gauging your writing skills and your ability to communicate effectively– Take the time to spell check– Read the letter out loud– Have someone else read the letter to you– Visit a writing center for proofreading
• A poorly written letter can end your candidacy
Tips for a great letter
• Address it to person of authority – use the person’s name and title, spelled correctly
• Remain as brief and focused as possible• Tell how you became attracted to the opportunity
– Shows you have done your homework• Convey your enthusiasm for the opportunity • Balance professional tone with touches of personal
warmth – you do not want to sound like a machine • Outline what you are looking for, and what you
can offer
Examples to Simplify WordingWordy Phrase Condensed PhraseIn the event that If
In light of the fact that SinceBe considered that Is
Start off StartOn an annual basis YearlyFor the purpose of ForOn the occasion of WhenIn the final analysis Finally
It is obvious that ObviouslyOn an everyday basis RoutinelyDespite the fact that Although
Establish a connection ConnectMake a decision Decide
• Be genuine • Use a natural tone• Do not try to sound like
someone you are not• Avoid sounding
fake/pretentious
*Chart adapted from The Pharmacy Professional’s Guide to Résumés, CVs, and Interviewing
Ways to ruin your letter…
• Spell the company’s name incorrectly– Or the residency program director’s name
• Addressing the letter “Dear Sir” when the hiring authority is a woman
• Misspell words and make typographical errors
• Write like you talk
Questions?
Kylie N. Barnes, Pharm.D., BCPS
Item Development Workshop:Curriculum Vitae and Letter of Intent
Missouri Pharmacy AssociationAnnual Meeting – Fall 2016
