Creating CVs and Resumes Kristin Messuri The Graduate Writing Center 111H Kern Building kmm533@psu.edu/ Gwc.psu@gmail.com

Graduate Writing Center One-on-one consultations All types and stages of writing We can help with: Brainstorming Understanding an assignment Learning from professor feedback Working with resources Revision To schedule, see our website: http://pwr.la.psu.edu/resources/graduate-writing-center/GWC

Workshop Goals To identify the rhetorical situations surrounding CVs and resumes To review the conventions of CVs and resumes To develop strategies to highlight your strengths and unique experiences To discuss basic design principles and apply them to these genres.

CVs: An Overview A curriculum vita (Latin for “course of a life”) is a record of your educational background and academic experiences, meant to showcase your qualifications. CVs are used primarily in academic settings Most CVs focus on the three-part mission of the university: teaching, research, and service. They are full, detailed accounts of your experience, so they may be several pages long. CVs are “living documents”; they should be updated often to reflect new information and accomplishments.

CV Content Contact information DO NOT include personal information, such as sex, age, race, nationality, or marital status. Education Title of thesis, abstract, and advisors Post-doctoral work Research Publication and conferences Honors (fellowships, grants, awards) Relevant coursework (if illustrative or unusual) Research assistantships

CV Content (cont.) Teaching Service Courses Taught Research Assistantships Service Student organizations Committees Community service or outreach

CV Organization Put the most important sections first. Think about your audience—what is important to them? Emphasize research or teaching credentials accordingly. Offer descriptions and details that show how your qualifications are particularly suited to this position or department. Place contact information and education in the first two sections. Within sections, put items in reverse chronological order.

Exercise #1 In groups of 3-4, consider the sample CVs on pp. 5-10 of your packet. Compare and contrast the organization of the two CVs. What conclusions can we draw about the purpose of each CV? What do the organizational choices and choices of detail show about the priorities and strengths of this individual? What other characteristics of strong CVs do these samples have or lack?

Resumes: An Overview Consider the resume on p. 5 of your packet. How does it differ from the CVs you just analyzed? Think about content, organization, and formatting. How is the rhetorical situation surrounding a resume different from that surrounding a CV? In other words, who is the audience for a resume? What is the purpose or goal? What context are you, the writer, entering?

Resumes: An Overview A resume is a brief summary of your education, work experiences, and qualifications. Unlike a CV, a resume should only be 1-2 pages long. Resumes are usually used in business/industry settings, with the goal of obtaining an interview. Most resumes include information about an applicant’s education, employment history, qualifications, and/or skills that are relevant to the job for which they are applying. They are tailored to each specific job. Resumes are selective and may not include all experiences; or, they may include different information for different job applications.

Resume Content As with the CV, certain sections are conventional: Contact information Objective statement (brief summary of the position(s) you are applying for and your main qualifications) Education Work experience Skills Honors and activities However, you can invent new sections as necessary. Unlike the CV, you won’t give as much detail about academics and research (e.g., dissertation title, publications, classes taught). However, you will give more detail about work experience and other categories if appropriate.

Resume Organization Contact information and objective statement are the first two sections For the rest of the resume, two organizational schemes are appropriate: Chronological-items are listed in reverse chronological order Rhetorical/emphatic-items are listed in the order of importance Always use rhetorical/emphatic organization when listing job descriptions and skills (items that aren’t chronological)

Exercise #2 In groups of 3-4, consider the sample resume on p. 11 of your packet. What do the organizational choices and choices of detail show about the priorities and strengths of this individual? What other characteristics of strong resumes do these samples have or lack? What did you notice about the formatting?

Formatting CVs and Resumes Use 11 or 12 pt. font. Use 2-3 strong lines that go across the page. Limit yourself to 2-3 typefaces (including bold and italics). Use bulleted lists to organize sections. Remember, resumes tend to include more descriptions than CVs. Keep in mind balance, symmetry, and white space—your CV should look full, but not crowded. Above all: make sure your format is consistent between sections! If you are printing the document, use high quality white or off-white paper.

Document Design: Things to Keep in Mind Avoid templates, or at least alter them: templates don’t always fit a given situation, and if too many people use the same template, the documents look very similar. If everything stands out, then nothing does. The (Western) eye is attracted to the top and left of the page—put the most important information there. You should be able to see the different sections clearly if you stand and look down at the resume/CV on the floor by your feet. You should be able to clearly read the name at the top of the document from across a long conference table.

From CV to Resume Show how your qualifications make you a good fit for the position. You may need to describe academic and work experiences in different ways to show how your qualifications fit the particular job for which you are applying. Focus less on the details of your research and teaching (i.e., the topic of your dissertation or classes you’ve taught) and more on the transferable skills and knowledge base that qualify you for the job. Fit all information on one page—two at most.

Exercise #3 In groups, look at the sample CVs on pp. 5-10. How might this individual translate this information from his CV to a resume? (The CVs contain similar information, so you may look at either.)

Exercise #4 Get into groups of 3. If you have brought your CV or resume with you, exchange copies with two partners. Write suggestions or ask questions in the margins. Consider the following: What information does the document include? Are there sections that are missing or, conversely, that are unnecessary? Should the author combine or retitle certain sections? Identify one strong example of detail and one place where more detail would improve the document. How is the document organized? Does that organization fit the document’s purpose? How is the document formatted? Identify one strong layout strategy and one that could be improved. Mark any problems in consistency (verb tense, formatting, etc.).

Please fill out and return your evaluation form as you leave. THE END Thank you for coming! Please fill out and return your evaluation form as you leave.