1. CV, RESUME OR SOMETHING IN BETWEEN? A Workshop for the Brandeis Women In Science Initiative Sue Levine, M.Ed. Assistant Director GSAS Career Services Brandeis University 2015 Special thanks to Laura Malisheski, PhD from the Office of Career Services Harvard University for allowing me to use her workshop content

2. AGENDA FOR TODAY  CV? Resume? Hybrid?  Format  Style  Common Mistakes  Academic vs. Industry CV/Resumes  Resumes

3. CV? RESUME? HYBRID? Think about  Your audience  The position  Your strengths, relevant skills & experience  How much detail  Focus on PhD/Post-Doc-specific accomplishments?

4. RESUMES  Usually 1-2 pages  Summary at top can help target your resume  Publications as addendum (if at all)  Emphasize skills/experiences most relevant to the reader and position  Do not include work/lab address – use personal address  Do not include references

5. FORMAT  There is no single correct format  Highlight you strengths, accomplishments, and experience  Strongest qualities should stand out when skimmed  30 second test  Enough supporting detail to stand up to scrutiny  Organize with CATEGORIES  Arrange categories in order of importance  Reverse chronological order within categories

6. STYLE  Place most important information: First page Left side of page Beginning of sections In columns  Use highlighting judiciously  Use action verbs to describe experience  Consult job posting, and include relevant KEYWORDS  Avoid pronouns, articles, jargon  Use sentence fragments  PROOF, PROOF, PROOF  Ask a friend to PROOF

7. COMMON MISTAKES  Don’t use another CV or resume as a TEMPLATE  Avoid “TOO MANY WORDS”  Don’t include PERSONAL information, e.g.  Be careful attributing pre-published papers ("in preparation", "under review", "in revision" and "accepted)  Don’t get too creative with paper, style, format Marital Status Gender Date of Birth Photograph Citizenship Native country/language

8. Academic CVsIndustry CVs/Resumes  Designed for the human eye  Highlight research or teaching  Grants & awards more important  Describe research with more BASIC approach  Designed for the human eye & keyword searches  Always highlight research, not teaching for most  Skills & techniques more important  Describe research with more APPLIED approach

9. Academic CVsIndustry CVs/Resumes  Exhaustive list of publications and presentations  Include references & contact info  Initial screening by PI or search committee  Hard copy or email attachment  Selected publications & presentations (if too many)  Send reference information if requested  Initial screening usually by HR or pulled from database  E-mail attachment or on-line application: No hard copy to HR

10. Which Publications/Posters/Talks Does One Include And How?  CV  Always include all peer-reviewed publications, review article and talks. In addition include external presentations at conferences. However there are really no particular limits since CV is a presentation of your full academic life. - Invited talks vs. contributed talks: If you have enough invited talks, you can split them out (helps the reader understand)  Resume  Use the heading “Selected publications” and pick those most applicable to the job  For some jobs - no reason to list these, but can be used to demonstrate “good oral and written communication skills” Space is a premium, so list invited talks if you have them (vs. department seminar) but both showcase public speaking  Could also create a seaparate document and attach as “Supplemental Documents”

11. What do I put in the skills section of my Resume/CV and where to put it?  It depends…  Academic CV – not necessarily; Industry Resume – most likely include  Put in skills that apply to the job for which you are applying.  Include specialized skills also  Prioritize what is most relevant to job you are applying for.  Where to put it? - That’s up to you and depends on the organization of your resume – think of the reader (hiring manager/employer)

12. Should my resume/CV look stylish?  Should look crisp and professional and easy for your reader to navigate  Neat and well-organized always come first  Style isn’t important – ease of finding the information is what’s important  Academic CVs want to establish substance over style (no bells & whistles, but don’t go total opposite either (i.e. format in typewriter font ) Resumes: - Use parallel formatting (Italics, bold), but where it makes sense and judiciously. - Try to avoid underlining. If you’re using Word –learn how to use right-justified tabs (http://bit.ly/rjustify)http://bit.ly/rjustify - Use a max of two font styles (can sometimes be helpful for different font for headings)

13. How should I list my name?  First Name and Last Name (middle initial is optional)  Full name at top of document with contact information.  Each subsequent page should have last name in header with page number  For publications, either is fine, but a safe bet is to follow standard citation format for the field (how are names formatted in the front- ranked journal in the field)  Question can be interpreted as one of personal branding. If you have always introduced/promoted yourself in a certain way – be consistent on your CV/resume. Promoting your research and skills in the technical age requires a consistent “brand”

14. Tex vs. Not (will I be taken less seriously if I don’t tex my work?)  With manuscripts and other work – possibly yes (less seriously)  CV or resume – no. Unles the job description specifically asks for.tex format a PDF is the best format (don’t send a word file unless asked for.

15. RESOURCES SSample Resumes/CVs/Hybrids NNIH Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) GGuide to Resumes & CVs HHow to Write a Cover Letter UUmass Medical School Center for Biomedical Career Development JJob Hunting in Industry presentation at UMMS by Bill Lindstaedt, Director of the OCPD at UCSF. Topics include uncovering job opportunities & preparing a resume. UUSCF Office of Career and Professional Development hhttp://www.career.ucsf.edu/grad-students-postdocs SSample Industry Resumes JJob Hunting in Industry presentation BBiospace Career Resource Center NNaturejobs Career Toolkit BBrandeis GSAS Career Services

16. Questions? Connect with GSAS Career Services www.brandeis.edu/gsas/career gsascareers@brandeis.edu

18. TAILORED COVER LETTER  Main point of reference = job description  Your cover letter should highlight how you fit these very specific requirements. Job RequirementsYour Skills & Experience Qualification 1Your skills/experience Qualification 2Your skills/experience Etc

19. ALIGN WITH THE JOB DESCRIPTION  Language: Modify the cover letter to match the language used in the job listing. Recruiters are not necessarily experts in the fields they recruit for, so they often look for specific keywords and phrases  Qualifications: Emphasize the qualifications you have that are required for the position to which you’re applying.  Ordering: Often, employers put the most important requirements at the beginning of the job description. Speak about your skills so that the most important requirements are highlighted first on yourcover letter.

20. BLOCK COVER LETTER FORMAT Your Full Name Your Street Address City, State Zip Code Telephone Number Email Address Month, Day, Year Mr. /Ms. /Dr. FirstName LastName Title Name of Organization Street or P. O. Box Address City, State Zip Code Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Last Name: This is where you put your first paragraph This is where you put your second paragraph This is where you put your third paragraph Sincerely, Your name