1. Curriculum Vitae and Officer’s Statement: Tips and Telling Your Story
CAPT Jason Woo
CDR Dan Brum

2. Agenda Curriculum Vitae Officer’s Statement Who looks at your CV?
Helpful resources
Recommendations
Officer’s Statement

3. Who looks at your CV? Promotion board members
ROS, OS, PIR, COERs, CV
Hiring officials / interviewers
Others e.g., PACs, working groups
Whenever a decision-maker is short-listing, interviewing or selecting applicants.
PIR – Promotion Information Report
OS – Officer’s Statement
ROS – Reviewing Official’s Statement CV
COER

4. Who else might you ask to look at your CV?
Family member or friend
Mentor
(Senior) officer volunteers
Professional resume and CV writing service

5. Resources (1) Sample CV Template on PharmPAC website is updated
E.g., Pharmacy

7. Resources (2) Category promotion precepts performance (40%)
progression (25%)
edu/training (20%)
officership (15%)
readiness (0%)
Precepts described in terms of factors
Each factor has a benchmark which is a level of achievement for the officer given the category and grade **Benchmarks are not a checklist, they are a hypothetical set of attributes for the “ideal” officer at a given grade**

8. Document your accomplishments
The category promotion benchmarks guidance states repeatedly that accomplishments should be documented in your CV
Your CV is your chance to tell your story.

9. Recommendations (1) Follow the CV template
Consider the promotion precepts
Update your CV (living document)
Living document that’s constantly evolving.
The CV template follows the precepts and this is not by accident, so make sure that your CV follows that as well.

10. Recommendations (2) Proofread: Be meticulous
Remove outdated or irrelevant items
One page cover sheet
One page cover sheet is NOT a requirement, but I would recommend it. Also, remember to highlight the most important accomplishments on the cover sheet. Some tips- could use bold typing or italic or underline to accentuate certain items, but DON’T over-do-it.
Probably stay away from things like your age, marital status, height and weight, hobbies, and other personal details unless they are relevant and would improve your ability to do a particular job.

11. Recommendations (3) Make prominent important information
“First-line supervisor for 10 employees”
“Directly manage a $15 million budget”
“Meritorious Service Medal for…”
Emphasize career highlights but
Use bold, italics, underline sparingly
PHS Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) May 2013
Do spend much time describing past jobs in terms of duties and responsibilities, rather emphasize the things you have achieved, activities your have initiated, leadership roles. Furthermore, describe those achievements and skills in a way that shows how they are applicable to other types of jobs (promotion board members may not be familiar with your department and the kinds of work you do).

12. Recommendations (4) Be truthful Be consistent w.r.t. formatting
If team effort, don’t take all the credit
Be consistent w.r.t. formatting
Cultivate ideas but don’t plagiarize
Fax CV to eOPF periodically
Fax #: (301) or (301)
In an attempt to appear to be a self-starter, don’t risk coming across as dishonest; Overstating achievements that you did something single-handedly when it was obviously part of a team effort will look bad. Also, you don’t (always) know who will be reviewing your CV…

13. Highlights Use the template Know the precepts & benchmarks
The cover page is critical
Highlight accomplishments and impact
Proofread
Less is sometimes more
Yes, be clear and concise and stay away from agency abbreviations. The person reviewing your CV may not be familiar with your particular agency jargon.
Strive for a clean, uncluttered look.
Don’t make the font size smaller because you can’t decide what to include (or remove).

14. Less is more (Example 1a)
PHS Outstanding Service Medal (2010) Exemplary performance in the…
PHS Commendation Medal (2009) – Outstanding performance for the…
PHS Unit Commendation (2008) –
Yet another long citation
A long history of awards leads to lengthy CV.
Probably too much detail for a CV unless you have only a few awards…

15. Less is more (Example 1b)
PHS Outstanding Service Medal (2010)
PHS Commendation Medal (2009)
PHS Unit Commendation (2008, 2007)

16. Less is more (Example 2) USPHS Winds Ensemble, Percussionist (2005-10)
30 performances
USPHS Winds Ensemble
Played at Event A
Played at Event B
Played at Event C
Played at Event D
Played at Event E
Played at Event F
Played at Event G
Etc.
Probably too much detail for a CV.

17. Less is more (Example 3) PLANT Workgroup, Writer (2005-10)
Authored seven (7) mini-biographical sketches
PLANT Workgroup, Writer ( )
Profile A
Profile B
Profile C
Profile D
Profile E
Profile F
Profile G

18. Less is more: conclusions
Summarize where possible
Emphasize key points (e.g., group leader, major contribution, measureable impact)
Don’t document the “accomplishment” until you have actually done it or qualify its status

19. The CV “Cover Sheet”
Mission: to concisely summarize your CV and demonstrate your value
Vision: to provide Promotion Board Reviewers the story that articulates why you should be promoted 19

20. Do’s and Don’ts Do’s Don’ts
Use bullets that summarize your progressive growth
Just be selective about bullets in your CV
Don’t try to overstate your contributions – less is more, especially if you are a junior officer
Leave any Benchmark empty
Keep bullets less than two lines
Use fancy font or italics
Pick your best highlights – choose the high level achievements over quantity
Keep the presentation “clean” 20

21. Officer’s Statement

22. Officer’s Statement 1. Support of PHS Commissioned Corps activities.
2. Commitment to visibility as an officer.
3. Vision & expectations of a career in the PHS Commissioned Corps, including commitment to the mission.

23. Officer’s Statement
Focus is on Commissioned Corps-related activities, responsibilities, visibility.
Your CV can guide you
Emphasize key points (e.g., group leader, major contribution, measureable impact) – see previous recommendations regarding CV

24. Officer’s Statement 1. Support of PHS Commissioned Corps activities.
Examples: Professional advisory committees, work groups, PHS choir/ensemble, preceptor/mentor, deployments/trainings, planning committees

25. Officer’s Statement 2. Commitment to visibility as an officer.
Wearing the uniform to work and various opportunities to be in the public like conferences, deployments, volunteer services when authorized

26. Officer’s Statement
3. Vision & expectations of a career in the PHS Commissioned Corps, including commitment to the mission.
Thoughts: Describe vision and expectations, and then support views with past actions or future plans

27. Food and Drug Administration
Contact Information
CAPT Jason Woo
Food and Drug Administration W:
CDR Dan Brum W:

28. Open Discussion