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
AGENDA FOR TODAY
 CV? Resume? Hybrid?
 Format
 Style
 Common Mistakes
 Academic vs. Industry CV/Resumes
 Resumes
CV? RESUME? HYBRID?
Think about
 Your audience
 The position
 Your strengths, relevant skills & experience
 How much detail
 Focus on PhD/Post-Doc-specific accomplishments?
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
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
STYLE
 Place most important information:  Consult job posting, and include
relevant KEYWORDS
•
First page
•
Left side of page
 Avoid pronouns, articles, jargon
•
Beginning of sections
 Use sentence fragments
•
In columns
 PROOF, PROOF, PROOF
 Use highlighting judiciously
 Use action verbs to describe
experience
 Ask a friend to PROOF
COMMON MISTAKES
 Don’t use another CV or resume as a TEMPLATE
 Avoid “TOO MANY WORDS”
 Don’t include PERSONAL information, e.g.
• Marital Status
• Gender
• Date of Birth
• Photograph
• Citizenship
• Native country/language
 Be careful attributing pre-published papers
("in preparation", "under review", "in revision" and "accepted)
 Don’t get too creative with paper, style, format
Academic CVs
 Designed for the human eye
Industry CVs/Resumes
 Designed for the human eye &
keyword searches
 Highlight research or teaching
 Grants & awards more
important
 Describe research with more
BASIC approach
 Always highlight research, not
teaching for most
 Skills & techniques more
important
 Describe research with more
APPLIED approach
Academic CVs
 Exhaustive list of publications
and presentations
 Include references & contact
info
 Initial screening by PI or search
committee
Industry CVs/Resumes
 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
 Hard copy or email attachment
application: No hard copy to
HR
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”
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)
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)
-
Use a max of two font styles (can sometimes be helpful for different font for
headings)
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 frontranked 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”
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.
RESOURCES
 Sample Resumes/CVs/Hybrids
 NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE)
 Guide to Resumes & CVs
 How to Write a Cover Letter
 Umass Medical School Center for Biomedical Career Development
 Job Hunting in Industry presentation at UMMS by Bill Lindstaedt, Director of the OCPD
at UCSF.Topics include uncovering job opportunities & preparing a resume.
 USCF Office of Career and Professional Development
 http://www.career.ucsf.edu/grad-students-postdocs
 Sample Industry Resumes
 Job Hunting in Industry presentation
 Biospace Career Resource Center
 Naturejobs Career Toolkit
 Brandeis GSAS Career Services
Questions?
Connect with GSAS Career Services
www.brandeis.edu/gsas/career
gsascareers@brandeis.edu