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Curriculum Vitae and Officer’s Statement: Tips

and Telling Your Story

CAPT Jason WooCDR Dan Brum

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Agenda

Curriculum Vitae Who looks at your CV? Helpful resources Recommendations

Officer’s Statement

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Who looks at your CV?

Promotion board members ROS, OS, PIR, COERs, CV

Hiring officials / interviewers Others e.g., PACs, working groups

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Who else might you ask to look at your CV?

Family member or friend Mentor (Senior) officer volunteers Professional resume and CV writing

service

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Resources (1)

Sample CV Template on PharmPAC website is updated

E.g., Pharmacy

http://www.usphs.gov/corpslinks/pharmacy/sc_career_guidance.aspx

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Resources (2)

Category promotion precepts performance (40%) progression (25%) edu/training (20%) officership (15%) readiness (0%)

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Document your accomplishments

The category promotion benchmarks guidance states repeatedly that accomplishments should be documented in your CV

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Recommendations (1)

Follow the CV template Consider the promotion precepts Update your CV (living document)

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Recommendations (2)

Proofread: Be meticulous Remove outdated or irrelevant

items One page cover sheet

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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

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Recommendations (4)

Be truthful 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)480-1407 or (301)480-1436

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Highlights

Use the template Know the precepts & benchmarks The cover page is critical Highlight accomplishments and

impact Proofread Less is sometimes more

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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

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Less is more (Example 1b)

PHS Outstanding Service Medal (2010)

PHS Commendation Medal (2009) PHS Unit Commendation (2008,

2007)

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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.

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Less is more (Example 3) PLANT Workgroup,

Writer (2005-10) Authored seven (7)

mini-biographical sketches

PLANT Workgroup, Writer (2005-10)

Profile A Profile B Profile C Profile D Profile E Profile F Profile G

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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

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

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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”

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Officer’s Statement

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Contact Information

CAPT Jason WooFood and Drug Administration

W: 240-276-8819Jason.woo@fda.hhs.gov

CDR Dan BrumFood and Drug Administration

W: 301-796-0578dan.brum@fda.hhs.gov

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Open Discussion