CV Prep for Physics Majors

University of Pittsburgh

Office ofCareer Development & Placement Assistance Presented by Emily Bennett,

M.Ed.

Agenda

CV vs Resume Preparation General Guidelines Helpful Tips Q & A

CV vs Resume Curriculum Vitae, aka CV

“A brief account of a person’s education, qualifications, and previous experience, typically sent with a job application.” (Oxford Dictionary)

Typically at least 2 pages long Concise and complete summary of your background

and experiences Resume

Usually shorter in length Tailored to a specific job

Purpose

To obtain an interview

To aid in completing an application

To assist others in their recommendations

Useful tally of accomplishments

Preparation Consider type of CV

List CV- experiences grouped by functional area (research, publications, etc)

Detailed CV- give descriptions to the above experiences and give further insight Most common for academic job search

Combination CV- List and Detailed CV formats Helpful for outside of education and research

Create a Rough Draft Experiment with different sections and

titles of them Make a list of what you absolutely want

to include Keep a running document of notable

accomplishments and experiences

General Guidelines: FormattingSample content sections:

Summary, Profile or Highlights Education (inc. thesis/dissertation) Research Experience Teaching Experience Industry Experience Selected Courses Publications Presentations

General Guidelines: FormattingSample content sections continued:

Conferences Professional Memberships Honors and Awards Committees Skills: Language, Computer, etc Grant experience Volunteer Work Future interests and research

Sample CVhttp://www.quintcareers.com/Science-Academic-CV-Sample.pdf

Know yourself & your audience!

Tailor your descriptions to reflect marketable and appropriate skills to your job search

Helpful Tips

Highlight accomplishments and avoid listing tasks

Use numbers and statistics if possible to quantify and qualify data

Use the top to bottom approach when determining order of sections

Review, review, review! Have numerous people review it! Your advisor,

faculty, mentor, career development office, etc.

Questions?

Emily Bennettemb108@pitt.edu

Follow-up questions and CV/resume reviews: