CVs/Cover letters academic Job Search

1. CVs/Cover letters academic Job Search

2. What is a cv? • Cumulative record of professional achievements and academic preparation and qualifications in your discipline • Includes research and teaching • Includes papers, presentations, awards, professional contributions

3. CV basics • Multi-purpose document: jobs, grants, awards, etc • For use in academic settings • Perpetually unfinished • Flexible with career progress • Prepare you own CV, but use samples • Different conventions in different fields • Length varies according to career progress • Importance of accuracy and honesty • No need to reinvent the wheel! Samples available! • Get a critique, or two or three!

4. Importance of formatting • Font size – 10-12 point • Use white space • Be consistent with fonts, sizes, grammar, headings • Get a CV critique!

5. Importance of first page • Precious real estate! • Study job ad – what is the search committee looking for? • Most important information on first page • If research most important, first page to include publications, presentations

6. Contact/personal information • Name, address, email, phone • Where do you want to get mail or phone calls? • Personal website • Do not include: Marital status, DOB, age, religion, height, picture

7. Education section • PhD first, followed by masters (if awarded), bachelors • Can state title of project, advisors • Can state fields • Nationally know awards for undergrad is ok

8. Research Section • Summary of project, or papers • Research interests: future plans • Doctoral research – can have other research section • Followed by Peer Reviewed papers, presentations – can have other sections for non-peer reviewed

9. Teaching experience • Name of institution • Classes taught • Your job – TA or your own class? • Include academic teaching only; separate section for other teaching • Teaching interests: what you can contribute

10. Other sections • Conferences attended • Fellowships, Awards, Honors, Scholarships • Related teaching • Related experience • Related research • Other professional training • Professional activities/service: Sheridan programs, Grad rep GSC, department/university leadership, • Professional affiliations • Skills

11. In summary • Make it readable • Remember who will be reading it • Ask others to read it before you use it • PROOFREAD!

12. Getting a critique • CareerLAB – make an appointment on the Brown Student Job and Internship Board • Grad student walk-ins, Wednesday, 2:30-3:30 pm • Email Bev_Ehrich@brown.edu • FACULTY! YOUR DEPARMENT! OTHER COLLEAGUES!

13. Academic Cover letter • Accompanies your CV • Personal dialogue with Search Committee/employer • Opportunity to highlight sections of your CV • Distinguish yourself – why a good fit • Introduce yourself as a competitive candidate

14. GOAL of Cover lEtter • With the CV, to get you an interview • Demonstrate fit for the position

15. Getting started • Read the job ad carefully • Demonstrate what you know about institution’s values, teaching, research, faculty, etc. • What draws you to the job, the institution • How does your work fit in, what do you bring, positioning yourself within the department • Use the language of the ad as your guide • Respond with your experience

16. What to include • Statement of what you are applying for • Address to a person, if possible • If job focuses on research: Details of current work, plans for the future • If job focuses on teaching: Describe current teaching, advising, awards, strengths, approach • Might be asked for teaching statement, or research statement as supplement

17. Additional tips • Length – check with department • 10-12 point font • Always get input from advisors, department • CareerLAB critiques a good place to start, but not the last stop