PhD Resumes & CV’s

1. PhD Resumes & CV’s Engineering Career Service University of Wisconsin-Madison John Archambault - CEE, EE, GLE, Susan Piacenza – IE, ME Kathy Prem – BME, ChE, Mat Sci, EMA, NEEP

2. Differences Between Resume & CV • One difference may be length • A resume is a 1 – 3 page summary of your skills, experience and education • A Curriculum Vitae may be longer (3+ pages) with complete synopsis of education and experience

3. The most important distinction is the use • In the US • A curriculum vitae is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions • A resume is used for most industrial positions • In Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia • A curriculum vitae is used for most job applications

4. Major Resume Sections • Your name, contact information • Objective • Education, skills and experience • Research/Teaching experiences &/or interests • Publications/ Presentations • (published or presented, submitted and in progress) • Grants and fellowships; awards • Professional associations and licenses • (only if active)

5. Content • Use phrases only • Starting phrases with descriptive action verbs • Justify the use of every word • Do not write paragraphs • Quantify descriptions and results, using #, $ or % • Use bibliographic style for publications and presentations

6. Format & Presentation • Format professionally • The resume is an integral part of your professional image • Continually update • The resume should be improved and changed often • Critical document • Used in the selection process for interviewing • Used as outline for the interview

7. Personal Information Best Not Used • In US, do not include • Photo, date of birth, marital status, height, weight, or other personal information • This information is customary in some global regions • Best to exclude political, religious and other information that is considered relevant qualifications for the job

8. Page Details • List experiences in reverse chronological – most recent experiences first • Most relevant information on top third of page 1 • Provide enough white space for scanning • Margins at minimum of ¾” for left, top and right • Bottom margin can be ½” bottom • Page numbers and name used as header or footer on all pages after page one

9. Resume Versions • Develop 2 versions: Visual & Text • Visually scan-able • Bring to career fairs and interviews • Save as a pdf • Attach to emails; Assign file name using your name • Electronically scan-able • Save as a text file

10. Use Key Words • Review job descriptions in your field • Include industry key words in your resume and cover letter • MyECS • Keep your profile up-to-date • Attach a personal resume to your profile • Change throughout the semester

11. ECS Job Search Guide • Sample

12. Uses for Resumes/CV’s • Merit & tenure reviews • Publishing, manuscript submission • Grant applications; Professional Presentations • Submission of consulting projects • Nominations for special awards • Competitions, major conferences

13. Tips for Today’s Job Market • Improve upon every aspect of your job search • Enhance the quality and depth of your skills and experiences • Become adept at making technical presentations • Network – have professional discussions – with all those people around you

14. Questions