Page 238 - Complete Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Resume

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Part 3 ➤ So, You Need a Special Resume

1. Most CVs are more than two pages long.
2. The information on a CV tends to be detailed, providing exten-
sive data about your publications, presentations, and other aca-
demic activities.
3. CVs don’t necessarily contain Job Objective statements, although
it’s perfectly all right to include them.
Terms of Employment
Curriculum vitae is Latin for Let’s look at each of these exceptions more closely.
“life’s course.” In the academic
and scientific worlds, it’s a docu-
ment used as a resume. A cur- When More Is More
riculum vitae is also referred to as
The length of a CV may vary. A CV for a recent Ph.D. graduate would
vita or CV.
normally range from three to eight pages. For someone with extensive
professional experience, a CV could run as long as 20 pages. That’s a lot
of paper, but in the academic world, that’s a good thing. The people
reading CVs seem to live by the slogan “more is more.” (That’s the CV
twist on the “less is more” theme I’ve been espousing all along for
resumes.)

Just the Facts

Job-Hunt Hint Your CV audience is more interested in the facts and details of your
career than it is in hype (that is, language that sounds exaggerated in
Make it a habit to review your
order to impress). Data such as reference information, dates, and exact
CV every six months or so to see
titles are important, because they give a means for verifying informa-
whether it needs updating. Since
tion. Providing technical descriptions also gives you a chance to show
updating your CV usually means
that you know what you’re talking about without sounding like a
you will be adding information
braggart.
about the projects you’ve com-
pleted, your CV will grow in
length over time.

Bonus Check

Your CV can be used for more than just getting a job. It will also come in handy when you
➤ Market yourself for a consulting position.
➤ Apply for positions on boards and committees.
➤ Need autobiographical information for proposals, publications, or lectures.

Each time you send out your vita, check to see that it contains the necessary elements for
its specific purpose.

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