CV Help

[Jon Miller]

Would you guys cut the publications/presentations section?

JM

[Ben Kenobi]

Jon, I've sent you a PM.

I don't seen anything wrong with a publications, but you'll have to tighten it up so that it's a line for each publication.

[Ben Kenobi]

"I served as a process engineer for a large international collaboration to investigate the nature of the neutron. I troubleshooted the detector apparatus, collaborated in writing the software in ROOT/C++, and calibrated over 400 individual detectors. In the process I developed new techniques to solve analysis problems, such as proton to neutron conversion and accidental background within the neutron detectors."

edit, to add the terminology.

[Jon Miller]

I don't know what a process engineer is?

JM

[-Jrabbit]

The thing I noticed about the Publications is that the first and last seemed pretty impressive and the others looked like padding.
"Hall A Workshop"
"Hall A Meeting" ????

What non-physics-geek potential employer would have a clue WTF that means?

So I would dump it and just summarize, something like:

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Various presentations and publications, culminating with “Measurement of the Electric Form Factor of the Neutron at High Momentum Transfer” presented at Particle and Nuclear International Conference 2008, Proceedings 2009

That would eliminate quetions while establishing your credentials, and gives you speaking material for the interview.

A couple other notes: Leading with "Doctorate of Philosphy" in bold is a huge mistake. It makes you sound like a filosofer, not a scientist. You also have a disturbing tendindency to mix bold, CAPS and italics with standard type. This is a business document, not a graphic arts project.

Ph.D. Experimental Nuclear Physics, 2009
University of Maryland, College Park MD

B.A. Mathermatics and Honors Physics (double major), 2002
Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter MN

If you feel strongly about listing your thesis and dissertation topics, consider putting them under Academic Publications.

[-Jrabbit]

And if you don't know what a process engineer is, don't say you have experience at it on your resume.

[Ben Kenobi]

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Various presentations and publications, culminating with “Measurement of the Electric Form Factor of the Neutron at High Momentum Transfer” presented at Particle and Nuclear International Conference 2008, Proceedings 2009

That would eliminate quetions while establishing your credentials, and gives you speaking material for the interview.

I agree.

A couple other notes: Leading with "Doctorate of Philosphy" in bold is a huge mistake. It makes you sound like a filosofer, not a scientist. You also have a disturbing tendindency to mix bold, CAPS and italics with standard type. This is a business document, not a graphic arts project.

Agreed.

Ph.D. Experimental Nuclear Physics, 2009
University of Maryland, College Park MD

B.A. Mathermatics and Honors Physics (double major), 2002
Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter MN

Yeah, I like that format J.Rabbit. I was thinking he should shorten it to simply University of Maryland, and Gustavus Adolphus College, leaving the dates.

If you feel strongly about listing your thesis and dissertation topics, consider putting them under Academic Publications.

Do employers really care about dissertation and thesis topics?

[-Jrabbit]

I left the city locations with the colleges because Gustavus Adulphus is a bit obscure.

Do employers really care about dissertation and thesis topics?

Only if they are pertinent to their business.

[Jon Miller]

I followed a recommended template for the italics/bold, it isn't anything that I feel strongly about.

It is true that some of those meetings were more important than others (the first and last), but I wouldn't say any of them were fluff. Going with selected talks/publications seems like a good idea (and I can put my dissertation there).

JM

[Asher]

Far too long. Give yourself a one-page limit.

One thing most people dont seem to understand: It's not 1990 anymore; we have computers! There's no need to "finalize" a CV and have 100 printed up. This sort of "standard CV" is useful mostly for mass mailings and headhunters only. Which almost never nets a job.

Think in terms oF specific job apps. You should be researching the gig (job description, the organization itself and the hiring manager) and customizing your submission to that situation. So you may want to take a modular approach, creating versions that emphasize different strengths for various types of opportunities (pure research, management track, consultant/advisor, teaching, etc.).

Absolutely tailor the resume extensively per job posting. I always do that, it makes a big difference in "hit rates".

re: the 1 page limit. When I first got out of school, the 1-page resume was a good idea. But I've been in the consulting world for 3 years now, which means 2-pages is really what is acceptable. I've done a wide variety of work over the past 3 years, and that variety is really a key factor about me I want potential employers to see. I have listed all of the major projects I've worked on, as well as my contributions and activities on them. So far, in the week I've been unemployed, it's been a tremendous asset and I've gotten lots of requests as a result out of it. Certain companies zero in on one or two lines from one or two of my projects and that's the entire reason they call me. If I remove that kind of detail, I risk not letting people know what I can and have done.

The 1-page limit is probably better for general management type of roles, but for technical roles applying for technical jobs -- it's a lot more like a CV, where it's more detailed, specific, and long.

[Asher]

Regarding the resume getting the interview and the interview getting you the job -- that's what I'd worry about most with JM.

I know JM is a bright guy but he can come off as a bit aloof. You probably need to practice interviewing a lot, it really is key. I've been told I interview very, very well but I haven't done it very much -- simply because when I do get an interview, I almost always get the job. In my whole life I've interviewed once and not gotten the job, and I'm still bitter about it to this day -- it was for CompuSmart, a now-defunct(?) retail computer electronics store for a sales position in 1st year university. They never told me why I didn't get it, of course, but I'm pretty sure it was because I wasn't slimey enough to tell lies about the computers. In the interview I gave honest, accurate answers to the faux-customer shopping scenarios about the capabilities and limitations of each machines. I guess honesty isn't good for sales...

We can do an interview help thread too and I'll share my love.

[Asher]

You can do that in one page, Jon. I've never done a CV for anybody more then a page, and if you need more then a page, chance are you either have fluff that can be cut, or you haven't narrowed into the job sufficiently to find the things that you'll need.

Spoken like somebody who's never had a technical, nuanced job...

[SpencerH]

Tailoring a CV for a particular job-type is a must. I'd definitely beef up the skills section and move it 'up' the page and the publications 'down'. In this case, I think a 2 page CV is fine (my 'short' CV is 4 pages with small font so I guess I'll never make it past the RAH-screen).

[onodera]

Absolutely tailor the resume extensively per job posting. I always do that, it makes a big difference in "hit rates".

re: the 1 page limit. When I first got out of school, the 1-page resume was a good idea. But I've been in the consulting world for 3 years now, which means 2-pages is really what is acceptable. I've done a wide variety of work over the past 3 years, and that variety is really a key factor about me I want potential employers to see. I have listed all of the major projects I've worked on, as well as my contributions and activities on them. So far, in the week I've been unemployed, it's been a tremendous asset and I've gotten lots of requests as a result out of it. Certain companies zero in on one or two lines from one or two of my projects and that's the entire reason they call me. If I remove that kind of detail, I risk not letting people know what I can and have done.

The 1-page limit is probably better for general management type of roles, but for technical roles applying for technical jobs -- it's a lot more like a CV, where it's more detailed, specific, and long.

Asher, JM doesn't have anything yet to put on the second page.

[-Jrabbit]

Exactly right, onodera.