CV Checklist

If you’re one of those people who describe a curriculum vitae as a very long and tedious resume, then you’re quite right about it. It’s one of the things that you need to know thoroughly before you step out into the real world and start applying to different companies. One of the things that you need to know about a curriculum vitae is that it is totally different from the make-up of a normal resume.It is important to know all of the vital information that should be contained in your curriculum vitae or else, you’ll end up not getting the job if it is sloppily done. So without further adieu, here are the information that you need to include in your curriculum vitae.

Contact information
If you happen to be lucky enough and the institution that you applied to decides to hire you, then you’d want for them to be able to notify you immediately.
Brief biography
They’re not looking for a novel here. Just the important and relevant things about you.
Undergraduate education
Of course they will look into this. This is mostly self-explanatory. You better not even attempt to apply for a teaching institution if you do not have this.
Graduate education
This is one of the more ideal things that the judges will consider.
Scholarships
If you happened to be bright enough to have merited a scholarship during your college days, then your chances of getting accepted is highly likely
Training
If you had training on a specific craft of skill, it would be advantageous to you. It is important that you include this because this certainly attracts attention for those prospective employers and university heads.
Opportunites in studying abroad
This more reflective of how cultured you are with the various things, the more they will be won over by you.
Dissertations
Dissertations are quite important especially if it was for your graduate subject.
Employment experience
This is to show to your prospective employers that they have an opportunity to have you as one of their employee whose impeccable work ethic can be counted upon.

Other things that you might want to mention are your theses, teaching experience, publications (if any), grants you’ve been awarded, technical and computer skills, and if you have one, personal licenses and certification. All of these things contribute to how your prospective employer will look at you. Include them and be sure not to miss out on them.

Being Brief

If you want to be even more productive this year, especially during times when you need to rush a certain project, it’s helpful to be brief. If you’re one of those people who just seems to ramble on and on about a particular thing, scenario or person, here are some tips so that you’ll be able to cut to the chase.1. Don’t be bogged down in details that don’t matter. Perhaps you’ve caught yourself once or twice saying something like, “I wore a red shirt, or was it brown, no I think it was red…” What’s so important about what you wore if it’s not an important part of the discussion? Get on with it and go to the next detail of your story.

2. Never repeat your comments unless one of your listeners did not hear you or if she indicates that she did not understand.

3. If the idea is not new to the conversation that you have. If it isn’t new, then you’ll only be wasting your time with these rehashed ideas. Get new ones or don’t entertain the old ones.

4. Try to eliminate some of your extra words. It’s important to construct your comments with as few words as possible while still retaining what you want to say. When you learn how to edit in writing courses, be sure that you apply whatever concepts you learn when you are speaking.

5. Speak at a comfortable pace. This means that when you talk, it is easy to listen to you. You shouldn’t go so slowly that the person listening to you begins to start completing your sentences because they’ve already guessed what you were going to say. Speak slow enough and fast enough at the same time. The key word here is “balance”.

6. Do away with the jokes. Try to take out the jokes that only you think is funny. Don’t try to think that you’re the next big comedian. Stop wasting your time because the rest of the people in the meeting might not agree with your sense of humor in the first place.

7. Eliminate redundant words and phrases in your speech. Examples of these words are “uhm” or “er” or maybe “you know” and “like”. Pause in between your thoughts and try your best to stop filling in the gaps with unnecessary words like these.

Get to the point. Be brief.

CV Simplicity

How do you keep your CV simple? It’s an honest question but it also carries with it so many implications such as what to retain and what to take out. You might want to be able to read through this first in order to know how it is to create a CV that is straight to the point, yet contains all vital information. One thing you should remember is that there are no absolute rules whenever you’re making your CV. With that being said, don’t take these suggestions as rules to live by whenever you’re drafting a copy of your CV or modifying it. There should be enough creativity for you to be able to work with. So let’s start with the how-tos of making a simple CV.

If you already have a CV, you might want to spend some extra time with it in order to make it into a very remarkable document that will put your ahead of the other applicants. When you do not do your CV well, there will be no point in doing it. Here are some pointers:

1.    Remember to include the different types of information that matches the level and type of job that you are planning to apply for. This should be done in a manner that will highlight you as a very interesting candidate.

2.    You should also try to put your emphasis in your CV so that they will know what area you will fit best. If your strength is in knowledge and education, then by all means, highlight that. If you it is in the intangibles such as the organizational culture that you have been exposed to, then let them see that in your CV. These will vary with the various professional roles that you have already attained in the past.

3.    One other thing that you need to do is to be able to prioritize the information that you have so that you will be able to catch the attention of the people who will be reading your CV. You should include and highlight those details which will be very important for them so that they will be curious enough to hold an interview with you.

4.    Try to include a lot of evidence of what you have to offer the institution or the organization that you are applying to. You should be able to appear convincing and professional without boring people to death

Try and implement these the next time you edit or revise your CV. You’ll be able to come up with a thorough and creative CV in the end.

A Cover Letter For A CV

Most people do not immediately realize how important a cover letter for a curriculum vitae is. It is well-known amongst the people who are planning to teach in academia or for those who are applying for science scholarships and the like that a neat and well-crafted curriculum vitae is very important. In order for one to be able to have a fighting chance in a particular position that he or she is applying for, no doubt a well-written curriculum vitae is in order. However there are other ways on how to conduct a more persuasive “sales pitch”.

You should be able to set yourself apart from all others. If you are the product and your curriculum vitae contains what you can do, you need a wonderful and attractive sales pitch for you to motivate the different viewers of your credentials. This is where the cover letter comes in.

A wonderful cover letter is just like any good sales pitch. It is like this first because compared to an ethical doctor, it does no harm. It simply avoids making a negative impression. In fact, in does the exact opposite. It should be able to demonstrate that you—the product—is everything that they thought it was and more. This is the time that you let your prospective employer know what you can do and how you plan to accomplish that.

Secondly, a cover letter should also be in sync with what your employer is looking for. They should be able to sympathize with you when they read your cover letter because of the fact that your goals are in tune with them. All else being equal, when your prospective employer reads your cover letter, they should be able to immediately consider you for the position. This is because they will now have a person who is qualified with the position that they are advertising for and someone who is also in tune with their future goals.

Finally, the cover letter ensures that the quality of the product (who is you) is excellent. If the organization reads your cover letter, it should be sort of the icing on the cake. They should be able to have a positive outlook of you, your capabilities and your long term goal with the company. It should be a very fruitful time for you and your institution if you take your time to craft a winning cover letter that will accompany your curriculum vitae.

The Teaching Statement

Whenever faculty members who are part of the faculty search committee are tasked to look for new members, it can seriously take its toll on them. Aside from the fact that they need to meticulously filter hundreds of applications, it won’t be that much of a help that they need to seriously read through bland teaching statements.

Teaching statements are a necessity for every faculty member applicant as search committees consider it to be an essential part of absolutely any application to the academia. The section is especially important if you seriously want to be considered. This is the part wherein the applicant’s teaching philosophies as well as their expected approaches to teaching are laid out. However, a dilemma is born because even though applicants may be more than willing to submit their teaching statements, most applicants who are applying for their first faculty position may not know what to put exactly in the teaching statement. As a result, the teaching statements that are made are either not suited for the institution or it could turn out as bland and boring. Faculty members of the search committee are expected to read through so many applications and more specifically, teaching statements in order for them to get the right applicant.

The blame does not fall on the applicant though because they are not expected to have had that much teaching experience when they apply for their very first teaching position so they will most likely be forgiven for being inexperienced in this area of their application document.  However, it is understood that teaching statements that include teaching philosophies are for people who teach. An applicant’s challenge is even made worse by the fact that when academic institutions or universities, these universities never really specifically identify what they need from the applicant.

Teaching statements are essentially filters that the screening committee uses in order to separate those casually-submitted ones from the serious ones. This gives the committee the heads up on who personally takes their time to screen out potential people who use the “bulk mail” approach to a job search as opposed to that person who has thought things through. If the teaching statement is not tailored for the institution, then it means you are the former and that your application will most likely be seen at the bottom of the trash bin. So make sure to tailor-fit it to your institution. You’ll be on your way towards a good application for the teaching position that you desire.

Getting A Job In Academia

If you’ve always wanted to teach in a university, then you most probably sat down and started your curriculum vitae. There are a lot of people who apply every now and then but all of you guys would be competing for the same type of job position. Getting into the academia is not as easy as it sounds or seems. It will take you so much more than impressive credentials curriculum vitae.

It is quite important for you to be able to make a good first impression to the university of your choice. That way if and when you finally get to that part where you are already being interviewed, then you will have a much better chance of being able to sell yourself to the university. One of the first things that will be looked at is your credentials. Because you are searching for a teaching position in the university, you will most probably be looked at by your peers with keen skepticism—unless they already know where you came from.

One of the most important things that you need to do is to essentially get yourself published in the top journals. These are significant opportunities that will always be appreciated by the staff or the committee that you will be facing once you are already in the interviewing phase of your application process. The important thing is that you will always do your best to have yourself published in the top journals of your subject matter. They will most probably be at ease with you if are already visible in the world pertaining to the subject matter. Whatever it is that you will be doing, you should make sure that you have at least one published entry under your belt so that the staff and the committee who will be deliberating on you will see that you are one of the people who’s able to see a paper through its completion.

Most of the interviewers will always look at the qualification and so will the rest of the people who you will give your curriculum vitae to. Most of the people who will have the final say regarding your application will not care whether you’ve graduated with top honors five years ago. They want to see your contributions in the field and the subject matter. Stay sharp by researching and writing for the top journals. If you finally land a spot, you’re one step closer to entering the academia.

The Imperatives In A CV

Whenever you are working on your CV, there is a sense of pressure that comes out of the fact that there is so much at stake. Revising one’s curriculum vitae can already cause some grad students and other educated people sleepless nights. There are a few exceptions and they are already situated at the extremes. You only compose a one-page curriculum vitae if you have been a CEO of a company or if you are an undergrad with absolutely no work experience. That’s about it. If you’ve been able to work on some particular projects here and there or maybe dabbled in a few careers, you will definitely need something more than a measly page when you’re submitting your CV to a company.

One of the things that the CV writer should remember is that it’s not about under-posting or over-posting something in your curriculum vitae. It’s all about keeping things that you mention in it straight to the point and concise. Several CV writing experts agree that after years of reviewing CVs as well as resumes, their foremost problem isn’t about the resume not being long enough or not having this number of pages but it’s all about the resume having the exact detailed information that the experts need in order for them to make an informed decision about the applicant.

With that being said, one should learn the art of brevity. There are some things that you should keep out of your resume just for the sake of keeping it succinct and relevant. One of these things is the hobbies and interests section. This has been a necessity ever since day one simply because it actually shows that you have a life outside of work. However, if a potential employer reads through your CV or resume, would they really care if you’re into making wine or playing Scrabble? An employer would most definitely include you in his or her list of potential employees only if you meet their basic set of qualifications or if not, something reminiscent of them which they will be able to relate to what they need in an applicant.

Another thing to remember is to do away with those ancient CV inclusions such as the name of your spouse and children or maybe even your social security number. Those details are reserved if you’re already providing them your details when you’ve been given a job offer. If ever you plan on giving them the different unnecessary details of your life that are not related to your qualifications, then you should reserve it for later documents.

Preparing A Killer CV

If formality didn’t call for it, one could simply start typing out their curriculum vitae and hand it in as if it was a 30-minute pop quiz. However, rarely does that happen and rarely do serious hiring companies or institutions entertain a CV without an excellent cover letter. Therefore, as part of your job application arsenal, you should be able to master the art of cover letter making. There are a lot of areas to consider when making your cover letter. Here are just a couple of ideas that you could consider.

Make it appear professional
One of the things that you could focus on is the appearance of your cover letter. You should be able to make the impression that you are doing everything that you can so that you will be able to give the company positive insights into your character. One of the subtle and simple things that you could do is to ensure that when you said your curriculum vitae to your preferred company or institution you should have enough postage. If you, as an applicant, make your company pay for the lacking postage that you neglected, what would it say about you? As a rule of thumb, never make the company you’re applying for pay for anything when you’re applying. It will communicate that you haven’t put in enough effort in researching even just a simple matter as that.

One thing that you also have to take into account is to always check the quality of stationery that you use. It’s important that you never seem cheap to the company that you are applying to. First of all, that communicates that you are not taking them seriously and secondly, that gives them the impression that they’re not on top of your list. Personal stationery will help out a lot as well if you’re looking for that certain factor that will separate you from the rest of the common CVs.

For other supplementary advice regarding the appearance and construction of your CV, you should avoid using italics or underlined fonts. And since we’re on the topic, common fonts are a good thing to remember in cover letters.

Just remember to present your CV in a very professional manner and take it very seriously. If you err on the side of caution, chances are you won’t have to be following up on the company to check if they already read your documents. They’ll most probably be the one to call you and tell you you’re hired.

Learning To Follow Instructions

Whenever organizations or specific institutions request for a curriculum vitae, you should be careful enough to follow directions or else, your document might simply end up at the end of the stack instead of standing out. There are a lot of things that job applicants take for granted because they simply choose to not follow the directions that have been laid out by the employer.
One of the simplest things is when the employer asks you to send in your curriculum vitae through a defined format such as Microsoft Word. Most curriculum vitae are able to arrive in Microsoft Word but there are other people who simply go their own way and email their curriculum vitae in ASCII text. These particular CVs will probably be stored in the database but this will be shown as a crude text file which is devoid of any formatting. Even though your name will still appear in the listing of a certain employer’s database, when your curriculum vitae is viewed, it will come out as simply an unattractive and disorganized list of your accomplishments.
It’s also important to note that if you ever want to send in a hard copy of your curriculum vitae, you should do so only after you’ve sent in your soft copy. There have been some instances wherein the person only sent a come of their CV through regular snail mail and not through electronic means. These paper copies of your CV will have to be manually scanned and saved into the database. Although in Word format, no one in his or her right mind would go through so many scanned files and edit them to make them look like a professionally-crafted curriculum vitae. Aside from the fact that you were not able to follow instructions, forcing them to use an OCR or Optical Character Recognition software will only slow things down for you and your application process.
You ask what could be worse than this? Try processing a curriculum vitae that was sent via fax! That will probably give you an idea of what human resources goes through every year.  Just be always sure that you always send in what human resources asks you to send. You should be reminded that instructions are there for a purpose especially when it’s about your CV. Never print out when they ask for an electronic copy and always keep in mind that a faxed copy of your curriculum vitae is not an electronic version of your normal one.

The Truth Hurts

It’s not everyday that you see interviewees telling the truth. And the lying doesn’t change that much when you’re trying to put it into writing. There have been statistics by various survey sources such as IRS and IAG that say that curriculum vitaes in the past year have not been entirely truthful. This is a very stark reminder of how interviewees and interviewers alike should handle the truth with care—especially with something so fragile and precious as a CV.
CVs are always being prepared whenever someone would like to prepare for a job interview of a teaching position in a distinguished university. However most people really do not look into one critical factor that will most probably make or break a curriculum vitae: the truth.
The truth has been as elusive as the perfect fit for a specific job position. In a survey that was conducted by one of the sources, around 86% of interviewers believe that CVs and application forms are not 100% true. There are several other details which state that 35% of curriculum vitaes that they receive are certified to b e factually correct. It is for this sole reason why the truth is a valuable commodity that no one presently seems to value. It is important that each and every thing that an interviewee says is the truth because people who are truthful and can convince the interviewer as being truthful indeed are placed in a very distinct type of group and this is where the rotten apples are separated from the good ones. It is definitely common sense to simply hire an honest and solid applicant over a brutally dishonest applicant who has a “star” quality more than a movie star. It simply will not work. The truth is being true to yourself as well as the one who is interviewing you will eventually pay off simply because you have approached a situation with integrity of spirit. Whatever faults the interviewer will find in you, as long as you project a positive attitude and a spirit that wants to learn, you’ll always have the last laugh against someone who’s showcased himself or herself through an interview with false facts. Eventually, the truth, will really win over everything that is false. In essence, it’s almost like you’ve set yourself free—free from guilt, from your conscience nagging you all the time and from trouble in the future.