Writing the Successful Science Resume

1. Writing the Successful Science Resume/CV for the Biotech/Pharmaceutical Industry Writing the Successful Science Resume ▪ The UCSF Career Center is located in the Medical Sciences Building, Room S-140. ▪We are open from 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday. ▪Should you have questions or want to schedule an appointment with a counselor, please call the administrative assistant at 476-4986.

2. After 15 Slides You Will Know: 1. The purpose of a resume/CV (slide 3) 2. How a resume differs from a Curriculum Vitae (slide 3) 3. How and when to write a combination CV/Resume (slide 3) 4. The structure/format of a combination resume/CV (slide 4) 5. The Address (slide 5) 6. The Summary of Qualifications (slide 6) 7. The Experience Sections (slide 7-10) 8. The Education Section (slide 11) 9. The Presentation & Publication Sections (slide 12) 10. Your Document’s Appearance (slide 13) 11. Finally, view our resume/CV sample (slide 14) 12.Resources Available in the Career Center. (slide 15) After This Session You Will Know:

3. The Purpose of a Resume A Resume is a marketing tool. It briefly highlights to a potential employer the relevant experiences and skills in your professional, academic and personal background that qualifies you as a strong candidate for the position vacancy in their organization. There are times when scientists need to craft a combination Resume/CV. It is longer (2-3 pages) than a 1 page, because it includes detailed information about your research. Yet like a resume, it still only includes the information relevant to the position. Also, you have more flexibility in defining and ordering your headings. The Purpose of a Resume Since You Asked… How does a Resume differ from a Curriculum Vitae? CVs are usually a comprehensive listing of your accomplishments, can continue for 8-10 pages, and are usually for positions in academe. Resumes only include information relevant to a specific position or field, and are usually limited to 1-2 pages, and are used for positions other than faculty openings in academe.

4. What is the format of a Resume? The skeleton of the resume/CV is made up of headings that highlight your relevant training, background and skills in order of importance to the employer. As a recent graduate, you might begin with the Education section first, but a more experienced professional could choose Research Experience first. Headings include: Address Teaching/MentorshipSummary of Qualifications GrantsEducation Presentations/Seminar Talks Research Experience Professional AffiliationsTechnical Skills Publications Your Document’s Format Since You Asked…. As a non-US citizen, should my resume/CV state that I can legally work in the US? It is not required, but in some cases it can prevent you from being selected out early in the vetting process. Our suggestion is that if you are a not a US citizen and do have permission to work within the United States, include it under a heading "Additional Information" at the end of the resume/CV. If you have questions, make a counseling appointment.

5. What's in your Address? The Address section has your contact information, and includes: • Your full name • Address where you can receive mail, which could be both at home and/or your university. • Home phone; office or cell if appropriate; fax • Email address. Your Contact Information Ch’en Shu Dept. of Biochemistry & Biophysics Phone: (415) 111-2222 (H) Box 0448 (415) 333-4444 (W) University of California San Francisco E-mail: shu@mail.edu San Francisco, CA 94143

6. The Summary of Qualifications A Summary of Qualifications section, is also known as a Profile, Highlights, Summary or Qualifications section. Like an abstract, it quickly summarizes the your academic training and professional skills based on qualifications as stated in the job announcement. Very helpful if you have a 2-3 page document. The Summary of Qualifications Section Ch’en Shu Dept. of Biochemistry & Biophysics Phone: (415) 111-2222 (H) Box 0448 (415) 333-4444 (W) University of California San Francisco E-mail: shu@mail.edu San Francisco, CA 94143 SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS Protein biochemist with 13 years of experience in academia and industry. Studied several different proteins and peptides employing a wide variety of biophysical and biochemical methods. •Strong publication record in major journals. •Productive independent researcher with excellent communication & team skills •Can interact effectively with chemists and structural biologists •Experience managing research groups/projects.

7. The Experience Section • By "Experience" we mean professional, academic and volunteer experiences relevant to the position. • "Experience" or "Relevant Experience" is a nice catch-all phrase that allows you to list all related experience together. You can also specify your headings: "Research Experience“, “Project Management Experience” or “Consulting Experience” will illuminate your different skill sets and background to a reader. • How to decide which heading to use? Read the qualifications section of the job description, and ask colleagues who are familiar with the position’s responsibilities. Create a skeleton that uses whichever headings will highlight the majority of your relevant qualifications for a specific position under one heading. The Experience Section

8. The Experience Section What text should you include in each listed experience?Positions are listed in reverse chronological order (most recent experience first) and include:1. Employer/Organization, years of employment.2. Job Title.3. Job Description: 1-2 line overview of position and organization. 1-2 bullets describing specific responsibilities. 1 or more accomplishment statements. The Experience Section Let’s look at the next two slides to see samples….

9. The Experience Section Ch’en Shu Dept. of Biochemistry & Biophysics Phone: (415) 111-2222 (H) Box 0448 (415) 333-4444 (W) University of California San Francisco E-mail: shu@mail.edu San Francisco, CA 94143 SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS Protein biochemist with 13 years of experience in academia and industry. Studied several different proteins and peptides employing a wide variety of biophysical and biochemical methods. • Strong publication record in major journals. • Productive independent researcher with excellent communication & team skills • Can interact effectively with chemists and structural biologists • Experience managing research groups/projects. RESEARCH EXPERIENCE University of California at San Francisco, Post Doctoral Fellow (Jan.1998-Present) Principal Investigator: Prof. Kofi Annan Biochemical and Structural Characterization of RNA Modifying Enzymes RNA Uridine methyltransferase, RumA – Biochemical characterization of a RNA Uridine Methylatransfearse, RumA was done. This Methyltransferase contains a 4Fe-4S cluster and we are currently studying the role of this cluster. We have also solved the crystal structure of this protein. Structural Genomics– Coordinating and managing a mini structural genomics project involving three different RNA modifying enzymes. We have compiled and cloned 30 different genes encoding three enzymes from three bacterial species and have purified and crystallized several of these. Structure determination of several of these enzymes, in apo-form and in complex with RNA, are in progress. The Experience Section

10. The Experience Section RESEARCH EXPERIENCE University of California at San Francisco, Post Doctoral Fellow (Jan.1998-Present) Principal Investigator: Prof. Kofi Annan Biochemical and Structural Characterization of RNA Modifying Enzymes RNA Uridine methyltransferase, RumA – Biochemical characterization of a RNA Uridine Methyltransferase, RumA was done. This Methyltransferase contains a 4Fe-4S cluster and we are currently studying the role of this cluster. We have also solved the crystal structure of this protein. Structural Genomics– Coordinating and managing a mini structural genomics project involving three different RNA modifying enzymes. We have compiled and cloned 30 different genes encoding three enzymes from three bacterial species and have purified and crystallized several of these. Structure determination of several of these enzymes, in apo-form and in complex with RNA, are in progress. INDUSTRY EXPERIENCEScientific Chemicals, Bangalore, India (Jan. 1994-Aug. 1997) Founder • Established and managed a specialty chemicals company. Principal activity included manufacturing amino acid derivatives and unusual amino acids for peptide syntheses. •Optimized and scaled up syntheses of several derivatives • Responsible for growing the company from 1 employee in an academic lab, with start up funding from government of India, to a 5-employee operation in a commercial space. • Customers included reputed peptide/amino acid manufacturers in India, U.S. and Europe such as Advanced Chemtech, Anaspec and Senn Chemicals. The Experience Section

11. The Education Section This section includes every degree earned or pursued, listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first). There are various formats, but we suggest: 1. The name of the university, and location on the first line2. The Degree, Field/Major, Year of degree or Expected year The Education Section EDUCATION Indian Institute of Science, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Bangalore, India Ph.D., Biochemistry, 1986-1992 University of Pune, India M.S., Biotechnology, 1984-1986B.S., Biology, 1980-1984

12. The Presentation & Publication Sections You can list all or a selected portion of your presentations and publications, to help potential employers understand more about the nature of your research, the range of your science, your presentation and writing abilities. The Presentation & Publication Sections • PRESENTATIONS • The Impact of the Characterization of the 23S rRNA m5U1939 Methyltransferase from Escherichia coli. Panelist, National Association of Biochemists Conference, June 2002. • Finding A novel dCMP Methylase by Engineering Thymidylate Synthase. Poster Presenter, Annual AAAS Biochemistry meeting, Sept. 1999. • SELECTED PUBLICATIONS • 1. 2.2 Å crystal structure of RumA, a RNA m5U methyltransferase. • Hume D, Shu C, Annan K. Manuscript in preparation • 2. Characterization of the 23S rRNA m5U1939 methyltransferase from Escherichia coli. • Shu C, Mendeleyev I, Annan K. J Biological Chemistry (2000) 277 8835-8840 • 3. A novel dCMP methylase by engineering thymidylate synthase. • Shu C, Annan K, Mendeleyev I. Biochemistry (1995) 36 15909-17

13. Your Document's Appearance • Use White Paperor off-white or cream paper. It’s easier to read than marble, grey or other colors. • Use Inexpensive Bond Quality Paper (the slightly heavier, watermarked paper available to office supply stores and the bookstore), if you can, but it’s not a must. • Try to Control the Reader's Eye: use bold, bullets, capitalization, underlining and white space to direct the eye to the most important information. • Your Job Title and Organization Should be Listed First. Less important information (like the dates) should come last, so put it on the right margin. Not the left! • Yes, it is impossible to proofread "too much" – so have a friend reread it for those typing errors! Your Document’s Appearance

14. Finally, Pulling It All Together Pulling it All Together • So, reminding ourselves of the resume format, with Address, Summary, Education and Experience sections, what could it all look like? • Look at Ch’en Shu’s final combination CV/resume.

15. Last Points. More Help. • If you want help writing your CV, or your materials reviewed, we can help! Schedule an appointment with a career counselor by calling 415.476.4986. • The UCSF Career Center is located on the Parnassus Campus in the Medical Sciences Building, Room S-140. • We are open from 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Last points and More Help.