Vita / Resume Writing

1. Vita / Resume Writing Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D. Sponsored by the Psychology Club and Psi Chi, Central Connecticut State University

2. What is the difference between a resume and a curriculum vitae? • A resume is: • summary of employment, education, and skills. • used for applying for a new position. • career and educational summary. • should highlight your skills and experience.

3. The Curriculum Vitae • The C.V. is a list meant to document every job and degree ever received. • The C.V. includes: • Education and years attended • Work Experience in chronological order (although a professional C.V. is only going to include relevant work experience).

4. The Curriculum Vitae • The C.V. • Uses paragraph style. • Lists the responsibilities and skills. • Uses a first person perspective “I” and “my” (not done in a professional resume).

5. The Curriculum Vitae • Resume: • written in the third person. • includes personal information.

6. The Curriculum Vitae • Resume • begins with a brief summary of qualifications • then Areas of strengths or professional experiences are listed • professional experience is written in chronological order (most recent or present job first and going back from there).

7. The Curriculum Vitae • The resume then includes responsibilities and accomplishments for each position. • After the work experience, Professional affiliations, computer skills, and education sections should appear. • The best resumes should be one to two pages (one is better).

8. The Curriculum Vitae • The C. V. is often much longer. • Resumes presents highlights.

9. The C.V. Vita Personal History: Your Name Birth Date Address Citizenship Phone Number Marital Status

10. The C.V. Educational History • Post secondary education listed • For each school, list: • major, minor, degree (type and date), honors, titles of research (with the name of the supervisor).

11. The C.V. • Professional Positions • ordered sequentially. • can be a little creative. • practicum experience, research assistantships; teaching experiences. • list your title and the name and address of the agency.

12. The C.V. • list the nature of the position, e.g. part-time, full-time, and when it was held. • list your duties and your supervisor. • list all the jobs you did.

13. The C.V. Membership in Professional Associations • list all of your professional associations (Student or Professional affiliation).

14. The C.V. Professional Activities • list all the projects you’ve worked on • committee memberships you’ve held • departmental committees • in-service training programs you conducted • important guest lectures that you presented, etc.

15. The C.V. Papers Presented • list all the papers you presented at professional meetings. • alphabetical order. • colloquia. • papers or talks to nonprofessional audiences (e.g. the PTA, radio talk shows).

16. The C.V. Publications • organize them by year and by type (articles, chapters in books, books). • list in APA format. • include any papers currently under submission.

17. The C.V. Projects Underway • manuscripts in preparation • projects that you are working on • experiments in progress Statements of Professional Interests • professional interests. • start off with a general statement and then conclude with a specific listing.

18. The C.V. Professional References • 3 to 5 professional references who speak very highly of you. • Ask the person b/f you include his/her name as a professional courtesy.

19. The C.V. • list the number each reference, give their name, title, and address. • “References Available on Request”.

20. Letters of Recommendation • In general, the best letters of recommendation come from people who: • Have worked with you closely • Have known you long enough to write more than what grade you received in class

21. Letters of Recommendation • Have relevant expertise. • Are senior and well know. • Have a positive opinion of you and your abilities. • Have a warm and supportive personal style. • You need to have a personal relationship with them. • Should you ask them if they are going to write a strong letter for you? Absolutely!

22. Letters of Recommendation • Give your writers a well-organized packet of materials. • Include : copy of your academic transcript. • A copy of your academic vita or resume. • A pre-addressed envelope for each letter. • Any forms that are supposed to be submitted with the letter. Type in the recommender’s name, the person’s title, and the contact information. • A cover note briefly listing all important information: e.g. your contact information, the deadline for each letter, information you want emphasized in each letter, any other relevant information.

23. References Careerbuilder.com (n.d.). Resumes and C.v.s – What’s the difference? Retrieved October 21, 2004, from http://www. careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/CareerBytes/hints0600.htm Plous, S. (2003). Advice on letters of recommendation. Retrieved on October 21, 2004, from http://www.social psychology.org/rectips.htm. Hayes, S. C. & Hayes, L. J. (n.d.). Writing your vita. Retrieved on October 21, 2004, from http://psych.hanover. edu/handbook/vita2.html.