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The ins and outs of preparing an academic CV may seem obvious, especially to academics, given how much writing we do. Why is it, then, that those who work on hiring committees say they see the same mistakes on so many CVs? We set out to find out what some of those common mistakes are.
Professor Victor Catano, a leading author of “Recruitment and selection in Canada,” has seen hundreds of CVs in his capacity as chair of the Department of Psychology at Saint Mary’s University.
Catano says what bothers him most is having to search through a candidate’s CV for the most important information.
“I often have to search for a long time just to find out if the candidate is qualified for the position,” says Catano.
“If the career ad spells out what the institution is looking for, then the candidate should clearly address that in the cover letter and CV,” he says.
The cover letter, says Catano, should be brief and to the point — no more than two pages — and, most importantly, indicate why the candidate is qualified to apply.
In addition to the cover letter, candidates should include a statement of their research philosophy and clearly indicate which courses they are qualified to teach. A statement of research philosophy helps a hiring committee to determine if their institution has the facilities and equipment to accommodate a candidate’s research plans.
“Don't overemphasize research — be up front about your teaching skills,” says Catano.
Catano suggests candidates should also include two or three examples of their work, whether or not it is asked for.
“Another thing that is often hard to find on CVs is a person’s education and training — be sure to list where and when you got your graduate and post-graduate degrees,” says Catano.
“It's amazing but many applicants don't provide complete contact information,” he added. Be sure to indicate who hiring committee representatives should, and should not call.
If you are applying electronically, be sure to send things in PDF format so no matter what system the recipient is working with, your materials will look good.
The package a candidate sends in creates a first impression of what they are like as an individual, says Catano.
“Spelling errors, poor grammar, lack of neatness, how the information is laid out all conveys information about the candidate, in addition to what is said in their CV,” he says.
Catano suggests organizing CVs into the sections that conform to what the institution is looking for.
When it comes to scholarship, list refereed publications, all the bibliographic data, date, full title, and the full un-abbreviated title of the journal in which it appears. If it is in press, give the date accepted for publication.
When listing lectures given at conferences, be sure to say whether the abstract of your paper is available in a book of abstracts, or if it was published in a book of proceedings from the conference.
Organize items chronologically, starting with the most recent.
“Don't pad your CV by listing things that aren’t peer reviewed,” warns Catano.
“We want to know if it has been peer reviewed, either through presentation at a conference or published in a journal,” he says.
“If you’ve taught courses, you can include those, but the most important things are grants and scholarships, awards — especially national and international — post-graduate awards and grants. These show that the candidate’s work has been reviewed and has been deemed to have merit by a peer review body.”
Catano says that while it is not a priority, candidates should include a little information on service — if you’ve served as student representative in a department, say so, or if you’ve been active in the broader sense, going to conferences, active in student learned societies, describe your roles and responsibilities in these capacities.
But the important thing to focus on is your teaching and research, and whether you’ve received funding or grants.
“Don't fudge details,” says Catano. He says 30 per cent of CVs contain untruths, so people will often check, and discover the lie or exaggeration.
Be sure to explain any timeline gaps in your cover letter — don't leave it to speculation.
Catano says it is also very important to remember what not to include, such as your age or birth date, the dates you obtained degrees, your marital status, or anything about your ethnicity or religion. Every province has legislation on this.
Remember, he says, that including this information can make it difficult for a university or college to consider your application. This is why standardized applications are more and more popular, he says.
Many provincial accreditation agencies have standardized CV formats that are used to support departments or programs undergoing cyclical reviews, and to support applications for new graduate programs. Formats can be obtained from the accreditation agencies themselves, or from graduate studies offices in your own institution.
Looking for more detailed advice? A quick search of the internet turns up hundreds of lengthy advice columns about how to write an academic CV. The “CV Doctor” featured in the careers section on the Chronicle of Higher Edcuation’s web site is particularly useful, offering on-line evaluations of real CVs for different categories of academic career-seekers. |
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