Prepare a Well-Thought-Out CV

Throughout the professional development of a scientist it is important to be able to prepare a well-thought-out resume or curriculum vitae (CV). Here we emphasize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. When applying for a position, tailoring a resume or CV to portray your experience vis-à-vis the job requirements is essential. The resume or CV is often the first written document that an employer will see from a job applicant, and it is important to take steps to give a good impression, including and especially formatting, grammar, and punctuation.

A corollary to this point is the 30-second description of one’s work that a scientist needs to have on the tip of his or her tongue in the not-so-rare case that someone asks “What do you do?” For this question, it is important to be able to assess the expertise of the person asking the question and then to provide a concise answer that that person specifically will understand. The purpose of this chapter is to provide free available resources in these areas. “I believe in punctuality, though it makes me very lonely,” E. V. Lucas.

“I believe in punctuality, though it makes me very lonely,” E. V. Lucas.

So try to develop the following:

• one-sentence description of your work
• a 30-second description of your work
• a simple explanation of what you do (for non-experts)

Other resources for articulating what you do

• CV template
• Landing Your First Job: A Guide for Physics Students, by John S. Rigden, 2002, Springer, 110 pages, Softcover. ISBN: 0-7354-0080-6.
• The Challenging Field of Engineering Writing and Speech,“ by John R. Pierce, IEEE Professional Communications Society Newsletter, vol. 48, No. 6, pp. 27-28. 
• “A Woman Physicist’s Guide to Speaking,” adapted from Physics Today, February 2005, p. 54.
• “Arrogance – A Dangerous Weapon of the Physics Trade?” by J. Murray Gibson, Physics Today. Vol. 56, p. 54.