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The information below provides guidelines to develop a resume and/or
curriculum vitae. |
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Use a Resume for Positions in Industry |
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When should you
begin your employment
search? |
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What is the
first step for a
graduate student in developing a resume? |
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Why are
keywords important? |
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Are there
employer
suggestions for the graduate employment search? |
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What
sections or topics may be
included in the resume? What is the |
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appropriate
length of the resume? |
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Use a Curriculum Vitae for Academic Positions |
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Are there
workshops or seminars at ISU related to the curriculum vitae? |
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What are some of the
sections or topics that may
be included in the vitae? |
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Begin Early Because You are
More Specialized |
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Completing a
resume is one of the first steps in an effective career action plan for
industrial employment. An effective resume is important to obtain
interviews. You are advised to begin your resume development in your
first semester as a graduate student in the College of Engineering. With
the completion of each degree, your employment search will become more
specialized. Begin early to identify potential employers who employ
candidates with your specialization. The process of "thinking like an
employer" is a very important component of an employment search.
This concept is covered in the discussion of keywords.
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First Step: Formatting the
Resume |
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The first step in
writing a resume for positions in industry is to develop an effective
format or outline to present your qualifications. The process of
developing an effective format is not “copying” a sample document but it
is a process of assessing samples and deciding how you can best
describe your qualifications for employment. Conducting a search on the
web with your favorite search agent will produce samples of resumes to
assess. Suggestions for the format and sample resumes are also at
http://www.eng.iastate.edu/ecs/students/ResumeWriting-7-5-5.html.
Another
resource is the article “Ten Tips for
Writing Better Resumes”. The first suggestion relates to
formatting. |
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Keywords: Target Your Resume
and Cover Letter Specifically to Position Descriptions |
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The first step with an effective resume
is the format. The second important step is to use keywords in
developing a professional document. The keywords are in the position
description. It is important to evaluate each position description
for the keywords. What are
keywords? |
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In
your first semester as a graduate student, it is recommended that
you begin to analyze the keywords used in position descriptions.
Employers are looking for the keywords contained in the position
descriptions to appear in either the cover letter or resume. These
keywords should relate to the experience that you are obtaining as
part of your graduate work. Your experience should be represented
honestly. Some of the keywords in position
descriptions relate to competencies. What are competencies? They
are:
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abilities, |
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knowledge, |
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skills, and |
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motivation |
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Recently,
the term project management has become important in position
descriptions. There are important competencies related to project
management. Some of the competencies that are important are:
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Planning, |
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Initiative, |
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Teamwork, |
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Communication and |
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Analysis and judgment. |
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suggestion in the "Ten
Tips for Writing Better Resumes" provides excellent information
about incorporating keywords to describe your accomplishments. |
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Employer Suggestions for the Employment Search |
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In 308 Marston,
there is an article, “Secrets from the Other Side: What Recruiters Know
that You Don’t.” This article is directed specifically to the graduate
student employment seeker and addresses the importance of having an
objective that describes what you want. If you would like an electronic
copy of this article, send a message to
ecs@iastate.edu with "Secrets from the Other Side" in the subject
line. No message is required. |
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Possible Sections for the Resume |
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After your
name and contact information on the resume, you
will list your objective. This should be tailored to the
specific position description. Remember the
value of your resume rests with your ability to clarify your
qualifications for a specific position. Targeting the resume is
particularly important in the use of ISU CMS.
For any employment
seeker, it is important to “think like an employer” and list your
strongest qualifications first. If you have both industry
and academic experience you may separate the information
into two sections. If the quality of the industry experience warrants,
you may list the industry experience first. Non- academic employers are
more interested in industry experience.
Other sections
that are important are: |
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Skills |
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Project
Experience |
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Leadership
Experience related to university or community activities |
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Professional
Affiliations |
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Professional
Presentations |
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Remember you are
developing a resume for your specific qualifications. You may have other
sections that are important related to the position descriptions.
How many pages
will you have? You are targeting the
information to the qualifications that are important to the
employer. The average length for a graduate student may be more than one
page but probably not more than two pages. Your information should be
presented concisely. Employers are not interested in irrelevant
information.
For the industrial
job seeker, the Wall Street Journal has valuable career
articles at
http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/. There are a variety of
topics available. If you are a member of a professional organization,
access their career information.
Many web sites
offer the option to upload your resume. Evaluate carefully the site that
can serve you best. Consider carefully the type of information you
provide to protect your identity. Identity theft should be a major
concern. The Wall Street Journal frequently addresses this
issue. |
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Use the Curriculum Vitae for Academic Positions
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The
Chronicle of Higher Education is highly
recommended. The Chronicle is important for two reasons. One, the
candidate who is interested in higher education as a career path will find
valuable information. This is the premier publication in higher
education. Two, there are interesting online articles geared toward the
academic job search. |
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The book, The Academic Job Search
Handbook by Mary Heiberger and Julia Vick, is a valuable resource.
There is a copy in 308 Marston that can be checked out. The book can be
purchased for about $20 and is worth the expense. |
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Workshops or seminars |
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The Center for
Excellence in Learning and Teaching at ISU has workshops/seminars
related to the curriculum vitae and other topics to develop classroom
expertise. On the homepage,
http://www.celt.iastate.edu/, you can
explore numerous options. It is recommended that you also check for
updates related to new programming. |
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Sections or Topics for
the Curriculum Vitae |
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Before beginning
your vitae, check: |
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your professional organization for any information related to the vitae
because |
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customs may
vary by discipline, |
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your major professor for advice about the vitae, and |
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the position description |
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Listed below are sections that may appear on your
vitae. You may not have experience in all areas or the sections may not
be appropriate for your discipline or experience. The list provides the variety and
breadth of experience that is developed over a career. |
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Education |
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mPhD
may include dissertation and research topics |
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mMaster
of Science may include thesis |
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mBachelor
of Science
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Academic Experience or Academic Appointments; may include
teaching and research responsibilities. |
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Research may be a separate section |
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Committee Experience; may be separated by
department, college, and |
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university. Recommend beginning with the experience
most relevant to the position description. For example, if the position
is departmental begin with the department experience. |
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Industry Experience |
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mConsultant |
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mFull-time
or part-time |
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mInternship |
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Consulting Experience |
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Publications |
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Presentations |
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Grants |
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Professional Association(s) and role in organization |
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Certificates and licensure |
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Special Training |
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Academic Awards, Scholarships, and Fellowships |
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Technical and Computer Skills |
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Community Service |
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The placement of the sections will depend upon
the position description and the strength of your qualifications. |
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have completed your resume, if you would like input please check the
Advisor Office Hours. |
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