Posts Tagged ‘CV’

Version Control

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

With documents like CVs that get regularly updated, it can be a challenge to locate the most recent version. This became apparent after a round of grant reviews when some applicants submitted CVs that left off publications. It’s also apparent in my hard drive’s folders, where I have a dozen copies of certain drafts each labeled with a different date at the end.

For tech geeks, there are several options using specialized software that helps tame the proliferation of versions. But for folks who want a simple, elegant solution, I suggest Dropbox.

Once you install this free download on your different computers, it creates a kind of shared drive where you can store files. When you make changes in your CV on one computer and sync in to Dropbox, it automatically overwrites the previous draft and makes the latest version available on all your computers.

Another neat feature is it assigns a URL to your documents, so you can send them easily to collaborators for commenting. It comes with 2GB free storage, then charges for more space. The free amount is more than enough to detangle the mess of CV versions. No matter whether you remember to add that talk or paper on your home or work computer, it’s all harmonized and updated.

Making Vitas More Vital

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

When it comes time to promotion, the CV is a crucial document. Members of the Appointments and Promotions Committee can see scholarly activity at a glance and weigh a candidate's achievements against departmental criteria.

For researchers, the measures are fairly straightforward: number and quality of publications and grants. CVs capture those data effectively. But for educators, it is more difficult to encapsulate quantity and quality on a CV. Awards help, but there are not enough awards to recognize all the outstanding teaching that goes on at an academic medical center.

One solution is the educator's portfolio. This packet supplements the CV with more detailed examples of pedagogical effectiveness. These examples could include student evaluations, letters of thanks, student outcomes, mentoring activities, and invitations to teach a course again.

Of course, putting together a portfolio assumes that the candidate has been keeping track of all these things. That's why it's a good idea to keep a file marked "Promotion" and add everything relevant as it comes across your desk. When it comes time to put together the CV and portfolio, it will be just a matter of editing.

Vital Vitae

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Because so much of professional advancement hinges on the academic biography, for my first post,  I'd like to focus on what makes for a strong CV. This serves a secondary purpose of introducing myself.

Curriculum vitae translates to "course of life" and should provide a snapshot of the accomplishments over your professional life. Like a good biography, it should be told chronologically but without too much emphasis on dates. On my CV, I group my activities by importance so that publications appear on the first page and service last.

CVs can be any length and typically grow as a career advances. Resumes, on the other present a one-page snapshot. They should display more visual flair than CVs, including bullet points, bold text, and action verbs. When I transitioned from traditional faculty to administrator, I converted my CV into a more succinct resume.

For more examples, I recommend the CV Doctor on the career site of the Chronicle of Higher Education.