I am not sure if you have written a CV (curriculum vitae which is Latin for course of life) or if you have a resume, but I put together my first CV in the last month. It has been quite the experience. Let me tell you there is something so amazing seeing all the things you have done during your career come together in a document that is highlighting YOU!
Over the last year, I have definitely struggled with my confidence in my new job, managing the stress of a global pandemic, trying to get re-certified for a specialty exam and then of course caring for my family. I just felt like I wasn’t doing any of it well. Going into a large medical institute where no one knows you is hard. It is challenging to share your expertise and feel confident with what you know. Being at other institutions is extremely valuable, but sell that to others is tough as the new person.
So now 16 months after starting this new job, I feel like I have found my confidence again, got that certification done and I now have a CV put together. Spending time going back through my career really helped to remind me that I bring so much value to my job. I needed that boost.
I wanted to go over how I put together my CV. It was definitely overwhelming at first to think back through all the years of work I have and then project/publications that I have done. Your CV serves as a document used in academic purposes to highlight your career accomplishments. There is a flow to how your CV should be organized:
CV header containing contact information
Personal profile containing your CV summary/objective
Work experience
Education
Skills
Additional Sections of things pertinent to your field
I started with googling, because isn’t that how most of us start trying to figure something out. Obviously write up this document in a clear and easy to read font. There is going to be a lot of information you are compiling here so make it easy to read. Set margins to 1 inch on all four sides. Commit to one style for how are you going write out dates and follow that format throughout the whole document. Keep your CV clean, script and not extra graphics. Keep photos off your CV as well.
I knew that I needed to work to put this document together so I basically just jumped into a template that I found online. Then I started modifying it, adding in my information and came back to it several times to add to it. As I was thinking through and adding things, I realized that there are so many little things I should include, but I was struggling to remember dates.
Words of Wisdom
Write down all your projects, awards, accomplishments, etc with the dates. Take note of those things. You want to include those highlights in your CV, but if you don’t keep a record of them it can be challenging.
Just start and save this document. Maybe you feel like you don’t have lots of put in a CV. That doesn’t matter. Start the document, save it and add your accomplishments in there as things happen and you complete projects.
This is a living document that you need to save and update as time goes along.
Be proud of all the hard work you have put into your career! This is a showcase of you and you should be so dang proud!