Developing a Competitive CV

Women need to know what they want, professionally and personally, in order to advocate for their needs. Taking time for self–assessment is a necessary step in career planning. Identifying one’s strengths and organizing one’s experiences in Curriculum vitae becomes a skill in and of itself. A CV should showcase a physician’s professional achievements in a concise, organized and effective format. (See Appendix B for additional resources)

Tips for Producing a Better CV

Keep it short and clear - capture attention in first two pages

Clinical experience.
Research experience.
Teaching experience.
Relevant community service.

Make sure all of your important and relevant experiences are at the beginning

Board certification.
Special training in psychiatry/workshops RELEVANT to position.

Make it look good

Clear, attractive presentation is important for your CV to stand out.
Uncluttered.
Key points easy to spot.
Margins should not be smaller than 1 inch.

Include facts/details

List your job duties, responsibilities, and results beneath each position. Write in a slightly formal manner and never use the word "I" - e.g. "Supervised undergraduate students" rather than "I supervised undergrad students". Use the past tense for previous jobs and the present tense for your current job.

Be accurate and truthful

Have someone else check and confirm.
When describing positions make it accurate, don’t embellish, you never know who will share your CV.

Keep it up-to-date

Don’t wait until you are applying for a position to create your CV.
Note the date of revision as the footer.
You can modify CV for specific positions but keep longer one updated and work from that one.

** for researchers- please note keep NIH bio sketch up to date without personal statement and update as you update the CV.

Adapt it - one size does not fit all

Biosketch
Academic
Job hunt
Talks
Students/education

References

List personal references and link them to experience.
Make sure you let them know you are sending it out if there is an expectation that they will be contacted.
Provide references with all of the materials you are submitting and also what the position is that you are applying for so they are not caught off guard.

Send a cover letter

Unless specifically told not to, always send a cover letter with your CV.
Highlight 2-3 experiences from your CV that are most relevant to the advertised position.
Never send your CV out on its own.