Tag Archives: research

What’s a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and How Do I Create One?

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Research is an incredible way to prepare for graduate and professional school. UW-Whitewater has a number of opportunities to engage in research including the Undergraduate Research Program, the McNair Program, and various opportunities to participate in ongoing faculty research.

As you develop skills to become an effective graduate student, it will be very important to learn how to appropriately market yourself. When applying for employment, assistantships, fellowships, grants, and other opportunities, resumes will no longer be the document of choice. Instead, you will be asked to submit your Curriculum Vitae (CV). Curriculum Vitae is Latin for ‘course of life’. The purpose of the CV is to provide a snapshot of your education, professional background, and research interests.

Students in "class" on Bascom Hill

Academic and International CVs
There are two types of CVs: the academic CV and international CV. Several countries outside of the U.S. use the term CV to refer to their equivalent of the American resume. Domestically, it will be necessary to begin a CV if you fit into one of the following categories:

  • Planning to attend graduate school
  • Engaging in student teaching
  • Participating/conducting research
  • Interested in academia

CV or Resume: What’s the difference?
A CV and resume are both documents used to provide a snapshot of one’s skills and experiences. The CV differs from the resume in that it is:

  • More comprehensive and longer in length
  • Used primarily for jobs in academia, research and when applying for grants, conferences, or graduate school
  • Strictly a professional document that should be approached conservatively

How do I begin my CV?
Create a master CV document. It may be easiest to request the CV of faculty member in your field of interest to get an initial idea of how a CV in your field of interest will appear.

  1. Outline information. Outline the following information: contact information, education, professional employment, research experience (publications, presentations, grants, etc.), teaching experience, honors and awards, professional service, professional affiliations. The CV does not need to be limited solely to this information, but the aforementioned are a few samples. Accompany each experience with the position held, name of organization, dates present and location
  2. Create headings and organize. Create headings that are relevant to your experiences. The list in Step One identifies information that may be used as headings. Place corresponding experiences underneath headings. Research and teaching experiences are often the first sections following the education section. Note: In regard to section order, the most important information will be listed toward is the top of CV. However, information within each heading should be listed in reverse chronological order.
  3. Create descriptions. Fill in experiences with descriptions regarding your accomplishments. Use complete citations for research (including publications, presentations, and research in progress).

The CV length for undergraduate and graduate students will likely range from 2-5 pages. For more information, explore ‘Additional Resources’ below and make an appointment with a career counselor in Career and Leadership Development and faculty member in your department.

Additional Resources:
http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/careercenter/doc/CV%20Packet.pdf
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/creatingmaintaining-your-cv/26887 http://chronicle.com/article/The-Rhetoric-of-the-CV/131404/

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Why Do You Want to Work for Our Company?

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How many of you think about this question BEFORE you step up to an organization’s booth at a career fair?

Question mark sign

What attracts you to that booth? If you’ve done your research ahead of time, this question is answered fairly simply. They have the prestigious name you’d like to work for. The work seems interesting and satisfying. There are benefits with the job. They have job/internship openings.

You are just looking for a place to land… Sorry, this last one is wrong! It implies you didn’t do your job ahead of time to research the companies that were coming to the fair. Let’s take a little look at how you can prepare ahead of time for the career fair.

  • Know what you’re looking for – Internship? Job? What type of company would you like to work for? What do you want to do? What skills do you want to learn/use?  Think ideal internship/job. You can always adjust your criteria as you start your research.
  • Know who’s coming to the fair – Most career fairs will provide a list of the companies and organizations that are planning to attend. Research the companies/organizations to find which ones match (or come closest) your ideal list. Then, figure out if you meet their ideal list (they have expectations, too)?
  • Put together your resume – This is a general resume that covers your skills, abilities, accomplishments, etc. It will appeal to a wider range of employers than the resume you will send when applying to a specific company for a specific job. Career & Leadership Development can help you. Schedule an appointment (phone: 262-472-1471; in person: UC 146) or email it for a review. Just be sure to have another set of eyes look at your resume.
  • Print your resume on resume paper – Don’t print multiple page resumes back-to-back or staple pages together. In general, a one-page resume, well-written, should be sufficient for a career fair. Make enough copies for the employers you plan on seeing, plus a couple of extra “just in case” resumes.
  • Dress properly – Business dress is always appropriate, but at least come in business casual. You’re trying to make a good impression.
  • Practice your Elevator Speech – Tell me about yourself in 30 to 60 seconds.

Best of luck to you at this year’s Multicultural Career Fair!

Additional Information & Tips:

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How to SELECTIVELY Research Employers BEFORE the Hawk Career Fair

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As a UW-Whitewater student or graduate, you’ve already had many opportunities to conduct research. Consider the upcoming Hawk Career Fair one of your best opportunities, because this time, the potential reward is substantial.

The Hawk Career Fair takes place on Wednesday, September 28, from 12pm-4pm in the Williams Center. At the moment, 106 employers have registered to attend the event. So, how do you find a list of the organizations that will attend, along with their jobs and internships of their recruitment interest? If you haven’t done so already, you can quickly establish an account on Hawk Jobs by logging in with your NetID at the Student Login at http://www.uww.edu/career/hawkjobs.php.

  • After logging in on Hawk Jobs, Click on the Career Fairs & Workshops tab
  • Under Category, select ‘Career Fair’ and then Search.
  • At Career Event Search Results, go to the Action column (on the right) and click on ‘Search Employers.’ Without using any filters, click Search to reveal the Organization Name, Industry and Website of all employers registered to attend the Fair. The best research option at this point is to click on the name of a particular organization name to reveal the Positions Available and Job Categories for which the employer is seeking candidates (for the ‘Hawk Career Fair). If an employer has attached a job or internship announcement to their profile, even better. Read the details of the announcement, and think of how you can connect your background to the characteristics sought by the employer. Be prepared to communicate the qualifications in your background to those identified in the announcement. Review the employer’s website, and mention something about that research that is relevant to your profession, that will distinguish you and which appeals to the recruiter.



Do you need to research all 100+ organizations? No, just do a selective, targeted search using some of the filters, such as Position Type, Major, or Job Category. By the way, some organizations may not have completely accurate, up to the moment information on their recruitment profile for the Fair. And although their profile may not have indicated an interest in your qualifications for the Hawk Career Fair itself, they may be interested in your qualifications in the near future, and by the time you graduate.

If you want to take your research one step further, use LinkedIn to identify UW-Whitewater graduates that are working for the employer in a similar capacity. Contact an alumnus, and find out directly from that graduate some personalized information about the employer, job, or internship itself. If you can take your research to this level by obtaining information from internal, informal sources as well as formal, canned sources, you will have an edge over your competition.

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Interview Prep: Three Things to Do

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If you’re graduating in a couple of weeks or looking for an internship, I hope you’re preparing for your interviews. In case you’re not quite sure how to prepare, here are some basic ideas to help you get started.

Self-Assess

One reason for an interview is for the person to determine if you’ll be a good match for the organization (and if the organization is a good fit for you). Think about why you are the best person for the job. What are your strengths, weaknesses, goals, and so forth? What do you bring to the job that others do not have? Make a list of your accomplishments and consider how they are relevant to the employer. Quintessential Careers has a worksheet that can help keep track of accomplishments in various areas of your life.

Research

Make sure you research the company/organization for which you will be interviewing. Also, research the department and position for which you are applying.

The company/organization website is a good place to start. Keep in mind that this is just a start. Here are some additional suggestions:

  • Vault – Go to Hawk Jobs. Once you’re signed in, look under “Career Resources” and click on “Vault.”
  • The Forbes 500
  • Job Search Intelligence (includes salary information)
  • Standard & Poor’s
  • Andersen Library
  • EquiRaise – a free calculator that determines average compensation increases (including wages and salaries and benefits) and cost-of-living adjustments based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are many other sites to discover and don’t forget to talk to others that currently work in the organization/company you’re considering. Also consider finding out about the companies competitors.

Practice

This is commonly referred to as a “Mock Interview.” You are welcome to call our office at 262-472-1741 and schedule an interview with one of our counselors. You could also go online and look for “Interview Questions.” The point is to practice. I recommend working with as many different people as possible to give you a better preparation.

If you have further questions about interview preparation, check out our website or contact our office.

Career Fair Advice from Recruiters

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What exactly do you say after “Hello”? With two career fairs on the horizon (Accounting Career Fair on September 9th and Hawk Career Fair and Expo on September 30th), it’s timely to talk about how best to “work” a career fair.

Recruiters who work many career fairs have exceptional advice for students about what to do to make yourself stand out, and what to avoid doing to give yourself no chance at all for the job. Here’s what they had to say:

What To Do

Be Prepared – Know what companies and employers will attend the fair and do your research in advance. Identify those organizations that you find of most interest, and develop specific questions that demonstrates that you’re interested.

Dress Professionally – For both men and women a business suit is a necessity. Consult with one of our career counselors about clothing details – but here’s some related advice:

  • Avoid perfumes and cologne.
  • Make sure your personal hygiene – particularly your breath – is acceptable.
  • Don’t carry your backpack in with you – Invest in a hand-held portfolio that looks more professional than a backpack.

Prepare Your Self-Pitch in Advance – Prepare and practice a brief introduction, something that you’ll say to recruiters when you first meet them. It’s good to include your name, major/minor, year in school, and something unique about yourself. This could be an experience, such as study abroad or an internship – anything that helped prepare you for the next step. Practice your self- pitch so it feels natural to you.

Practice Your Handshake – The best handshake is not too firm, not too soft, with about 3-4 pumps of the hand. Avoid the limp, dead fish handshake because it may communicate that you lack confidence. Also, avoid too strong a grip so you don’t appear overconfident or too much in control.

What Not to Do: Pet Peeves of Recruiters

Failure to Research – Don’t approach a recruiter and say “What’s this company about?” or “What do you have for me?” This will let the recruiter know that you haven’t done your homework, and that maybe you don’t care all that much about making a positive first impression.

Failure to do Your Own Work – Avoid approaching recruiters in groups of your friends. Some students “travel” through career fairs in groups as if they’re shopping in the mall together. This is a time to be independent and confident, and this will be hard to display while you’re in a group.

Failure to Keep Your Eye on the Prize – Recruiters distribute a lot of really cool giveaways to promote their company. Some students forget why they’re attending the fair and become overly concerned about collecting stuff. If your hands are full of these giveaways, you’ll give some recruiters the wrong impression about your interests. Remember why you’re attending the fair.

Not Having Your Self-Pitch Prepared and Practiced – Know what you’re going to say, so what you say comes across as more natural. Be aware of your verbal ticks – such as umm, like, you know – and try to reduce these in your presentation.

A Bad Handshake – However simple a handshake may sound, it’s always good to practice shaking hands ahead of time so you present yourself more naturally and confidently.

Good luck!