Create a CV

A Curriculum Vitae or CV is an outline of a person's educational and professional history. The CV is one of the important documents in an application for a job or PhD studentship. In this post I will give some general information and advice about writing a CV.

What Information should a CV include?

1- In the first part write your name, address and contact details (phone number, email, ... etc.)

2- The second part would be your qualifications, starting with your current degree and going back for your previous qualification.

3- List your employment (career) history starting with the most recent job. You may also include your achievements and responsibilities for each job.

4- Write a short section about your skills, hobbies and Interests.

5- Referees. It is enough to mention two Referees. One should be academic, for example your tutor or supervisor.  The second one should be from a recent employer.   Alternatively, simply write 'Available on request'.

Be sure to:

• proofread for spelling and grammar.
• use a 10-point normal font for the body and a 14-point font for sub-headings.
• correct contact details.
• check that information written in your CV is relevant to the job or course.
• not add your photo unless a head-shot is specified. 
• check that you have not provided misleading or incorrect information.

Some websites to create a CV
https://cvmkr.com
http://www.thepcmanwebsite.com/free_resume_creator.shtml

References

Doyle Alison, (n.d.). What Information to Include in Your Curriculum Vitae. Retrieved 5 December 2014, from http://jobsearch.about.com/od/cvadvice/qt/cvinclude.htm

University of Kent(n.d.). How to write a successful CV. Retrieved 11 December 2014 from, http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv.htm

Two More Tips

Be on-time for you interview.  This should be obvious.  A late arrival will make a bad first impression and probably take you out of the running.

Treat the support staff well.  Be nice to everyone you meet.  The receptionist, personal assistants and others may not be making the hiring decision, but they work with those who do.  I've seen otherwise excellent candidates loose out because they treated low-ranking staff badly.

 

Reduce nerves - prepare well

Although you may feel extremely nervous, remember that it is a completely normal feeling. Try not to let the nerves show - act confident and try to mask your nerves. A study by Sieverding (2009) found that applicants who tried to surpress and mask their nerves were rated as more competent than people who did not put on an act to hide their anxiety.

One top tip to reduce nerve levels is to make sure you are well prepared. Maurer and Solamon (2006) found that an effective method of preparing for a job interview is to have 'interview coaching'. This is easy to do at home - simply ask a friend, colleague, lecturer, family member etc to conduct a mock interview with you. Have them give you honest, constructive feedback at the end of the interview, and if possible video the interview so you can see for yourself where you could improve. Maurer and Solamon (2006) found that 95% of the people who had 'interview coaching' said they felt it helped them to prepare well for the interview.

The person conducting the interview should do some research into the organisation so they can question you about the company, as well as the role and your attributes/experience. For some tough interview questions to practice see some of these suggested links (we do not own any of these sites). We have also provided links for PHD-specific preparation.

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/Interview-Questions/100-Potential-Interview-Questions/article.aspx

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/ADVICE/getajob/interviews/Pages/default.aspx

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm

http://betweenarock.co.uk/phd-musings/phd-interview-preparation/

REFERENCES

Maurer, T.J., & Solamon, J.M. (2006). The science and practice of a structured employment interview coaching program. Personnel Psychology, 59(2), 433-456. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6570.2006.00797.x

Sieverding, M. (2009). 'Be Cool!': Emotional costs of hiding feelings in a job interview. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 17(4), 391-401. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2389.2009.00481.x

Tips for winning Interview

Interview is a conversation between two or more people and it has different types. The aim of interview in Education or business is to make sure that you are suitable or not in particular task. 

So here, I will give some general advice before, at the interview and in the end of it. 

Before The Interview: 

- Know where will the interview  take place and arrive 10 minutes before the time . 

- Wear smart clothes. Andrew has written an article about that, have a look. 

- Prepar yourself by reading enough about topics and questions which might be asked, for example, if are going to a PhD interview you might be asked about your master's project, method, statistic ...etc. and of course you will be asked about your current project and your skills. However, you might be asked about something that you have never thought about so, do not panic, take  few seconds and give your answer but do not let these kind of questions affect the rest of the interview. 

At the interview: 

- Be confident and be yourself don’t try to be funny or knowing everything. 

- Answer the questions with clear and understandable language. 

- Give examples and evidences that makes your answers valuable and effective. Especially for the questions about how to overcome difficulties. 

- If you are asked about something that you do not know about , it is better to ask the interviewer to explain rather than giving an answer that you are not sure about. Also, if you are not native speaker of the Language, which is managed by the interview, if you came across any word that you are not sure about ask ask ask .

Finally, at the end of the Interview 

Usually interviewee asks if you have any questions, so it is better to ask them.  This shows that you are kind and interested. 

Reference 

PhD Interview Questions (n.d).  Retrieved12 December 2014 from http://www.postgrad.com/editorial/advice/phd/interview_dos_and_donts/

PHD interview advice from Dr. Valerie Morrison

Following on from our last interview with Dr. Emily Cross, we have spoken with Dr. Valerie Morrison to get the perspective of someone who interviews people for PHDs in the health psychology field. Read on to see her advice relating to succeeding in an interview for a PHD post within clinical and health psychology.

Are there any attributes that you look for in a potential PHD candidate?

1) "Someone who can show enthusiasm for, and communicate an interest in the subject area at interview - ideally they have done a bit of reading and thinking about the vacancy. Why this topic? Why psychology? Why a PHD? Where do they see it taking them?"

2) "Someone who demonstrates that they can take the initiative, have new ideas - even if they may seem crazy ideas at first, it is better to have some thoughts about what you would bring to the study rather than simply expect to 'do what is told'. The PHD has to become 'your baby' - your supervisor already has a PHD!"

3) "Someone who shows awareness of practical, methodological and ethical challenges in conducting research. In my domain this is crucial if recruitment is going to involve people with illness, disability etc. If it's possible to use your undergraduate or MSc project to illustrate some challenges and how you dealt with them that's always good."

4) "Someone who seems to have the confidence, manners and maturity to liaise with external partners, for example with collaborators in the NHS or in schools."

Any further advice?

"Don't be afraid to confess to having areas where you have more to learn, whether it be in the use of multivariate or perhaps qualitative analysis, or working with children instead of adults etc. Showing self-awareness and willingness to learn new skills or methods is better than being over confident and implying you can do everything already (unless of course there's evidence you can!!)"

Dressing to Win

Nice clothes may not be the most important thing to bring to an interview but inappropriate attire can put you behind other candidates.  I once had an interview terminated after three minutes simply because I wasn't wearing a suit and tie.  This may be an extreme example but dressing appropriately is important.

Research what your potential colleagues and supervisor wear.  BUT don't dress down.  If the person conducting the interviews is wearing jeans and a t-shirt doesn't mean you should be wearing similar clothing. Never wear jeans or a t-shirt to a job interview.  Trainers are out.  Better to err on the conservative and formal than to turn up too casual.

Men should wear slacks, leather shoes and a button down shirt with tie at a minimum and only in casual situations.  If you are unsure, a dark grey or navy business suit is always safe.  You should wear black or dark brown shoes that match your outfit.  Socks should be black.  The belt should be dark brown or black to match your shoes.

Women should wear conservative business attire. A dark coloured suit is always safe.  Alternatively you can wear a knee or full length skirt and a coordinating jacket.  A subtle or moderate amount of makeup is appropriate.   Your shoes should be polished and have low or moderate heels.  Do not wear heavy makeup, excessive jewelery or a low cut top.

For both women and men, a clean, neat and tidy appearance is essential. Polish your shoes.  Iron everything that can be ironed. Check your outfit well ahead of time for stains.

Should you wear business casual?  Maybe.  At some institutions it is what is expected and you may feel overdressed in formal business clothes. I would always try and find out ahead of time rather than turn up in clothes that are too casual.

A travel toothbrush is £2 well spent.  I recommend keeping a Colgate Wisp handy.   Wisp is a small 3 1/2 inch long single-use toothbrush that does not require water or rinsing.  They are not widely sold in the UK but you can buy a pack on Amazon or eBay.


References

University of Kent (n.d.) Interview Style Guide.  Retrieved 2 December 2014 from http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ivdress.htm

Colgate Palmolive (2014)  What is Wisp. Retrieved  3 December 2014 from http://www.colgatewisp.com/wisp/HomePage#/what-is-wisp/

Pomona College (n.d.) Graduate Application Process.  Retrieved 3 December 2014 from http://www.molecular-biology.pomona.edu/gradschool/application/app_process_interview.html

Cover Letter Tips

A cover letter is an accompaniment to your CV which you can use to introduce yourself, state which job you are applying for and give a brief, positive snapshot of your CV.

Some employers place great importance on this letter, so it's important to make sure that it is a good representation of you. Here are some tips on how you might do that.

•  Ensure that your first paragraph presents you in a positive way, explaining why you're writing to them and a quick explanation of why you are a good candidate. If this paragraph bores them, it sets a bad precedent for the rest of your writing.

• Make sure that it doesn't just repeat your CV. Your cover letter should be a boiled down version of your CV, giving the key themes in a much shorter format.

• Tell the reader why you particularly want to work for their company. What interests you in them? Show some background knowledge.

• When presenting your strengths, give quality examples, but make sure you keep them short, rather than explaining in depth.

•  Keep it brief; in a survey of US employers, 46% preferred a half page cover letter, whilst a further 24% wanted it to be as short as possible. You don't want to bore your potential employer.

• If it's a specific role you're applying for, make sure that you highlight that you meet all the stated requirements.

•  Mention when you would be available to start work, as well as any dates you might not be free to have an interview on; you don't want to have to respond to an invite to interview that you won't be able to make it!

• Check your spelling and grammar both with your computer's software and by hand; Spellcheck will not pick up mistakes where the typo is another word with a different meaning.

References

Jobs.ac.uk (2007, June) Top ten tips for writing cover letters. Retrieved 1 December 2014, from: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/cv-templates/577/top-ten-tips-for-writing-cover-letters/
Kent University (n.d.) How to write a successful covering letter. Retrieved 1 December 2014, from: http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/coveringletters.htm