The One Question Your CV Should Answer

Dr. Jennifer A. Rea, University of Florida

Dr. Rea’s slides are available here.

Some topics discussed include the first impression (aka “The 10 second skim”), bias (and how to avoid it), designing for how search committees learn, and figuring out if you’re qualified for the job.

Presentation by Dr. Jennifer A. Rea on the one question your CV should answer

Definition of the CV:

• The CV (curriculum vitae) is a summary document that reveals your priorities and shows your “future promise” as a professional academic to the search committee.

The scoring matrix: are you qualified?

• Be aware that search committees often use a scoring matrix to determine if you’re qualified for the position.

• Considerations of the scoring matrix:

  • Education: PhD or other terminal degree (MA, MFA, etc.)

  • Relevant Experience: e.g., Grant writing

  • Program Management: e.g., Outreach

  • Creativity (Drive): e.g., Entrepreneurialism

  • Teaching: e.g., Min. 2 years experience

The 10-second skim:

• Format your information in a way that makes it easy for the search committee to skim for relevant and important information.

• Convey your information and qualifications with:

  • A clear and simple layout with sections and sub-sections (e.g., for teaching, bucket your information into types of classes or primary vs. secondary instructor)

  • No typos

  • A font of 12-point Times New Roman or equivalent 

  • Information that is relevant to the position and up to date (i.e., not outdated) 

• Some things to consider:

  • Avoid academic jargon.

  • Always use a professional email (institutional is preferred, but gmail and others are becoming more acceptable in the current job market).

  • Save your document as a PDF using your name (e.g., FirstLastCV or FirstLastResume), so that it is easily searchable for the search committee.

  • In some cases (e.g. interdisciplinary scholars), it is relevant to include a short bio (2-3 sentences) at the beginning of your CV or cover letter to demonstrate how your work connects to the position and as a framework for interpreting the rest of the CV/cover letter. The short bio is particular to scholars who bridge so many disciplines that it’s difficult for a search committee to categorize them. The short bio complements the 10-second skim through descriptive language and key words that control the narrative, so that committee members know at a glance who you are and what you do.

Avoiding bias:

• Try to avoid unconscious bias. While another aim of the scoring matrix is to remove bias from the search process, there is always unconscious bias (e.g., “like me syndrome”). You can encourage the search committee to consider you based on your merits by not including photos, hobbies or interests, or memberships in non-job-related organizations, unless they are directly relevant to the job at hand, (e.g. social or community engagement). 

• Be value-added focused (ask yourself, how does this project you are listing add value to your CV?) and completion oriented (if you have an article “under review” or “in press,” that will mean more to your search committee than listing “work in progress” items). Until you have ca. 2-3 articles, it’s okay to clarify the stage of progress (e.g., submitted, under review), but too many unfinished projects can take away from your accomplishments. Only include publications/projects that you can discuss intelligently.  

Design for how search committees learn:

• Think about the job that you want and the skills that search committees are looking for in that job, then put those at the top of your CV. 

• Two common mistakes to avoid: 1) Don’t make the search committee work to find information; 2) Don’t lump research projects or other information together in a way that is confusing to your reader.

• Instead, you should: 1) Be completion oriented; 2) Use clean categories and sub-headings.

Final tips:

• For projects that may not be self-explanatory, such as online/web projects, digital humanities (DH), interdisciplinary work, and public scholarship, include a short summary (1-2 sentences) that explains what the project accomplishes and how it relates to the job. This approach can also be applied to courses without self-evident titles (e.g., Man’s food). 

• Make sure that links are active and correct, and always give the full URL, rather than embedding a hyperlink; sometimes applications are run through an online system, so this information can get lost in the process. If you save your document as a pdf, this will help prevent information from getting lost when it is run through an online system.

• Only include proficiency in ancient and modern languages if you’re applying for a PhD or if it is specifically relevant to the position.

Cover Letters

Dr. Melissa Funke, The University of Winnipeg

Dr. Funke’s slides are available here.

Some topics discussed include what the purpose of a cover letter is and some dos and don’ts of cover letters.

Sample annotated cover letters that were shown in this presentation can be found here: Sample 1 (Funke), Sample 2 (Lye), Sample 3 (Pistone).

Presentation by Dr. Melissa Funke on cover letters

Defining the cover letter:

• The purpose of the cover letter is to introduce you as a scholar and potential colleague to the search committee. It guides the skimmers through the rest of your application package.

How to prepare a cover letter:

• Read the job ad carefully. Highlight or bold what the search committee is looking for in a candidate and make note of what you have to offer. You can use the phrases and terms in the job ad verbatim in your CL; it demonstrates that you are a good fit for the position at hand.

• Tailor the letter to the job, institution, and department. Also take into consideration the Dean or Provost, the individual who approves the candidate selected by the search committee (terminology and position differs from institution to institution). 

  • Look over the institutional and departmental website, noting faculty research specialties, courses currently offered, and any relevant facilities and research collections. 

  • Mention specific courses (names not numbers) that are on the books that you can teach but be careful of overlap (don’t suggest a course that a current faculty member teaches), and identify service courses (e.g., large myth classes) that keep the department functioning. Briefly explain how you would teach courses. 

  • Make note of whether there is a graduate program. If not, don’t discuss graduate students or propose grad courses.

• Create a support network! Share resources and connect with others.

General framework of the cover letter:

*Note that the order differs depending on whether you’re applying to a SLAC (teaching first) or research-focused institution (research first).

1.Opening Statement

1. Aim for the length of a short paragraph: 2-3 sentences.

2. This should describe the applicant in a nutshell.

2. Research & Publications

• Aim for the length of 1 paragraph.

• Include information on the dissertation if you are ABD or just completed or a major project if you are a few years post-PhD.

3. Future Projects

• Aim for the length of 1 paragraph.

4. Teaching & Pedagogy

• Aim for the length of 1 paragraph; 2 paragraphs for SLACs.

• Consider including a statement on DEI to demonstrate that you can mentor students from diverse backgrounds.

• Consider including a statement about teaching under COVID. Look up the university’s COVID policy. Make the statement relevant to how the pandemic changed your teaching and what strategies and/or activities you’ll keep.

5. Service

• Aim for the length of 1 paragraph

• This should tie into who you are as a scholar.

6. Closing Statement

• Aim for the length of a short paragraph: 2-3 sentences.

Formatting (“keep it simple”):

• 12-point Times New Roman or equivalent

• Spaces between paragraphs

• 1-inch margins

• Use institutional letterhead if possible (if your department won’t give this to you, you can construct your own with resources from the web)

Language (“keep it straight-forward”):

• Convey enthusiasm. Sell what you’ve done but don’t oversell yourself/accomplishments. Be yourself and point out growth for future work.

• Keep the narrative neat and tidy and be clear and concise. Include 2-3 key points that directly support the narrative and use specific examples. Take out the filler! Always ask yourself “so what?” when determining what to include.

• Show, don't tell. Be straight-forward with your language. Avoid emotional words and don’t flatter or pander too much: e.g. “I am uniquely qualified…”

• Write like a colleague regardless of your academic stage.

Sample annotated cover letters:

• Sample 1 Type – 50/50 research and teaching & on job market for ca. 5 years

• Sample 2 Type – Research-focused & ABD/new graduate

• Sample 3 Type – SLAC & exceptional tailoring

Things to do before submission:

• Show your cover letter to someone who has more experience with the job market (e.g., supervisor, fellow applicants, the career office, office of professional development).

• Make sure to get discipline-specific advice.

• The WCC provides mentorship programs that you can utilize! Click here to sign up for the Cohort and On-Demand Mentorship Programs.

Final tips:

• Be careful of online job boards/communication platforms (e.g. Job Wiki); they can be toxic spaces.

• Don’t stress if your CV or CL aren’t filled out enough. The committee will understand your stage of career.

• Work on your elevator pitch at conferences to help hone your short descriptions.

SLACs vs. Research-Focused Institutions

T. H. M. Gellar-Goad, Wake Forest University

It’s best practice to have at least two different CVs on hand: one for SLACs and the other research-focused.

Some things to consider when writing a CV for a SLAC vs research-focused institution:

• For a SLAC application, where there is more emphasis on teaching than research, the teaching section should be placed up top and the publications lower down, and vice versa for research-focussed institutions. 

• It is a common misconception that SLACs don’t care about research. 

• Keep in mind the notion of the “teacher-scholar,” the idea of cross-pollination in which teaching gives energy for research and research provides more nuance and enthusiasm for in-class dialogue and instruction. 

• If, conversely, you are applying for a position at a research-oriented institution, demonstrate on your CV that you understand that articles are the currency of academic work, but don’t despair if you haven’t published much; in this case, focus on your conference presentations or a combination of articles and presentations. 

• Remember, your CV shows that you know how academia works – in other words, how to get tenure at that institution and the type of colleague that department wants to hire.