I decided it was time to renovate my curriculum vitae, so I have been doing it. This is for updating, refreshing, pruning, and reediting, but it is also so as to have a .txt ready to use to learn LaTex or at least Lyx with.
Both programs have curriculum vitae templates and I have looked at examples of vitae of the various scientists and engineers who wrote the programs. They have a category after “Education” and before “Academic Positions” or “Professional Experience” which is “Research and Teaching Interests.” It thrills me.
I once had this category but I eliminated it some time ago on the theory that it was by now redundant — if you glance at what I have done, you know where my interests lie. But I like this category, especially looking at vitae of people in other fields, because it orients the reader.
Do you (still) have this category? If so, why? If not, why not? Do you think it is just something for job seekers, untenured people and graduate students? I do not believe I have ever seen it on vitae of senior persons in my field, but that does not necessarily mean anything.
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Also: do you put memberships in professional societies? I never have but I see, from these science vitae, that it helps define them.
And: do you put skills, as they do? Like C language, UNIX, Drupal, TEI protocol? I put traditional language competencies, but nothing else, on the theory that this is an in field academic vita, not a business resumé. Right or wrong?
And: do you have a category “advising” … or how do you name and organize that part where you list theses, dissertations, committees, honors projects, and so on?
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Hi !
Have Fun learning LaTex. It is a pain in the afterburner.
Also, when listing skills, I would not list all the programming languages that you have ever written a programm in or every CMS you ever set up, because one language does not differ so much and you would not want a potential employer to see that you code C and VB.Net, but not C# or something like that.
I would rather recommend listing something like object-oriented programming or low-level programming or dynamic programming in a web environment or something like that.
Hi Tim! 🙂
LaTex, I am mega intimidated. It looks as though it will be a pain in the afterburner, so thanks for confirming that.
That’s *very* good advice re the vita and it proves I should probably say nothing at this time … or, hmm, that I could use terms like those you cite, but my case is more like “being conversant in…” as opposed to just doing. So, I will say nothing.
This is an excercise I should undertake as well. It is usually associated with yearly “merit review” which I experience as a ritual of hypocrisy, so I hate it, but detaching it from that context sounds very healthy.
A ‘research interests’ blurb can show how your interests have evolved beyond your obvious ed/teaching/pub list, so I’m a fan. I see many CVs listing tech experience/proficiency, and think it’s a good idea. Clearly, audience matters, but having something like that ready to pop in might be good.
As for listing advising in great detail, I think that this is usually more relevant internally, or as an aide-memoire, but listing Honors students or graduate mentoring can be done in a line or two (advised X summa theses).
Well, the research interests blurb causes there to be three pages that end in a heading with nothing following it. I like it, but hmmm.
Advising, I do that, I just don’t call it advising and I separate graduate and undergraduate.
What kind of technical expertise? I’m for it but I do not yet find a way to do it that isn’t hokey. Here’s Amanda French’s vita: http://www.zotero.org/amandafrench/cv … look at the languages and skills section. I’d put those things on if I were looking for positions of the types she is. But…