AGU RESUME GUIDE Resumes and Curricula Vitae

Typically, people begin the process of searching for a job by constructing a resume or a CV. Most of you probably have at least one or the other. Some of you may have even consulted a book or two about constructing resumes. However, most of you probably have received no formal advice, and are proceeding based on the examples of friends or family. The rules of CV construction are probably familiar to most of you, since you come from a work environment where that document is the norm. Most research scientists, however, do not have any experience writing a resume and wind up constructing a document that looks very much like, well…, a CV. Even though we live in a free society there are some rules to resume writing. Adhering to these rules makes you look informed, serious and professional. Most of these “rules” are also simple common sense. The main purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. It is very rare that someone is hired sight-unseen. The typical employer spends about 20 seconds on each resume. Stop now, put this booklet down and count to 20. That’s it. That’s all the time your resume has to stand out and make an impression. This may seem arbitrary and unfair but it is a fact of life. Research-trained scientists applying to positions that do not call for an advanced degree may elicit additional scrutiny, if fo