A CV Revised Into a Résumé

By Kim Thompson and Terren Ilana Wein

Sally Smith (a pseudonym) is a Ph.D. in education who is seeking a research position at a public-policy or think-tank organization. We revised her CV into a résumé.

Note: Some formatting (i.e. the spacing of headings, line breaks, and dates) may not be accurately respresented due to screen-width limitations.

Beyond the Ivory Tower:
From C.V. To Résumé

Before Revision

Sally Smith

1404 W. Main St.
Richmond, VA 23220
(608)555-1212
Email: ssmith@yahoo.com

Education¹

Ph.D., Education Policy Studies, College of Education, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, 2003.

M.A., Sociology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. 1996.

B.A., Human Development and Social Relations, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 1992.

Policy Evaluation Experience²

Center for XYZ Systems, University Richmond, Richmond, VA, 2003-Present. External Evaluator

Collaborate with the Deputy Director and the Senior Evaluator on the design and implementation of an evaluation of the Human Resource Development and Educational Outreach components of the Center.³
Conduct ongoing debriefings for Center staff to respond to evaluative feedback in program components.
Plan for continuous development and evaluation of the Center programs over the course of the five-year project.
Prepare reports for the sponsor site visit and the Center staff including an analysis of the programs, recommendations, and future plans.

ABC Policy Studies Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 1996-2002. Research Assistant

Reviewed literature on vestiges of discrimination in educational settings.
Created graphic and tabular representations of data for presentation to lay audiences and colleagues (American Educational Research Association (AERA) session "Policy Implications of the Testing Regime," 2000; panel convened by AERA, "Racial Dynamics in Colleges and Universities," 1999; Speech to NAACP chapter members, 2000; and, testimony in Jenkins V. Missouri desegregation case, 1996).

Windsor County Urban League-Department of Education, Richmond, VA, 1997. Evaluator: The JKL Training Program.

Conducted a formative evaluation incorporating qualitative methods.
Presented findings emphasizing strengths, limitations, and areas of potential improvement to the program Director and Urban League Administrators.
Engaged in meta-analysis of the evaluation process and presented results to colleagues (AEA, 1998).

Research Experience

Bureau of ABC Research, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, 2003-2004.Research Associate

Crafted interview protocols probing issues of gender in engineering. Interviewed women faculty in engineering departments at Illinois and peer institutions.
Analyzed data with team and generated recommendations for future policies.

David Geffen Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 2002-2003.Research Associate

Designed individual and focus group protocols, and construction and application of coding/analysis matrix for Nud*ist in collaboration with colleagues, etc..
Explored and elaborated on emergent themes in-depth from entire sample of 132 parents/guardians. Observed instruction in 43 classrooms.
Organized paper session, "The Cultural Context of Schools and Communities: The Paradox of Parental Involvement," for American Anthropology Association annual conference (November, 2003).

Bureau of XYZ Research, University of Virgina, Charlottesville, VA, 1996-1999.Research Assistant

Constructed qualitative case studies for clients emphasizing summative and formative issues.
Examined the research/evaluation process, identified key issues and areas for future research, and reported on all findings at American Evaluation Association (AEA) and AERA professional meetings.
Assisted in the design of survey protocols including open-ended and short answer questions. Administered surveys. Synthesized data and reported to clients.

ABC Institute for XYZ, 1993.Intern

Crafted and administered survey as part of team and observed classroom instruction for a study of faculty participation in the MNO project.

American Association for TUV, 1991.Intern

Authored a case study on issues related to communication within a classroom setting-case was included in AAXZs clearinghouse on innovative teaching strategies; annotated cases for the clearinghouse and managed communications with case authors.

Publications⁴

Brown, J, & Smith, S. (2002, Summer). "Chapter Title." Book Title. XYZ University Press, Summer 2002. Smith, S. (2000). "Article Title." Journal information. Smith, S. (1999). "Chapter Title." Chapter 2 in Doe, J. (ed). Book Title. ABC University Press.

Skills⁵

Computer: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access)
Data Analysis Software: Nud*ist, Excel, Filemaker Pro, and SPSS
Language: Fluent Spanish, reading German

1Note here that we have deleted both the dissertation abstract and the names of the academics who served on Smith's dissertation committee. That information is generally too much detail, too academic, and not relevant enough to a nonacademic employer to make it worthy of remaining on a one- to two-page document.

2We changed the title of this section from "Research Experience" to "Policy Evaluation Experience." Because this is a résumé for a public-policy or think-tank position, it is important to communicate your relevant work experience as high up and as soon in the document as possible. Calling this section "Policy Evaluation Experience" signals to the employer that Smith has relevant skills already.

3On her CV, Smith described each of her research experiences in a paragraph format. Here we have changed that format to bullets, each beginning with a strong and descriptive action verb. Since this is a research position, Smith can get away with using some jargon that she might otherwise have to remove were she, for example, applying for a corporate job.

4As you can see, we have de-emphasized Smith's publications on her résumé. For a think-tank position, it is good for Smith to communicate her strong writing skills. Reporting her publications is a way of doing that, but on the résumé they dont take up as much space.

5We have deleted several sections that were on Smith's CV, including "Professional Activities," "Teaching Experience," "References Section," "Internships," and "Professional Affiliations." None of those sections were directly relevant to the position she is applying for. Remember, it is always best to have a one-page résumé if you can, and thus extraneous information must be jettisoned, however difficult that may be. We moved up some of her internship positions and incorporated them into the relevant section on her "Research Experience."