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[lcampers]

What should I be working toward in grad school (besides my dissertation) that will add to the value of my CV?

What are the things that you absolutely should have?

What are the things that will make you stand out (I realize "publishing in a well known journal or book" is an obvious one but is it the only one?)?

What doesn't matter?

I'm not really on many committees like others in my program, nor am I trying to get as many fellowships or grants as I can, nor am I a "social" department person (does this matter?  my committee is very supportive and will write me great letters, I feel, but do I need to show my face around more?) - do these things matter in the long run?  I'm thinking not but maybe I'm also missing out on something vital to my grad school experience.  I have contributed to a search committee (once), sat on a panel for new applicants, gave rides for new students and ran a year long program on campus of my own making but I'm not really planning on doing any more.

Thanks to those in the know and to the snarky replies in advance.

- DJC

PS I'm in the humanities, I realize that's an important point to mention here.

[jacaranda_]

. . . nor am I trying to get as many fellowships or grants as I can. . .

Why in the world not?  The committee work I can see as less important, but I'm surprised you would dismiss this aspect of your development and reputation as a scholar. 

Overall you come across as something possibly beyond not "social" and perhaps verging on "anti-social," as though contact with other colleagues is something you're willing to put up with, but only if you really really must. 

Yes, it is true that when a SC looks at your c.v. and cover letter, they will first scan for the obvious:  conferences, publications, grants.  But when you get to the interview stage, your ability to interact with others in a way that is personally appealing is crucial.  One of the questions in my mind that is just as important as any other when I am conducting an interview is this:  "Is this someone I would enjoy working with. . . for the next 20 years?  Is this someone who will pitch in, contribute to the life of the department, mentor students well?"  That's a hugely important issue when hiring someone into a tenure-track position, especially in the humanities. 

SC members do sometimes make phone calls to your references during the review process, and in that sort of conversation, questions of collegiality and general demeanor are certainly likely to arise.

[sciencephd]

Every CV is enhanced by a wet tshirt contest or two.  Just make it clear that it is done in the spirit of ironic post-structuralism and any committe will eat it up.

[glowdart]

What kind of job do you want? 

I'm at a teaching-centered SLAC, and we like to see:

Solo Teaching
Conference presentations
Publication(s)
A research plan that is realistic
Some sign of life beyond your books

Individual grants in the humanities are nice, but what can you bring to our department that no one else can bring? 

[prephd]

Good references, certainly. These are built not only by scholarship, but also by being a good colleague: being flexible, easy to work with, and positive, and pitching in when asked.

[advil]

Look at CVs of peers at your university and others who have recently gotten jobs.  Basically, for research universities, interesting (pref. first-authored) journal articles in good journals are _the_ key thing, and everything else is negotiable  (on the CV at least, other stuff in the file is just as important).

nor am I a "social" department person (does this matter?  my committee is very supportive and will write me great letters, I feel, but do I need to show my face around more?) - do these things matter in the long run?  I'm thinking not but maybe I'm also missing out on something vital to my grad school experience.

The indirect effect of being a social person is collaborative research with your peers, which can only make your own research better/stronger.  I did some of this and wish I'd done more as a student; one of my main publications as a grad student came out of collaboration.  (There's also a huge career/sanity benefit in still being in touch with them when you all go your separate ways after graduation...)

edit: However, I didn't notice the humanities disclaimer -- journal articles may not be as important as a book contract or something that can be turned into a book.  I'm not humanities though..

[lcampers]

Thank you so much for your responses.  I feel like I'm making progress toward a well rounded CV and perhaps painted myself more anti/social than I am, as I'm friendly with most of my cohort, other professors outside my committee and am collaborating with another student on a translation for potential publication.  I guess I get a bit competitive/nervous whenever I hear a colleague tell me about how great they are doing in terms of getting grants, money and assistantships - and having a bunch of kids and a working partner = less time as well, to spend on being as social as I'd like to.

[octoprof]

Every CV is enhanced by a wet tshirt contest or two.  Just make it clear that it is done in the spirit of ironic post-structuralism and any committe will eat it up.

Are you spork?

[laurel_knx]

I'm in social sciences, but... I think the best thing I did was win a big dissertation fellowship (which admittedly is 60% luck, 30% following directions, 10% merit). It's a nice piece of evidence that I can point to. Overall, I worked for a publication- and presentation-heavy CV, but I thought it was important (in my less saturated field) to have at least one big funding score, one first-author paper, one good independent teaching experience, and some evidence of service to my professional organization (conference proposal reviews). I think a few high-quality entries in each category is more important than sheer quantity.

As for things to avoid- I'm glad I never joined a grad student committee in a national org. Sometimes they seem to offer good networking opportunities, but mainly they seem like time sucks. I can't figure out why anyone volunteers to write those newsletters, but that may be my bias...

[hegemony]

For the job-application CV, publication is all.   This is assuming you're aiming for a job at a research university.  The search committee will want to know if you're tenurable, that is, if you have the drive and organizational abilities to publish well and often.  Conferences, university service and all that is secondary.  For your own career development, you'll want to win grants (extra funding and time off is always helpful), attend conferences (for trying out your ideas and networking) and so forth.  But none of those things will have the weight on the CV that publications do. 

[pink_]

For the job-application CV, publication is all.   This is assuming you're aiming for a job at a research university.  The search committee will want to know if you're tenurable, that is, if you have the drive and organizational abilities to publish well and often.  Conferences, university service and all that is secondary.  For your own career development, you'll want to win grants (extra funding and time off is always helpful), attend conferences (for trying out your ideas and networking) and so forth.  But none of those things will have the weight on the CV that publications do. 

Not entirely true.
In this market (in most fields, esp in the humanities), schools can have their cake and eat it too.  That is, they can demand both publications and teaching experience.  By Teaching experience, I mean experience having designed and administered your own classes (and not just one) rather than serving as a grader or a TA. 

Yes, you should try to get at least one publication and a few conferences in while you are still in grad school, but you should also build a solid teaching portfolio.

[lyndonparker]

Chime. At my very good SLAC we look also to see your level of experience teaching introductory classes. You will score big points if it appears you enjoy and are competent at teaching first- and second-year undergraduates. That is what we do and what we need done.

Other than that, focus on building a CV that emphasizes research and teaching. That is what will get you tenure and that is what we look at when making hiring decisions. Service? That's fine but nobody really cares. Excellent scholars and teachers get tenured even if they do very little service, whereas folks with great service but no research and so-so teaching . . . .

[lcampers]

These replies are really very helpful, thank you so much.

I taught (designed and administered) my own classes during my Masters degree but here during my PhD the opportunities are limited to mainly (95%+) TA-ships and reader-ships.  On my CV should I bump up the Masters' teaching or highlight it more than my TA time even though it was earlier or just stick to a temporally sequential job list?

[hegemony]

I'd say mention it prominently in your cover letter.

In search committees I've been on, we recognize that not all universities offer the same opportunities for teaching as a grad student -- some people get to design their own courses, some are stuck as TAs for their whole career.  I wouldn't hold it against applicants if they haven't designed their own courses yet, as I know that can be the luck of the draw.  Their dynamism, the way they talk about teaching (with verve but not too pretentiously, I would hope), and ultimately their campus job talk would be enough to give a pretty accurate impression.  Still, they may be the best teacher in the world, but without sufficient publications they won't get tenure.  That's why publications are the sine qua non for a research university.

[pink_]

Not everyone ends up at a research institution.  Not everyone wants this kind of job. 


While SCs at SLACs would also recognize that not everyone has the same teaching opportunities as a grad student, they (we) need someone who can hit the ground running in the classroom, so we tend to favor candidates who have experience not only teaching their own classes, but also those who have demonstrated that they can balance the demands of an active research agenda with a 3-3 courseload.

To that end, I would definitely mention your experience with your own courses icampers. I don't think you need to bump it on your CV, but mention it in your letter and be ready to talk about it in interviews.  Have specific examples ready.