Seeking Feedback on Resume

[kdavid]

Hello All,

 

I'm looking for some constructive criticism on my resume, which will be included with my graduate school applications.

 

Please find a link to it below.

 

http://www.docdroid.net/52h3/kdavid-resume.pdf.html

 

Any feedback would be appreciated!

 

Thanks in advance!

[Seeking]

Hi Kdavid,

 

I had a look at your CV. Just some thoughts - 

 

1) It's not clear whether you are a native Chinese speaker or a native English speaker. If you are a native English speaker, mention it.

 

2) It's not clear why you want to emphasise that your entire Master's study was in Chinese. If you want to stress that despite being an English speaker you have gained native fluency in Chinese, say so. 

 

3) Make a heading "Chinese Proficiency" and mention there that all your Master's education was in Chinese and that you have a Chinese proficiency certificate as well. 

 

4) Change "Teaching experience" to "Work experience."

 

5) Mention your BA qualifications above language certification qualifications. Further, mention what courses you took in BA that are relevant for what you want to do now. Also mention in total how many credits you have got in the area that you want to study further.

 

6) Normally, the order of your qualifications should be - 

 

Educational qualifications

- Master's Degree - In what subject, from where, year when completed, total credits, any significant grade points if available.

- Master's thesis - Topic and description, when completed, grade point if available.

- Bachelor's Degree - In what subjects (Major and Minor), from where, year when completed, courses taken relevant for your future study, total credits, grade points obtained.

 

Chinese proficiency

 

Certifications -

- TESOL etc

- Chinese etc

 

Lectures delivered

-Arranged from most recent to the oldest in sequence - Titles, where delivered, date, purpose of lectures.

 

Work experience

- Arranged from most recent to oldest.

 

You should translate all Chinese titles into English in bracket.

[kdavid]

@Seeking

 

Thank you very much for the detailed feedback.

 

Your suggestions were so helpful that I've implemented most of them. I mention in my SOP that I am a white American, so I don't feel the need to state it again here. I also believe my transcript is clear enough regarding the history courses I took as an undergrad.

 

I've uploaded the new copy here: http://docdroid.net/53mj

 

My only worry now is that it's too long, as I've added details regarding my MA and BA research theses.

 

I was told that a resume should never be longer than one page. However, I'm really using this as an extension of my SOP in a sense, as there's no way I can cram everything I need to into a 1,000 word SOP.

 

Thanks again for your help (and to anyone else who chimes in)!

Edited October 12, 2013 by kdavid

[dr. t]

For academia you're usually making a CV, not a resume; is there a particular reason you've chose the resume format?

 

What you've given seems a bit more in-depth than is typical. Here, for example, is a CV of one of my professors:
http://history.fas.harvard.edu/people/faculty/documents/Smail_CVJune2012.pdf

 

and here, as an example of a much smaller CV, is mine

 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5p5Vo_V4WG_NEU4TkRMUTZKZFE/edit?usp=sharing

 

I know you're worried about getting everything across in 1000 words, but that seems to me to be half the point of the SoP.

Edited October 12, 2013 by telkanuru

[kdavid]

@telkanuru

 

Thanks for your feedback and the links. (I don't have permission to view your CV, per Google.)

 

The resume format seems to provide a bit more room for details. Also, as you saw, my application has a lot of work experience, and not so much in terms of conferences, publications, etc.

 

Most schools requesting a resume/CV generally say either/or is acceptable.

[dr. t]

@telkanuru

 

Thanks for your feedback and the links. (I don't have permission to view your CV, per Google.)

 

The resume format seems to provide a bit more room for details. Also, as you saw, my application has a lot of work experience, and not so much in terms of conferences, publications, etc.

 

Most schools requesting a resume/CV generally say either/or is acceptable.

 

Fixed.

 

Interesting. I would worry that what you have is very dense and would be skimmed rather than understood.

[kdavid]

I would worry that what you have is very dense and would be skimmed rather than understood.

 

 

Yeah, that's my conundrum.

 

I'm hoping that it will be more or less supplemental.

 

I read a good piece of advice that stated that your SOP should draw the readers' attention to other aspects of your application for more information (if, indeed, they're interested).

 

That's not to say that the SOP contains esoteric statements which necessitate flipping between the various components. Instead, if he/she is generally interested, they'll want to read more.

 

Link is fixed. Thanks again!

[Seeking]

Kdavid,

 

Your CV is fine. Don't worry about the length.

 

You may delete the last 3 sections and write about your Master's thesis in a shorter paragraph - some of the sentences are very long. Break them and try to give the same information in less number of words.

 

Apart from these, rest is quite fine.

 

All the best to you.

[dr. t]

Yeah, that's my conundrum.

 

I'm hoping that it will be more or less supplemental.

 

I read a good piece of advice that stated that your SOP should draw the readers' attention to other aspects of your application for more information (if, indeed, they're interested).

 

That's not to say that the SOP contains esoteric statements which necessitate flipping between the various components. Instead, if he/she is generally interested, they'll want to read more.

 

Link is fixed. Thanks again!

 

My advice here would then be to address and explore formatting. The adcom won't be expecting a 1-page CV/resume, so why not expand things out spatially and make them less dense visually?

Edited October 13, 2013 by telkanuru

[kdavid]

Another excellent suggestion, telkanuru!

 

Thanks!

[ἠφανισμένος]

Kdavid, you may find this post helpful.  Bear in mind, though, that's written for people applying for faculty positions, not grad school applicants, and read the comments for differing perspectives.  I think a great deal of it is still useful, though.