Revising a Science CV for the Pharmaceutical Job Market

One of the hardest things about making the transition from graduate school or the laboratory bench to a great job in the real world — like a pharmaceutical or biotech career, for example — is figuring out how to make your academic experience relevant to employers.

This article, “A Resume Makeover” from the journal Science has been online for more than 10 years, but offers great, practical advice on how to review and revise your CV to fit the needs of employers.  The example provided isn’t about a pharmaceutical job but the advice still fits!

I think the key piece of advice is Step 3: “Organize Your Experience in a Clear Structure That Matches the Priority Skills of the Job.”  By using a functional resume format, you can highlight your skills and relevant experience.  It’s a great approach to take when you’re starting on a new career path.

The article is by Peter Fiske, author of the great career guide for scientists called “Put Your Science to Work“, which I’ve recommended before on this blog.  If you enjoy the article, be sure to check out the book.

 

 

 

UPDATE: Apparently Peter’s book is sold out at Amazon! So, unless you want to pay $300 for a used copy (I’d guess not!), may I recommend an alternative?

“Alternative Careers in Science”, by Cynthia Robbins-Roth profiles 23 different career paths that a PhD can follow, and includes detailed first-person profiles of various biotech jobs with recommendations on how to position oneself for the transition.

Posted: March 23rd, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Resumes & CVs | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »

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