CV Questions from Lit Major

Graduate School
1

<p>I’ve posted here before with some general questions and everyone was really helpful, so thanks. I’m working on my CV as part of my applications, and I have a few new questions. My resume is perfect, but CVs are new territory for me. Every web site I come across says something different, and apparently no one else is in my situation, because I haven’t found any examples that cover major issues I’m having (I’m a HS teacher going for a Master’s/PhD program at Columbia, Hopkins, NYU, & Georgetown). Any advice anyone can give will be greatly appreciated. </p>

<li><p>I’m getting LORs from academics, but should I include professional references on my CV? I thought it would show that I have strong professional relationships with important people(even though I know my teaching experience won’t be a big deal to them), but will they care?</p></li>
<li><p>I have a list of, for lack of a better term, “things” that I’ve done in my career, and I’m having trouble placing them on the CV. They’re basically committees, organizations I sponsor, and curriculum writing experience. For now, I’ve created a category called “Committees and Responsibilities” to include everything, but it seems awkward. The word “responsibilities” doesn’t work for me, but I can’t think of what to replace it with, since the stuff in the category is sort of random. Should I stick with what I have, or does anyone have any other suggestions?</p></li>
<li><p>I speak German, but I’m not sure how to word my skill level on the CV. I was born there so I’ve been learning it my whole life, but I’m not comfortable putting the word “fluent” on a CV or application. I can hold a conversation and I can write & read everything I can speak, but I feel like my vocabulary is too limited to consider myself fluent. I wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation about my content area without stumbling and getting stuck. When people I’ve just met ask me about my level, I usually say I’m semi-fluent and then explain. What can I put on a CV besides “semi-fluent?” Or should I just consider myself fluent since I can survive in the country on my own without speaking English?</p></li>
<li><p>I graduated from college in 2005 and I’ve been teaching since then. Should I include anything from High School that’s related to my area? I definitely feel like that’s going too far back, but I’m not sure if a grad school will want any of that information. </p></li>
<li><p>A lot of CV examples have an objective or summary statement. Is that necessary for a graduate application? They’re getting a full-blown statement of purpose and a writing sample from me in addition to everything else. Is including an objective on the CV overkill or is it something they want to see anyway?</p></li>
<li><p>Is teaching an inservice workshop worthy of inclusion on a CV? For those who don’t know, it’s basically a mini-lesson where you teach your colleagues a new technique or activity that they can take back to their classrooms. It’s kind of a big deal within the school but will a grad school care?</p></li>
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<p>and, finally,</p>

<li>International CVs ask for your sex. Should I bother including it on mine? My first name is Rebecca, so I don’t think they’ll have any trouble figuring it out, but I don’t want to leave it out if they want to see it.</li>
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2

<p>1) No, no one will care.
2) This category should be "Committees and Service," and should technically not include curriculum design, unless said design was done in committee. If it was done by you alone, it should fall under "Teaching."
3) "Competency in German."<br>
4) Do not include anything prior to your undergraduate work.
5) Do not include anything like an "objective" or "summary statement."
6) Under "Committees and Service," or, perhaps better, under "Teaching," put "In-service Workshop." But no one will care that much -- it relates only to your pedagogical abilities, and in your particular case, your research abilities are what should be highlighted. Your teaching background may outshine your research qualifications, and that is not desirable. You want admissions committees to picture you as a scholar (researcher), not a teacher. (Unless you wish your scholarly career to focus on Composition and Rhetoric, but that's another topic.)
7)Definitely not.</p>

<p>Final note: You are overthinking this a bit. Your CV will get only a glance. Your SOP and writing sample will be read very closely. Honestly, the element you've mentioned here that will be most important to admission committees is your competency in German.</p>

<p>I hope this helps!
Good luck to you.</p>

3

<p>Professor X is by far the expert on this kind of thing here, and his comments are quite useful. </p>

<p>All that I want to add is that your competency in German should be fine. As far as not being able to "hold a conversation about [your] content area without stumbling" I think is very normal. I have known native speakers of foreign languages that go to grad school in the US and learn whole new terminology in their content area in English. When they go back and give talks in their home country they find they do not have the vocabulary in their own language to discuss their work without stumbling a little. You will learn what you need to know as you go, being able to read and write the rest should be fine.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the comments, both of you. Yes Professor X, I tend to overthink everything. Thanks for humoring me. :-)</p>