WHAT OTHER WANT

Use a professional-looking email address in your contact details, and use a consistent style for headings and subheadings.

If youre applying for an academic job, the three main areas to cover in your CV are research, teaching and administration. In the research section, consider writing a research statement and a list of the specific lab techniques you have used. Include details of any funding you have received this can include travel or conference grants If you are pursuing a career in biosciences and have some aptitude with computers or data analysis skills, make this very clear on your CV.

Hybrid CVs
To balance the benefits of the two approaches, Jones says the safest approach for early-career scientists is to use a hybrid approach. Leave a chronological list of your education and employment history on the first page, but include a medium-sized skills section on the second page. Whatever type of CV you choose, remember to adapt the content to match the person specification of the role in question. For every job you apply for, you have to create a completely new CV, says Jones.

An application typically consists of a cover letter introducing the applicant and his or her reasons for joining this particular lab; a CV outlining education, publication record, honours and accomplishments; and three referees who will provide supportive letters of recommendation on request (see 'Postdoc application to-do list'). Some students also include a research summary of their graduate work; others incorporate this into their cover letter.

Other lab heads suggest that applicants list experiences that illustrate other responsibilities such as sitting on graduate-school or department committees or hosting seminar speakers spelling out your contributions to a graduate research project. Write it in a way that says, 'I did this' or 'My part of the project was', especially if you did something outstanding, After extensive research into each lab's publications, websites and even annual reports, he wrote his cover letters from the angle of someone already in the lab. 'Dear Professor' does not show respect or that you are really interested in their lab, she says. Instead, she personalized each application and stated how her training and experience would distinguish her from other applicants.

Anything that signals the person is a prima donna, no matter how great they are, I don't go for, says Ken Yamada, laboratory chief Lab heads want a clear indication that applicants have carefully thought through their career goals and chosen this lab as the appropriate stepping stone. Does a genuine passion, drive, and hunger for research come through in their letters or on the phone? asks Yamada. Would they be doing the same thing if they were suddenly independently wealthy?

to-do list
Choose referees who really know you, such as collaborators, unofficial advisers or others beyond the standard committee members. Meet with your referees to explain your career goals to the Encourage referees to send their letters promptly (Salk Institute cell biologist Martin Hetzer says that the speed with which a letter lands in his inbox is usually much more telling than the letter's content). Prepare for the possibility of phone interviews, which may be scheduled or spontaneous. Make sure the conversation is two-way and ask your own questions, too. Have a list of bullet points handy in case you get nervous.

saying by Albert Einstein: Many of the things you can count, don't count. Many of the things you can't count, do count.

Organized, compelling and reader-friendly are the qualities you'll want to aim for in your document, regardless of the format you select. When the distinction is made, the CV is an exhaustive accounting, while a resume is a more targeted piece highlighting selected skills and accomplishments. A CV is typically used in the medical, scientific and academic communities for research or faculty positions. In this lengthy document, you would list your education, honors, publications, presentations, work history, research, professional affiliations and references with contact information. There's no limit on the length of a CV. Although you can be as thorough as you'd like, I suggest that, in consideration of your time-pressed readers, you consider leaving off older and less relevant professional activities.

There are numerous resources available on writing resumes and CVs. One to consider that is packed with samples is Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer by Susan Britton Whitcomb (Jist Publishing, 2007). With either format, remember that your CV or resume should be kept error-free and up-to-date.