Dr Zuleyka Zevallos

Applying for jobs after completing my PhD, I included ALL my non-academic jobs in customer service. This (along with my PhD & honours research) got me my first leadership role in a science organisation. I also had experience as a lecturer/teaching assistant/ research assistant.

One useful layout for including non-academic work in CVs for ECR research roles (1): Front page: Name & contact as a header; Current employment - role & key duties/ responsibilities; Education (PhD, honours - with dissertation titles);

(2) Next pages: *Publications if you have them *Academic presentations * Areas of research expertise * Skills & experience: -Teaching roles - Research roles - Media - Leadership/management - Public speaking - Editing/reviewing - Customer service - Short courses/training

(3) Final pages: *Awards -Scholarships incl. conferences -Academic awards - Undergrad class certificates *Other achievements & activities - High school awards (yep - when applying for first research job ) - Other non-academic achievements -Memberships - Volunteering - Referees

Very important if you are applying for non-academic roles as ECR to tailor your CV! I created multiple versions depending on the role. Science & research orgs often use recruitment agencies who will scan your CV & discount it if you don't layout the info specified in job ads.

Tips for CVs for ECR non-academic research jobs (1): *List all revelant jobs in brief on front page *Move your publications to the end *Spell out basic/intermediary/proficient skills that you might take for granted: name your exp w/ quant software; qual skills; Microsoft; etc

Tips for CVs, non-academic research roles (2) *Organise your CV sub-headings based on the role, to make it crystal clear that you meet all requirements *Do not EVER go over the required page specifications or they may not read your CV let alone your application

How to represent & discuss your non-academic experience in research job applications: 1) List responsibilities. E.g. management & supervision; delegating duties to staff; managing budgets & orders; planning rosters; facilitating effective relationships between staff

2) Give examples that link non-academic experience to the role. E.g. Explain in brief how your skills in customer service translates. Project management; leadership; conflict resolution; problem solving; time planning; managed competing interests/deadlines alongside other duties

3) Market your skills & reinforce YOU know that they translate. E.g. "This job requires X,Y,Z skills. An example evidences my experience in X, Y, Z is when I had to manage SPECIFIC SITUATION. (What did you do? What skills did you use?) These translate to the role in A, B, C ways"

Other general tips: use the resources on campus if you have them. If you have a careers centre, see how they can help you look for work. They are very good with proofreading CVs and applications at the very least.

If your university does not have careers fairs in your field, consider approaching your student body representatives/careers centre/professional association to advocate on your behalf to host these events and invite speakers. Especially for careers outside academia!

Finally, advice for educators: sociologist Michael Burawoy says students are our first public in sociology. Same applies for other fields. I've got a paper in me about how we fail our first public by not adequately preparing them for their careers. Here's a few tips to consider:

*I gave all my undergrad students a career hunting pack with example job ads they could apply for with different levels of experience *Include case studies of how theories/methods link to specific careers or job responsibilities *Invite guest speakers to discuss jobs/resources