Post
by MumofCad » Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:24 pm
A couple questions on how I dealt with the resume/activities and work sections via Pm, thought'd I answer here to add my choices to the general conversation on what could/should/has been done.
1) I did decide to both fill out the addendum as instructed and submit a 1 page resume for two reasons - a) to include a "summary" type form at the end of the application with the pieces split over the application put together (ie. advanced degrees with recognized dissertations, most prestigious awards, then just my most impressive titles held in work experience) and b) I had a "personal" section on my original resume that had a few interesting recognitions/participation in events that don't fit well into standard breakdowns of activities or awards and I didn't want to exclude them, think "fun facts" (ie. my undergrad dissertation was recognized by an dissident and intellectual who has been on house arrest for many years for activities pertaining to its topic, a sporting event, and then a purely personal fact). My reasoning is that if they didn't want something you felt it was applicable, there would be no need for a code as they would just not ask for or leave a place for it. I did keep it to one page though and tried not to be terribly repetitive with content
2) I interpreted the section on "activities and work" in this way:
a) Activities that I participated in outside of work and academics - I didn't put every little volunteer activity because I've been out awhile, but I could see someone wanting to do that if they were younger.. I included here any unpaid internships, athletics, etc.
b) Work experience that I had while actively enrolled in any of my degrees, since it merely says "college" and not "undergraduate" studies - so any actual paid jobs (though I didn't put a server job at a restaurant I could have I suppose, but these things slip my mind and probably aren't going to matter) and any paid TA or research positions. I put my work/study my freshman year.
c) I put work experience I had while not actively enrolled. It was a little disjointed since both positions were between undergrad and going back for advanced degrees, so they were literally taken from the middle of my work experience since I've held other positions while doing my masters and PhD. This is how I interpreted the questions though I think it would have been just as "acceptable" to just put undergrad jobs in b and put all other work since in (c). Could go either way and don't think it matters too much either way.
I did elaborate on my work experience where necessary (not all), though it does just say list, which could have been done as a pure list, then elaboration in a resume as necessary. Either/or seems reasonable IMO.
As for an academic disruption addendum, I used the same one I used on all my other apps, just explaining the brief leave I took from my Phd for work reasons. I didn't elaborate my break between undergrad - grad degrees. Its plain that I worked full time in my work experience section. Shrugs - I guess I could have added one sentence to the addendum saying, "I also took a year and one half off between my undergraduate and graduate education to work full-time on XXXX and XXXX." I would have left it at that one sentence had I thought about it.
Anyhow, those were my choices.
