Being Prepared for Professional Opportunities:Developing a winning ‘Slick CV', Academic CV and/or the NIH Bio

Professional opportunities often present unexpectedly. Nurse practitioner (NP) faculty scholars need to be prepared to respond promptly to invitations to participate in professional opportunities.  In order to be considered for an opportunity, a specific type of CV is often requested to be submitted within a short period of time, usually within 24 hours.  “You’ve got to be in it, to win it”.  Not being able to provide the type of CV requested may result in a missed opportunity.

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss three types of commonly used curriculum vita (CV): 1) the ”Slick CV" (non-academic); 2) an academic CV (for both academicians and clinicians seeking adjunct positions) and the NIH Biographical Sketch (NIH Bio).  Included in the discussion will be the type of situations each CV or Bio might be used, the content that each should include, and recommendations for organization and construction, so as to provide the best presentation.

The ‘Slick CV’ is a non-academic CV that can be used by all NP faculty for opportunities that focus on professional credentials and expertise vs classes taught.  It is a document that provides credentials and expertise in a sharp, pleasantly readable format and gets the attention of the reader.  The “Slick CV” is valuable when the academic CV is inappropriate. The NIH Bio Sketch is a brief presentation of credentials, publications and grants. The parsimonious nature of the document has resulted in its frequent use for professional opportunities.   The academic CV usually follows a specific institution’s template, however, there are methods to sharpen the document to make it appealing.  

Professional and academic opportunities frequently arise from relationships and networks established through professional organizations and/or workgroups, and may make the difference in a career that is rewarding and enriched.   CVs are easily constructed and updated with 2013 technology and can be easily sent electronically on short notice when professional opportunities present.