Guest Post: Hosting a CV review

Today’s post was contributed by tenured professor of pediatrics Pascale Lane, MD.

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I remember when How To Host A Murder first hit the shelves in the 1970s. The concept was simple; each box contained the basic narrative for a murder. Characters, distributed randomly at the start of the evening, then acted out themselves at the party. Eventually, someone ends up as a corpse (not really, of course), and the characters continue to interact until the mystery gets solved. Wine is not required, but highly recommended.

In academia, hosting a CV review may be less entertaining but far more useful. The CV, or curriculum vitae, literally means the course of action of a life in Latin. This document provides a comprehensive summary of a career, and it should be up to date at all times. Institutions generally have a required format for CVs; failure to use this layout can be enough to shoot down a promotion application!

Does this belong in my CV?

Over the years, I’ve found myself involved with a number of activities promoting and advocating for LGBT people. I’ve developed many skills based on these experiences, but it has been tricky to figure out how to relate them in a professional manner when applying for a position. I’ve asked, and been asked, of how out one should be on their CV. After all, you don’t want to be passed over on a job for the simple fact of being a sexual or gender minority, but neither do you want to work somewhere that would consider passing you over. It’s a tricky balance, and I wanted to discuss a little of how I’m trying to handle it personally and would love to hear your thoughts and comments on different approaches.