Publications are important, but there are other ways to strengthen your CV
Many students experience distress over not having enough publications or over not having any published articles at all. I remember feeling this way when I was a new graduate student. But take heart. There are actually many important ways to strengthen your CV, besides publishing. In this response, I will explain some key ways to strengthen your CV, besides having lots of publications. But first, I will explain what a CV is, and I will describe the various sections that comprise most academic CV's.
**Keep in mind that I am a Psychology PhD, so my this answer will largely to tailored to psychology CV's but may also apply to other fields of academia :)
What is a CV?
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a formal document that showcases your academic achievements. A CV is required for applications to graduate school, post doctoral fellowships, and academic jobs. CV's are comprised of several sections pertaining to an individual's academic background and accomplishments. These sections typically include: "Education," "Employment," "Grants, Honors, Awards," "Publications," "Conference Presentations," Teaching Experience," "Service Work," "Professional Affiliations," and "Other Skills."
Students are often most concerned with filling in the "Publications" part of their CV. Yet accumulating lots of published manuscripts can take a long time. So how can you work on strengthening your CV while your manuscripts are still in the pipeline, or if publishing is not your primary interest? Here I list some key elements, other than published manuscripts, that can strengthen your CV and your hiring potential.
Include an "In Progress" subsection under the "Publication" section of your CV
Most professional CV's include an "In Progress" subsection under the "Publication" section. The beauty of the "In Progress" section is that you can include research papers here that are in any stage - from a developing study idea to a manuscript that is almost complete. The "In Progress" section is important because it showcases your current research projects and your potential future publications. Just be sure not to load this section down too much. An "In Progress" section with 30 papers listed looks tacky. Restrict yourself to about 5 or 6 in progress manuscripts.
Teach a college course
Grad students can teach college seminars with the permission of their department and institution. It looks impressive on your CV and in your job interviews to demonstrate that you taught your own seminar during your grad student training. In fact, if you want to get a job at a teaching-focused school, then prior teaching experiences is key! Plus many job applications require a teaching statement. So if you have a course or two under your belt, then you will be able to write a strong statement about your teaching philosophy.
Present your research at professional conferences
Presenting your research projects at professional conferences will give you the opportunity to showcase your research findings to leaders in your field. You can present your research in the form of formal talks or poster presentations. Attending conferences is also a great way to network with academics who could potentially be on your job search committee someday. Both graduate and undergraduate students are allowed to present at conferences. So consider mentioning to your advisor that you would like to apply to a conference to present your work. BONUS! Attending conferences is a great chance to travel to cool places!
Take courses in statistics and research methods
I always tell my students to get as much training in statistics and in research as they can. Having advanced statistical skills under your belt often makes a REALLY good impression on job search committees. Many faculty want to collaborate with those who have advanced skills in statistics and in research methodology. So you will increase your chances of getting a job if you have a good knowledge base of statistical methods or modeling.
Other activities that can strengthen your CV:
Volunteer work
Internships
Work experience (even non-academic work experience)
Membership with psychology associations, such as the American Psychological Association (APA)
Any research experience you have - coding, data collection, statistical analysis, qualitiative analysis can be considered a strength too!
In conclusion, there are many ways that you can strengthen your CV, besides publishing. I hope that you find this useful as you prepare your own stellar CV. If you are new to research and are feeling distressed that you do not have a long list of publications yet, try filling out some of these other sections. It will make you feel great to gradually see the items within these sections grow in quantity.
Happy CV writing!
