Thread by @MnChamoun

I loved being in the hiring process for our scientist position!, but I was concerned at the number of poorly written CVs and resumes that were sent through to us. So I thought I'd share a few quick pointers for I would consider a good application: 1/n #scientist #phdchat

1. The job title was "Scientist PCR" therefore I shouldn't need to search the document for the word PCR. Even if the candidate doesn't have tons of exp, it still helps to list exactly what you did. eg. what PCR extraction kit, DNA or RNA? sample types, qPCR, qRT-PCR, etc 2/n

1. continued. What platforms? Biorad, Thermofisher? experience with automated systems or manual extraction? experience with PCR optimisation? troubleshooting? contamination control? interpretation of PCR results? 3/n

2. Lots of applicants came from research backgrounds. That is OK, but please don't list your publications. In fact, my boss automatically got poor impressions from those who did. Keeping those in gives the message that you won't fit in a commercial lab. 4/n

3. Keep it concise if the job asks for a resume instead of a CV. No need for paragraphs about research projects. Just a couple of dot points explaining what techniques you used and how competent you are. Only include relevant qualifications, awards, volunteer exp. 5/n

4. Show your interest in the role. Its very obvious when someone sends in a generic resume. The successful candidate, while she go the job on merit alone, actually called and found out who to address the cover letter to. This tactic has also helped me land past interviews. 6/n

5. On that note, also don't keep the cover letters generic, and format properly: First sentence - list the job you're applying for. First Paragraph - why you want the job. Second/third paragraph - how your skills fit. Also OK to format the middle like selection criteria. 7/n

6. Keep it clear without heaps of text. It should be obvious to the reader exactly how experienced or qualified you are.

I hope that helps some people out. Good resume writing is an art that takes lots of practice.