The two-part resume section of SIPA’s application is your chance to show us all of your skills and what you have been doing academically and professionally. The resumes are a critical element of the application; it is where we will be able to determine if you meet the basic qualifications to become a member of the SIPA community.
The Basics
We require all of our applicants to submit two separate resumes. These are broken down into:
- The Traditional Resume or Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)
This is what people generally think of when they hear the word “resume.” This document includes but is not limited to:
- Positions held (employment and internships)- including specific dates
- Academic degrees and other academic achievements
- Volunteer, public service, political work completed
- Memberships in honorary societies and awards for service or leadership
- Extracurricular activities and particularly if an MIA applicant-foreign travel undertaken, including purpose and length of stay
Please note that in other countries, C.V’s are generally more personalized. They may include marital status, nationality, or even a picture. You should avoid including this information on your resume for SIPA.
How Should It Be Formatted?
We like white space! Please make it legible for us to read, and use a professional, legible font. 11 point font is a good place to start. Use bold text for headings. Make sure a full page is used up before heading to the next page.
Just remember…
No graphics or non-standard fonts, please! You’ll be safe if you stick with Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
And Now, The Quantitative Resume
This second résumé will focus exclusively on your background in quantitative methods and language learning/ability. Because SIPA’s core curriculum includes economics, statistics and financial management, it is important for the admissions committee to look at your previous experiences and successes in quantitative classes.
- On this resume, please be as detailed as possible. We want to know more about these classes and what you learned in them. What was the content of the class? Tell us.
- Proficiency in a second language is a graduation requirement of the MIA program but is not a requirement of the MPA program (unless an MPA student chooses to major in Economic and Political Development). Proficiency is defined as the ability to use a second language at an intermediate level. Academically this is defined as the ability to achieve a grade of “B” or better in an intermediate level 2 language course.
- If you have been out of school for a while, do not feel compelled to spend hours and hours trying to search for old syllabus or text book titles/authors. The point of the résumé is not to put you through some sort of time trial, it is meant to provide information on the core learning from the course/experience. The example résumé was borrowed from an applicant that applied to SIPA while still in college, and is meant to only be a sample. Simply provide as much information as you can and you will be fine.
- One question you might have is, “If the course is listed on my transcripts or noted in another part of my application, is it necessary to include it in the Quantitative/Language résumé?” The answer is yes. It is okay to be redundant or to include the same information that might be listed in another part of the application in this section. Seeing the information twice, but in more detailed format in the résumé portion, is what the Committee is seeking to achieve.
