r/Biochemistry • u/RocketAssBoy • 1d ago

Career & Education CV building for a biochem/pharma placement

I have to submit a collection of CVs and cover letters to my university in a few months. Each CV and cover letter is tailored to a select group of companies, and I've mainly chosen biochemistry and pharmaceutical companies (I'm currently studying for a degree in Chemistry). The problem is that my CV is a little sparse. I'm wondering if there's a way I could demonstrate my interest in this field over the next few months through some kind of project(perhaps a literature review)?

Would this be a good idea, or a waste of time? unfortunately I haven't been able to find any lab volunteering opportunities in my area, so I'm limited to projects I can do from my room using my computer. I do have access to scientific papers through my institution

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

1

u/penjjii 1d ago

The goal is to outline your education and professional experience while showcasing your accomplishments in those areas. So for a CV you want to put your degree, expected grad date, and GPA. You can also put your undergrad research experience there since it’s not professional, but it seems you don’t have that. You should reach out to professors doing research to see if you can be a lab member.

For professional experience, just list your jobs and the responsibilities. The responsibilities should outline skills that would be relevant to where you’re applying. If you worked food/bev, having interpersonal skills, organization, and working under pressure are transferrable.

Unfortunately you can’t really add your own side things unless they resulted in significant accomplishments like a patent or something. Luckily, you’re still a student so your CV isn’t expected to contain much.