CV - research interests

[shock-me-sane]

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I am close to being done with my CV. I am not sure how to indicate my research interests. Can I just mention several specific or even general areas with a little statement about each? Like health, anxiety, suicide? Health is obviously rather broad.

I just don't know how I can have too much of a research foci when my undergrad has been over several areas and nothing too specific to my interests. I want to just say I will love whatever you are doing if you accept me. I don't want to indicate that I am so set in certain things that I am not willing to explore other areas.

Thoughts?

 

[paramour]

Are you referring to your actual CV (resume) or your personal statement? 😕 Perhaps it was just me but I didn't list research interests in my CV, only in my PS.

 

[scienceisbeauty]

The idea that "I will come no matter what you do as long as you accept me" is a not-good thing to convey.
You want to show that you have some sort of focus that you've connected with some form of work.
Honestly too - would you really want to go if they were studying the neuropsychology of dust and rocks?
Personally, I would shy away fom saying that your interest is "health" in such a broad way. It's like me saying I want to go into Psych because my interest is "humans".
Professors don't necessarily want 'followers' - they want someone who is capable of doing research, generating ideas, contibuting to a topic.
Try looking at some of the things you've done, some of the activities you've been involved in and check their research focus/mandate. Then, go from there about being more specific about your research interests.

Just some thoughts. I'm sure others will be helpful to you too. We're a nice bunch.

 

[KillerDiller]

Hmm, I'm not sure. I didn't list research interests in my CV, only research experience. I saved my research interests for my personal statement. I don't know how common it is to list interests on a CV, but I'm sure others can jump in with answers to that.

Are you applying to Ph.D programs? If so, you will need to pick a faculty member or two at each school whose research you are interested in working on. This helps to narrow down your focus. Once you know you have a match in the faculty it's best to be as specific as possible and to not list interests outside of what people at the school are doing. If you are applying to Masters level programs, it's fine to be more general.

 

[shock-me-sane]

hmm. My mentor told me to put research interests on my CV. I am applying to PhD programs. I am going over my interests on my PS as well. I do have the professors I match with already picked out.

And scienceisbeauty. I am not stupid. I am asking about how to express a balance between a rigid stance on research interests and being willing to explore other areas.

Anyhow. Maybe I should drop the research interests off my CV as it doesn't seem too common.

 

[RayneeDeigh]

Scienceisbeauty was trying to help. You got good advice, I wouldn't get defensive about it.

Anyway, you don't need a balance between being open to anything and having clearly defined research interests. Profs want to know that you know what you want to do and that you've taken the time to figure it out. They want to be sure that you picked them because they match your research interests, not because they're doing something you can live with. They want someone enthusiastic about their specific work.

I know the natural urge is to stay really vague because you think it gives you a better chance of being accepted but it really doesn't. You don't need to be as specific as a thesis questions ("I want to see how ______ relates to _______") but you do have to figure out what KIND of health you're interested in.

 

[JockNerd]

Good advice, Raynee!

At a few places including the place I'm at now, I was pretty specific with research objectives in my PS, but only because I had some contact with the profs and knew their work pretty well. Other than that, I typically mentioned what I did in my thesis and how it related to what the prof was doing, and how I saw the two lines of work coming together.

Research interests on your CV? I think your profs misspoke. He or she must have meant PS.

 

[shock-me-sane]

Raynee, you are right. I am just in freak out application mode and such. Sorry scienceisbeauty.

Thanks all for your advice.