by Linda Ann Nickerson

Created on: July 10, 2009

Resume Addenda: Listing Published Works

"Publish or perish."

This daunting imperative has prodded teachers and other professionals for decades. Gaining continuing education credits and a portfolio of published works certainly adds to the employability (and also the tenure) of many academic, technical and other professional individuals.

Publication lists may empower employment candidates.

A well-organized, neatly presented list of published works can serve as rocket fuel for a job applicant's resume, particularly if these publications are relevant to the position sought.

Without a doubt, a respectable collection of published titles can be a considerable asset to an employment candidate in many fields of professional endeavor. If an employment candidate has published articles, stories, technical pieces or even full-length books, then these ought to be listed to accompany that individual's professional resume.

What is the correct procedure for listing published works for a professional resume?

The professional resume itself, of course, ought to be as uncluttered as possible. A page or two of educational and employment highlights, accompanied by a well-written cover letter, should offer a sufficient springboard to stimulate potential employers to approve a first interview.

The last two sections of the professional resume ought to offer a list of published works and a roster of professional references. The list of publications is generally included in the professional resume packet (as an addendum or attachment on a separate sheet), although the list of references may be withheld until requested.

Many employment candidates present their reference lists in person during an initial job interview, having already sent their resumes, cover letters and lists of published works on ahead to potential employers.

What is the ideal format for listing published works for a professional resume?

Organization is essential, when it comes to listing publications for a professional resume. Published works should be collected under relevant sections, such as periodicals and full-length works, or fiction and non-fiction.

Occasionally, a job applicant may choose to omit certain publications, if these items are either irrelevant or may be considered irreverent by a potential employer. For example, listing a book of satire about sex, drug use, alcohol or other potentially inflammatory topics might not prove advantageous in the job search arena.

Obviously, all titles listed in a published works roster must be authentic publications, actually written by the job applicant. It would be nave to assume that a potential employer would not bother to confirm the titles and their authorship online.

Of course, the most important advice for those listing publications for a professional resume is simple: Consistency is key.

The employment candidate should choose a commonly accepted bibliographical format. One might refer to the AP (Associated Press) Stylebook, The Chicago Manual of Style or the MLA (Modern Language Association) Guidebook for specific instructions. It is essential to stick to the format that is selected.

Here are a few examples of standard book listings:

The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Edition. University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Christian, Darrell, Jacobsen, Sally, and Minthorn, David, editors. 2009 AP Stylebook. Associated Press, 2009.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition), The Modern Language Association, 2009.

Strunk, William Jr. and White, E.B. The Elements of Style, second edition. The Macmillan Co., 1972.

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