CRA’s CV Database Initiative Turns Two

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As a first step to address recent recruiting challenges in the computing research community, the Computing Research Association (CRA) launched the CV Database initiative in Fall 2018. This initiative provides a database of candidates for academic and industrial/government laboratory research positions. It is searchable by most CRA member institutions.

During its second year the CV Database received 186 completed applications (out of 316 started). In comparison with previous year, the number of applications completed almost doubled. The CV Database was actively queried by at least 126 recruiters (a majority of CRA membership), who downloaded a total of 232 CVs.

Recruiting continues to be one of the top computing research community challenges. Thus, CRA plans to strengthen the CV Database initiative and take additional actions in 2020-21.

What’s new this year? The CRA CV Database will add signaling mechanisms to improve the situation:

  • Each candidate will have a few (e.g., 5) tokens to signal preferences for job-opportunities.
  • In March 2020, a “Still looking” checkbox was added and filled out by candidates to let recruiters know if they were still actively searching for positions. CRA will continue using this feature.

The CV Database is now open for applications for the 2020-21 recruiting season. It can be accessed through https://cra.org/cra/cv-database/. Candidates will be able to upload their resumes, research and teaching statements, job objectives and other preferences, and a link to a short presentation video. Recruiters will be able to search this information and are encouraged to contact candidates.

Please encourage all of your finishing PhD students looking for academic or industrial/government laboratory research positions to post and complete their applications soon, before the computing research recruiting season begins.

In mid-November 2020, recruiter access to the CV Database will be made available to all CRA academic members. Additionally, industrial and government laboratory CRA member institutions that sponsor Grad Cohort 2021 at the silver level and above will receive access.

We hope that your PhD students and your Faculty Recruiting Committee find this service valuable. For further information visit: https://cra.org/cra/cv-database/#Info.

Questions should be directed to cvdatabase@cra.org/cra, Prof. Josep Torrellas (torrella@illinois.edu), Prof. Shashi Shekhar (shekhar@umn.edu), or Prof. Rachel Pottinger (rap@cs.ubc.ca).

Related Products:

  1. CRA’s CV Database Initiative Turns One, CRA Bulletin, September 4th, 2019.
  2. New from CRA: Database of Candidates for Academic and Industrial/Government Laboratory Positions, Computing Research News, 30(10) , Computing Research Association, Nov. 2018.
  3. Improving Faculty Recruiting in the Computing Community: A Panel Discussion, 2018 CRA Conference at Snowbird, July 17, 2018.
  4. C. Willis, 2018 Computer Science Tenure-Track Faculty Hiring Outcomes, CRA Bulletin, Computing Research Association, July 11, 2018.
  5. B. Bizot, Articles Addressing Shortage of CS Professors Across Many Institutions, CRA Bulletin, Computing Research Association, May 9, 2018.