Invited to give a talk but could not attend, can it be on CV?

Question

If I was invited to give a talk but was not able to attend, could it be listed under invited talks in a CV? My point is that there was an invitation and it worth to show it. Similarly, a paper can be accepted for a conference and no one of the authors presented it but it was published in the proceedings. Or a someone receive an award as a sign of recognition.

You can mention it, orally, during your interview. Don't put it on your CV though. — Konerak, Feb 21 '18 at 08:39
If you decide to put it anyway, I would put a damn good reason along with why you couldn't attend, e.g. "...but couldn't attend due to Trump's visa policy changes" or something. (Health issues won't cut it, sorry. I don't know why, but I feel like if you put it, you have to show you were both willing and capable to deliver, and something else stood in your way.) — user541686, Feb 21 '18 at 20:26
If your CV is in such a bad shape that you need to list talks you didn't actually give, you have other problems than what to put on your CV. — einpoklum, Feb 21 '18 at 22:36

user2768 · Answer 1 · 2018-02-21T09:55:18.980

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No: Don't list anything that you didn't do.

From a comment on my answer:

He's not saying he'll pretend he gave the talk. The invitation itself is a good indicator of his status as an expert in the relevant field, at least in the eyes of the people running the conference. If this is relevant to the job, I don't see a reason not to include it, as long as he makes it clear he didn't give the talk.

which was extended to add:

If Google or Apple offered me a job, but I couldn't relocate or whatever, I'd absolutely put it on my CV.

A comment on another answer provides an excellent response:

if I saw such a claim on your CV I wouldn't even invite you to an interview. If you didn't take the job, if you didn't go to the presentation, if you didn't do the thing, it doesn't count. It never happened; it doesn't count.

Another commenter writes:

It may be a accomplishment, but it is also a opportunity wasted. You do not really want to underline your failures to execute. Its a bit like saying businessman saying they got a big contract but never fulfilled it. People are looking for people who can get things done.

edited Feb 21 '18 at 09:55

answered Feb 20 '18 at 19:03

user2768

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He's not saying he'll pretend he gave the talk. The invitation itself is a good indicator of his status as an expert in the relevant field, at least in the eyes of the people running the conference. If this is relevant to the job, I don't see a reason not to include it, as long as he makes it clear he didn't give the talk. – MGOwen Feb 21 '18 at 04:54
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Why are you quoting a whole bunch of comments inside your answer? You are offering ideas which conflict with your original answer, without explaining your motivation behind doing so, which seems fairly pointless... – Peter Abolins Feb 21 '18 at 10:11
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@PeterAbolins I don't understand your reasoning. I have presented a comment by MGOwen that casts doubt over my answer, and provided a responses to that doubt by Roddy and joojaa. There's little point in me responding to MGOwen directly, when Roddy and joojaa have already provided excellent responses. – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 10:46
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Ok.. you provided an answer where you affirmed your point of view. Then you saw some other responses and started doubting whether you still believed in your original answer. So, instead of updating your answer with your new ideas, you simply copied other people's comments into your answer. That is what I was trying to highlight. A better approach would be to support the answers you now agree with (using votes or comments). – Peter Abolins Feb 21 '18 at 10:57
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@PeterAbolins I was never in doubt (and I don't have any new ideas), but I do feel that responses to comments should be given. I didn't "simply [copy] other people's comments into [my] answer," I quoted other people's comments (giving them due credit) and included them in my answer; surely that's how we operate in academia? Although there is no reason to copy answers verbatim, there is reason to copy comments verbatim: It gives them more visibility and longevity (comments get deleted). – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 12:36
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"if I saw such a claim on your CV I wouldn't even invite you to an interview. If you didn't take the job, if you didn't go to the presentation, if you didn't do the thing, it doesn't count. It never happened; it doesn't count." The invitation did happen though? They were invited to do a talk so that's what they should write. – Andre Feb 21 '18 at 14:50
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Why are you posting comments as an answer? – David Richerby Feb 21 '18 at 23:27
@user2768, Are you plagiarizing yourself? Are you lerenau? Posting under two different usernames is not allowed. Furthermore, you say you're doing this because the comments might get deleted, but by removing the usernames and only linking to the original comments, those links will stop working once those comments get removed. Also, Stackexchange isn't about archiving discussions verbatim, otherwise it would be using an online forum or a twitter feed as its main display interface. Stackexchange is about synthesizing single coherent answers (that possibly came from multiple sources). – Stephan Branczyk Feb 22 '18 at 05:30
Yes, Stephen, I plagiarize myself, on an internet forum, I have nothing better to do.... I'm being sarcastic. Actually, Stackexchange is all about archiving useful content. That's a major use case. I haven't been "removing usernames," albeit, you're right that it would be nice to include them, but they can change, and it is a lot of effort -- by all means edit my answer to include. – user2768 Feb 22 '18 at 08:05
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This is the greatest answer of all times. If you don't get this, read the first line of the answer again. – Tom K. Feb 22 '18 at 13:17

score 30 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 20 '18 at 19:19

An invited talk is not about being invited but more about giving a talk.

Strictly speaking, there is nothing that you did: You have not given the talk, thus, I would not include it into the CV.

Regarding your comparison with papers that were not presented: The main contribution of a paper is the result which is included in the proceedings. Presenting a paper is just an extension and explanation of your results. So the majority of the novelty and effort went into the paper itself. Please note that there are also journal papers which are (mostly) not presented at all. The same is true for conference papers which I include in my CV despite I have not presented them myself, because on of the co-authors did it.

score 21 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 21 '18 at 01:34

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No. For the same reason that you do not list the jobs that you declined on your CV.

answered Feb 21 '18 at 01:34

lerenau

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If Google or Apple offered me a job, but I couldn't relocate or whatever, I'd absolutely put it on my CV. – MGOwen Feb 21 '18 at 04:55
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@MGOwen ...and conversely, if I saw such a claim on your CV I wouldn't even invite you to an interview. If you didn't take the job, if you didn't go to the presentation, if you didn't do the thing, it doesn't count. It never happened; it doesn't count. – Roddy Feb 21 '18 at 05:19
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People frequently put declined jobs, scholarships & grants on CVs in academia. – innisfree Feb 21 '18 at 06:29
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@innisfree really? I haven't encountered it. Do you have a few examples? – Danu Feb 21 '18 at 08:00
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Yes really http://www.google.com/search?q=high+energy+physics+cv+declined – innisfree Feb 21 '18 at 10:35
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Honestly the answers and comments here are just wrong – innisfree Feb 21 '18 at 10:36
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Including a declined job offer on your CV is literally telling the hiring manager "I don't think you have great judgement, you should outsource it to these guys - they thought I was great!". If the hiring manager cared for Google's opinion on you working for a company that isn't Google - they would ask them. Including a declined offer provides absolutely no useful information to a hiring manager. I don't have a clue where this idea came from. – Bilkokuya Feb 21 '18 at 10:41
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I regularly see professor CVs with information like "I was ranked 1 for position X at university Y", sometimes even for rank 2. – trunklop Feb 21 '18 at 11:13
@Roddy: I assume you wouldn't list a prize in your CV because you didn't "do it". – Martin Argerami Feb 21 '18 at 12:20
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@innisfree Without evidence to the contrary, surely that's just your opinion? – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 12:43
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@trunklop When they took the position or declined it? – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 12:43
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@user2768 Declined. Just try the Google search suggested by innisfree. It's funny that all the answers here are in contradiction to what is common practice. Maybe it's an European thing. Of course, you don't want to give the impression that you are unreliable or not serious. But an entry in your CV like "Nov 2016: Position at university X accepted. Oct 2016: Offer from university Y declined" is very common. – trunklop Feb 21 '18 at 13:49
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As @trunklop already said: At least in the German academic system it is very common to also put declined offers of professorship on your academic CV: They are considered as a high-level achievement (unless you have declined too many times). If you are not yet a full professor, you even put the second or third list rank on your CV. This is also considered an achievement: To have been placed on a list is an external assessment of your "Berufbarkeit" (habilitation equivalence). – Daniel Feb 21 '18 at 13:49
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@trunklop Just because some CVs contain "declined," doesn't mean it is a good idea. As Roddy notes: "if I saw such a claim on your CV I wouldn't even invite you to an interview." An interesting question at this point is: does included declined opportunities give you an advantage? – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 14:16
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@user2768 I have the impression that you don't want to read what others have written. You asked innisfree for evidence although he provided it (Google search), and you are asking now whether it is a good idea despite Daniel's explanation for Germany (and I know that other countries in Europe do the same). – trunklop Feb 21 '18 at 17:16
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@trunklop Information is scattered throughout this page. I typically read sequentially, I do not necessarily follow parallel threads of communication. Thus, I miss things. That said, regarding innisfree, a blanket statement is offered, without any precision nor clarification. We don't even know what innisfee objects too (as stated, innisfee's answer and all innisfee's comments "are just wrong"), hence, the evidence you elude to may or may not be relevant. Regarding Daniel, it is only claimed that people do it, not that it is a good idea. – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 17:28
@trunklop Sounds like a disagreement over something that is different in the US/EU. – TemporalWolf Feb 21 '18 at 23:24
"If I saw such a claim on your CV I wouldn't even invite you to an interview" << Evil person speaking right there – Stefan Reich Jun 15 '18 at 11:03

innisfree · Answer 4 · 2018-02-21T11:24:59.327

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I don't understand the other answers. Being invited to give a talk at a conference is an indicator of esteem, regardless of whether you could make it. I see no harm in writing Great Conference (2017), invited to give plenary talk on topic X, but could not attend.

Mentioning in CVs declined jobs, grants and scholarship and funding is common in some fields, see e.g. the results of this search, http://www.google.com/search?q=high+energy+physics+cv+declined

In fact, one of the first hits mentions at least half a dozen declined declined talks

http://cosmo.nyu.edu/aim/macfadyen_cv.pdf

edited Feb 21 '18 at 11:24

answered Feb 21 '18 at 01:54

innisfree

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It's honest, I suppose, but I've simply never seen it done. I think it would look very peculiar and distract from other accomplishments. – Nate Eldredge Feb 21 '18 at 04:42
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being invited to give a talk at a big conference is a big accomplishment – innisfree Feb 21 '18 at 05:04
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It may be a accomplishment, but it is also a opportunity wasted. You do not really want to underline your failures to execute. Its a bit like saying businessman saying they got a big contract but never fullfilled it. People are looking for peole who can get things done. – joojaa Feb 21 '18 at 06:05
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Rubbish. Could not attend indicates you couldn't attend. No reason to assume that's an inability to deliver rather than a result of family, health, financial, visa etc circumstances – innisfree Feb 21 '18 at 06:26
@innisfree Why does the reason your couldn't attend matter? If this invitation is a testament to being well esteemed, shouldn't there be other, more tangible achievements to show this? – Discrete lizard Feb 21 '18 at 10:24
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The links provided settle this matter – innisfree Feb 21 '18 at 11:27
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In an ideal world, perhaps it belongs on a CV. In the real world the risk of putting it in probably outweighs the benefit. If there is a good chance that the readers of the CV won't see its inclusion in a positive light, why do it? As the other answers and comments illustrate, the chance of it being so misconstrued is non-negligible. Having said that, your answer does add something of value to the discussion, so +1. – John Coleman Feb 21 '18 at 11:35
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A common thing in German academic CV is to list the tenure position calls, including those you declined. – Oleg Lobachev Feb 21 '18 at 18:17

score 7 · Answer 5 · answered Feb 21 '18 at 05:40

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Being invited does certainly count for something. However, if you were unable to attend, for whatever reasons, then you shouldn't put it on your CV.

It wasn't important enough to me at the time, but I am adding it to my CV because I think it could impress someone...

Having said that... if you actually wrote the paper (or, co-wrote) that prompted the invitation, then you should definitely add that to your CV, because the writing is an achievement.

answered Feb 21 '18 at 05:40

Peter Abolins

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What would you write on your CV with regards to a co-author giving an invited talk? – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 12:41
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@user2768 I am not sure I understand the question. If I wasn't invited, then there would be nothing to put in my CV. The publication would still be listed in my CV, but the invitation (by proxy) wouldn't. – Peter Abolins Feb 21 '18 at 12:52
You wrote "if you actually wrote the paper (or, co-wrote) that prompted the invitation, then you should definitely add that to your CV, because the writing is an achievement." Suppose you were the person that co-wrote the paper that prompted your co-writer's invitation, what would you add to your CV? Also, how would you ever know that your paper prompted the invitation? – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 13:16
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@user2768 Ok, it looks like there has been a slight misinterpretation of what I wrote. I would add to my CV that I wrote (or co-wrote) a paper / publication. End of story. If that paper then prompted an invitation, which I declined, or which my co-writer accepted in my stead, I would add nothing further to my CV. – Peter Abolins Feb 21 '18 at 13:22
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Understood, and I completely agree that you should list all your publications on your CV. – user2768 Feb 21 '18 at 13:26

score 4 · Answer 6 · answered Feb 21 '18 at 16:34

Just look how many answers and comments around here think it's a negative thing.

Sure, with the recruiters that don't it might be a positive point. But you'll lose many others that will think it's pitiful.

Compare the possible gain (little) against the possible non-invitations.

score 2 · Answer 7 · answered Feb 21 '18 at 04:30

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Despite everyone saying 'no', I'm pretty sure yes, you can. Is that a good idea? Most likely not.

Unless that talk is really prestigious and invitation to it underlines an important accomplishment and you had a good reason not to attend, like sickness or no means to make a trip AND you have nothing better to put on your CV AND you can specify that you were invited, did not attend, because of (a good reason) without writing an essay on your CV, AND you make it valuable to your potential employer and not look like an exercise in vanity, AND... well, you get the point

answered Feb 21 '18 at 04:30

Arthur Tarasov

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Beyond giving OP the equivalent of a grade school teacher telling a pupil they can go to the bathroom but they have to ask if they may do it, I don't see the point of this answer. – Feb 21 '18 at 10:46
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Well, obviously, you can but it's clear that the question shouldn't be interpreted so literally. – David Richerby Feb 21 '18 at 13:47
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@NajibIdrissi It's nice that it brought up so many memories of teachers making fun of students in the need to go. No, it's not what I mean. He can put it on his cv, he may put it, and there is a possibility that he should put it there, but there are many conditions for it to look like something positive there. – Arthur Tarasov Feb 22 '18 at 01:39

Invited to give a talk but could not attend, can it be on CV?

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