CV vs. Resume: What is the
Difference?
RÉSUMÉ /ˈrez.juː.meɪ/ a short statement of the
important details of something, a short written description of your education,
qualifications, previous jobs, and sometimes also your personal interests, that
you send to an employer when you are trying to get a job:
She sent her résumé to 50 companies, but didn't
even get an interview.
CURRICULUM VITAE /kəˌrɪk.jə.ləm ˈviː.taɪ/ (plural:curricula vitae) a short written description of your
education, qualifications, previous jobs, and sometimes also your personal
interests, which you send to an employer when you are trying to get a job. In
the US, curriculum vitae is mostly used when applying for academic teaching
jobs; resume or résumé is used for other jobs:
Applicants are invited to send their curriculum
vitae and names and addresses of three referees.
What is a curriculum vitae (CV)?
A Curriculum Vitae
(CV) is a detailed chronological overview of a person's educational and
professional history that is provided as part of a job application. A CV or
Curriculum Vitae is a record of your academic and professional achievements.
Latin for “course of life,” a CV is often a longer document that goes into
detail where a resume doesn’t. A CV is often used to apply for an academic job,
research position, grant, or scholarship. The length of a CV is often subject
to the applicant’s experience.
Pro Tip: When you hear “CV” in an
international context it often means the same thing as “resume” in the United
States.
What is a Resume?
A resume is a brief,
written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and
experiences developed for specific job applications.
A resume is a short
document (1 -2 pages) that you use to give future employers a brief overview of
your work history.
The term resume or
“résumé” is a French word that means “to sum up.” And that’s what you use a
resume for - to sum up your job-related accomplishments and experience.
Pro Tip: What is the
proper spelling - resume or résumé? Both ways are acceptable.
When to use a CV?
A CV should mainly be
used when you are trying to change your career and are applying in a different
field/industry where you do not have previous work experience.
How long is a CV?
By definition, it is
more detailed than a resume. It usually has two or more pages, and it should
include in-depth information about your previous achievements, education,
professional work experience, personal projects, skills, extracurricular
experience, awards, publications, extra courses, volunteer work, etc.
How long is a resume?
By contrast, a resume
has fewer content sections, and the preferred length for recruiters is one
page. Because of the short format, this means that you need to be selective
about the content that is included, prioritizing information relevant to
specific positions. Many people find this shorter format challenging.
CV vs Resume - What is the Difference?
In the United States,
the main difference between a CV and a resume is the purpose of the documents. You
will use a resume when you apply for most jobs. You will use a CV if you want
to apply for academic or research positions. Other differences include length,
layout, and the information included.
CV vs Resume - Length:
The ideal resume
length is one page with a two-page upper limit.
The ideal CV has no
page limit. The length of your CV can range from a double-digit page count to a
few pages.
CV vs Resume - Layout:
Resumes lead with
contact information plus a resume summary or objective. Your education and
experience sections come next. Depending on your career progress either can
come first. Finally, you add a skills section to your resume and any extra
sections you need. If you have little to no work experience, you might want to
put your education first. Professionals with work experience will want to lead
with their experience section. Make sure you display your information in
reverse-chronological order. Start with your most recent job and degree first. A
skills section should round out your resume. You can also add your hobbies,
which remain an optional addition to most American resumes. You should always
tailor your resume to match the information in the job description.
Right:
A resume should
include jobs, responsibilities, education, and relevant skills.
Wrong:
A resume should not
include every job you’ve ever had, plus every skill you’ve learned over the
course of your career.
There is no clear
layout for a CV. Your best course of action will be to look for examples of
CVs. You can use the CVs of people who have applied to similar positions to get
an idea of how yours should look.
Also, use the resources available to you at
your university if you’re applying for an academic position. For example,
Harvard University’s Office of Career Services provides guidelines for CVs and
cover letters.
At the end of the
day, a CV should contain as many achievements and details about your work as
necessary.
Right:
A CV should include
your education, work history, skills, publications, public speaking
engagements, awards, and interests.
Wrong:
A brief overview of
your work experience and education.
How to Write a One-page Resume (5 Tips)
·
Shorten
the number of bullet points in the work experience. Focus firstly on the
achievements that start with an action verb and include numbers or percentages.
·
Remove
experience that is older than 10 years if you have more recent work experience.
·
Remove
also the experience that is not related to the job you are applying for at the
moment.
·
Include
only your latest and highest level of education. For example, if you have a
Master's degree, there is no point to mention the Bachelor degree as well.
·
Remove
the articles: the, a and an and the unnecessary words.
Static versus dynamic
content
A resume should always be customized to the
requirements of a specific job. The intention with a resume is to provide a
snapshot of how your skills and experiences align with the employer’s needs.
You need to be selective about content, which could mean omitting outdated work
experiences or skills descriptions. Very rarely will you use the same resume to
apply for two different positions.
Meanwhile, the contents of a CV are more
static. Rather than altering the contents based on the position being applied
for, your CV should evolve whenever you have a new experience or accomplishment
to add. When applying for a job with a CV, you rely on your cover letter to
highlight qualifications that are relevant to the position.
Chronological CV
versus reverse chronological resume
A CV will always list information in
chronological order under each section. With a resume, recruiters prefer to see
your most recent work experience and education first, which means you should
write each section in reverse chronological order.
When and Where to Use
a CV
The first indication of when you should use a
CV will be in the job posting. An employer should list the materials required
for your application. However, this may not always be explicit, in which case
your best course of action is to contact the employer directly to ask which
documents you should submit.
Generally speaking, a CV is the preferred
document for job applications in Europe. However, the use of a CV is not
limited by geography alone. For example, even in North America, there are
certain circumstances where a CV is needed. Many jobs in the public service or
academia will require a detailed CV to be submitted as part of a job
application.
A CV should also be used when you are trying to
change your career and are applying in a different field/industry where you do
not have previous work experience.
When and Where to Use
a Resume
Again, your first step should be to look at the
job posting to see if the employer is asking for a resume or CV. However, if
you are applying for a job in North America, it’s more likely that the employer
will want you to submit a resume. Of course, it is quite possible that you will
also be asked for a resume in Europe, especially if you are applying with a
multi-national.
CV vs Resume - What
Information Can You Find on Each Document?
Here is an easy checklist of what to include on
an American resume:
·
Contact
Information
·
Work
History / Experience
·
Education
·
Skills
·
A
Resume Summary or Objective (Optional)
·
Hobbies
and Interests (Optional)
Here is a list of 20 potential things you can include
on an academic CV:
1.
Contact
Information + Brief Biography
2.
Areas
of Academic Interest
3.
Education
+ Qualifications
4.
Employment
History + Achievements and Responsibilities
5.
Professional Development Courses + Training
6.
Teaching Experience
7.
Research
Experience + Lab Experience
8.
Graduate
Fieldwork
9.
A
List of Skills + Technical, Computer, and Language Skills
10.
Professional
Licenses and Certifications
11.
Scholarships,
Grants, Fellowships, and Assistantships
12.
Study Abroad and International Experiences
13.
Descriptions
of Theses and Dissertations
14.
Bibliography
+ Publications
15.
Presentations,
Lectures, and Other Public Speaking Engagements
16.
Exhibitions
17.
Awards
and Honors
18.
Memberships
19.
References
20.
Hobbies,
Interests, and Related Extracurricular Activities
Summary
Curriculum Vitae (CV): longer because it
contains more detail; relatively static; written in chronological order; more
common in Europe.
Resume: less detail; included content is more
dynamic and customized to job requirements; reverse chronological order;
preferred choice of employers in Canada and the U.S.
Avoiding confusion between resume and CV usage:
Don’t assume that because you are in a particular country or applying with a
specific company that you are expected to use a certain document. Review the
job application requirements provided by an employer. If it’s still unclear,
contact the employer directly so you know if you should submit a resume, CV or
both.
V vs Resume - What Do
You Use When You Want to Work Abroad?
One thing to keep in mind is that the term “CV” has different meanings
outside the US.
In European Union
countries, the term “CV” is equal to the American “resume.” So, when you apply
for a job in Greece, the UK, or Denmark, your potential employer will ask you
for a CV.
And that means they
want to see your resume. You can even use the same resume templates and layouts
as you would use for your American resume. That’s also true for New Zealand.
One of the
significant differences that you may come across is that some EU employers want
to see photographs on your CV. For example, in Germany, Poland, Greece, Italy,
or Portugal you will want to put your photo on your CV. German and Polish
employers expect to see photographs. In Portugal, your picture is more
optional. Otherwise, there is not much difference between EU CVs and American
resumes. The rule of thumb is to check out CV requirements in the country of
your choice. That’s because you’ll find small differences across countries. For
example, European employers prefer to see hobbies on a CV, and UK employers
expect to see your references. In other parts of the world, the term “CV” keeps
its American meaning. For example, an Indian employer may ask you for a CV or a
resume. When they request a CV, they want a record of your education, work
history, training, accomplishments, activities, affiliations, and publications.
CV and job application spelling test – take our quiz https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2016/aug/19/cv-and-job-application-spelling-test-take-our-quiz
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See other resume templates (create your resume here).
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Academic CV: Example, Template & Writing Guide [with 20+ Expert
Tips]
How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]
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Should a Resume Be One Page? How to Make It a Single Page [+Tips]
+20 Best Examples of Hobbies & Interests to Put on a Resume (5 Tips)
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