How to Understand the Difference Between a Resume and a CV
Understand the definition and purpose of a CV and a resume., Know when to use a CV and a resume., Understand that CVs and resumes have different levels of detail., Know that resumes and CVs are usually different lengths., Keep in mind that the style...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand the definition and purpose of a CV and a resume.
Understanding the meanings of each word can help in defining the purpose of these similar, yet different documents. "CV" stands for curriculum vitae and is a Latin phrase meaning “course of life”.
As the definition implies, it is a detailed account of your entire professional life thus far and will include as much information as possible, to give a full understanding of what you have accomplished.
The word “resume” has French origins and means “to sum up”.
As with any summary, a resume is a shorter, more concise description of your professional career as it relates to the job you are applying for.
Resumes are meant to be briefly looked over to get a general understanding of your capability.
Make yourself stand out by showing them everything they would want to read and eliminating information they will not care about. -
Step 2: Know when to use a CV and a resume.
Knowing when to use a true CV versus a resume can be tough because many people use these terms synonymously.
However, with a little information, you can decide which type of document to submit for the job you want to apply to:
CV
- Use a CV when it is either directly requested by the employer, when you are applying to a position in a country that uses CVs (throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Middle East) or when you are applying in the US and Canada for jobs in the scientific, research, academia or medical fields.
Resume
- Use a resume when you are applying for jobs in the US and Canada (other than fields listed above requiring CVs) and other countries that choose to accept a resume over a CV.
You can research the job application requirements for each country before submitting your application. , CVs are more detailed than resumes.
In accordance with the definition of a CV, more detail is required to inform employers of your entire history.
On the other hand, a resume is a summary.
While it still must provide details about your experience and education, it must be written in a concise manner with only the most relevant information presented.
For a CV, details in a CV can include exact names of courses taken while obtaining a degree, all your publications, and details about specific projects and their outcomes.
For a resume, you can choose which information is most relevant to include by reading through and understanding the job positing for the position you are seeking and then looking over your resume while asking yourself, “Is this information or experience necessary to do the job?” If the answer is “no” chances are the recruiter won’t care and you should leave it off your resume. , With different levels of detail comes different lengths.
CVs are not bound by length and can even go beyond 10 pages because they include far more sections than a resume (publications, research projects, education courses, etc.) and more details about each job task or project.
Resumes, as with any summary, must be kept short and sweet while still being effective.
While there is much controversy on how short a resume should be, let’s not define the number of pages, but say it is best to keep it as short as possible while still providing all the necessary information to help you get an interview.
This means understanding the type of person the company you are applying to is looking for and only keeping information in your resume that will help you market yourself as the right person for that job. , The sentences in CVs can be written in a more detailed and complex manner.
Resumes on the other hand are most effective when written in short and effective sentencing using action words.
For example, in a a resume you could write “Increased efficiency by 25% by implementing new process procedures”.
However, in a CV you could write “Tasked with finding inefficiencies within the department to resolve and implement new process procedures.
Researched and implemented new procedures over a 6 month time frame to eventually realize a 25% increase in efficiency.
These two sentences describe the same thing, but you can see how a CV would explain the situation more than a resume which focuses on what you did and the results in a brief summary. , As mentioned previously, CVs provide the reader with the most details about your experience and education.
To some extent, these details may not be exactly relevant to the job you are applying for.
A resume must be limited to strictly relevant information that will help you get the job, so it is best to write your resume in a clear and concise manner that showcases why you are the best candidate for the job in the least amount of words possible.
For example, listing all your publications versus only the ones that are most eye-catching to that employer. -
Step 3: Understand that CVs and resumes have different levels of detail.
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Step 4: Know that resumes and CVs are usually different lengths.
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Step 5: Keep in mind that the style of writing will differ.
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Step 6: Keep CVs detailed and resumes strictly relevant.
Detailed Guide
Understanding the meanings of each word can help in defining the purpose of these similar, yet different documents. "CV" stands for curriculum vitae and is a Latin phrase meaning “course of life”.
As the definition implies, it is a detailed account of your entire professional life thus far and will include as much information as possible, to give a full understanding of what you have accomplished.
The word “resume” has French origins and means “to sum up”.
As with any summary, a resume is a shorter, more concise description of your professional career as it relates to the job you are applying for.
Resumes are meant to be briefly looked over to get a general understanding of your capability.
Make yourself stand out by showing them everything they would want to read and eliminating information they will not care about.
Knowing when to use a true CV versus a resume can be tough because many people use these terms synonymously.
However, with a little information, you can decide which type of document to submit for the job you want to apply to:
CV
- Use a CV when it is either directly requested by the employer, when you are applying to a position in a country that uses CVs (throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Middle East) or when you are applying in the US and Canada for jobs in the scientific, research, academia or medical fields.
Resume
- Use a resume when you are applying for jobs in the US and Canada (other than fields listed above requiring CVs) and other countries that choose to accept a resume over a CV.
You can research the job application requirements for each country before submitting your application. , CVs are more detailed than resumes.
In accordance with the definition of a CV, more detail is required to inform employers of your entire history.
On the other hand, a resume is a summary.
While it still must provide details about your experience and education, it must be written in a concise manner with only the most relevant information presented.
For a CV, details in a CV can include exact names of courses taken while obtaining a degree, all your publications, and details about specific projects and their outcomes.
For a resume, you can choose which information is most relevant to include by reading through and understanding the job positing for the position you are seeking and then looking over your resume while asking yourself, “Is this information or experience necessary to do the job?” If the answer is “no” chances are the recruiter won’t care and you should leave it off your resume. , With different levels of detail comes different lengths.
CVs are not bound by length and can even go beyond 10 pages because they include far more sections than a resume (publications, research projects, education courses, etc.) and more details about each job task or project.
Resumes, as with any summary, must be kept short and sweet while still being effective.
While there is much controversy on how short a resume should be, let’s not define the number of pages, but say it is best to keep it as short as possible while still providing all the necessary information to help you get an interview.
This means understanding the type of person the company you are applying to is looking for and only keeping information in your resume that will help you market yourself as the right person for that job. , The sentences in CVs can be written in a more detailed and complex manner.
Resumes on the other hand are most effective when written in short and effective sentencing using action words.
For example, in a a resume you could write “Increased efficiency by 25% by implementing new process procedures”.
However, in a CV you could write “Tasked with finding inefficiencies within the department to resolve and implement new process procedures.
Researched and implemented new procedures over a 6 month time frame to eventually realize a 25% increase in efficiency.
These two sentences describe the same thing, but you can see how a CV would explain the situation more than a resume which focuses on what you did and the results in a brief summary. , As mentioned previously, CVs provide the reader with the most details about your experience and education.
To some extent, these details may not be exactly relevant to the job you are applying for.
A resume must be limited to strictly relevant information that will help you get the job, so it is best to write your resume in a clear and concise manner that showcases why you are the best candidate for the job in the least amount of words possible.
For example, listing all your publications versus only the ones that are most eye-catching to that employer.
About the Author
Amanda Stewart
Amanda Stewart specializes in lifestyle and practical guides and has been creating helpful content for over 3 years. Amanda is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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