Learning the difference between CV vs resume has become fundamental, especially when you are looking to apply for open positions in an organization. Normally, companies ask candidates for a CV or resume based on their company value and structure. Your efforts to get the right job opportunity might be in vain if you do not know the basic details that the companies have asked for. Hence, today, we will discuss the differences between CVs and resumes.
CV or resumes are the primary and basic requirement of an organization when you are applying for a position. They are the best way to represent yourself, your skills, and your experiences. Though CV and resume serve the same purpose, they have some key differences in their structure and appearance. Today we are going to explore them all.
What Does CV & Resume Stand For?
Before learning about the key differences between Cv vs resume, let’s find out what they stand for.
CV: A CV(Curriculum Vitae) is a detailed and comprehensive document that describes the course of your academic and professional accomplishments. It’s usually formatted in chronological order and starts with your educational experience. While there is no length requirement on a CV, most range from three to ten pages though some might be even longer. Generally, the more experience you have, the longer your CV will be.
Resume: A resume summarizes your work experience, education, and qualifications. This word originates from the French word résumé, which means ‘abstract’ or ‘summary’. When writing a resume, you emphasize only the skills and experiences that are relevant to the job you are applying for. When writing your resume, it is important to highlight specific contributions you’ve made to previous jobs and how your diverse skills can help you land the job you want.
Source: Indeed
5+ Key Differences Between CV Vs Resume
Now time to check out the key differences between CV vs resume. In order to help you understand the differences in more detail, we have provided 5+ key differences that will clarify all your confusion.
Geographical Differences
Considering that CVs and resumes serve the same purpose, why do companies prefer CVs or resumes? Well, the interesting thing is, CV is what Americans call it, while a resume is what Europeans call it. In many other countries, such as the UK, New Zealand, and parts of Europe, employers refer to both CVs and resume as CVs, rather than resumes. There is interchangeability between CV and resume in countries like Australia, South Africa, and India. There are indeed two different types of documents in the US, the resume and the CV, each of which serves a different purpose.
Resume Vs CV Format
Let’s check out the format differences of CV vs resume. CVs present a full history of your academic achievements, so their length varies. A resume, on the other hand, presents a concise summary of your qualifications and skills for a specific job, so its length is determined by your years of experience.
Basic Elements To Keep
Now time to check out the differences in data presentation between CV vs resume.
Here is the list of basic information that must be present in your CV.
| Contact Information: Under this section, you can add your name, email, phone number, address, social media profile, etc.
Personal Statement: In the shortest description you have to explain your purpose and interest here. Professional Experience: If you have work experience in teaching, research, or in other sectors, then you have to mention it here. Academic History: For the CV, you need to mention all the detailed educational backgrounds. Your educational institution name, passing year, result, etc are important. Key Skills and Qualifications: Apart from your educational qualification, if you have additional skills then mention them here. Industry Awards: Apart from an educational success story, if you have owned any industry award, then mention it. Professional Certifications: If you have taken physical or online courses, workshops, additional training, etc then mention them. Professional Affiliations: it’s another crucial piece of information that should be in your CV. You need to add professor or team leads contact detail who will recommend you. |
As mentioned earlier, resumes are usually written in short form. Though there are some must-have elements that you can’t ignore while creating one. A resume is for professionals, so it is more work-related. Let’s check out them.
| Name & Contact Detail: Add your name, email, phone number, and other details.
Personal Image: As it is for professional purposes, you must add an image of yours. Social Media Profiles: Try to add all your profile links to the resume. Personal Portfolios: Whether you have a website or portfolio on other sites, you must include those. Detailed Work Experience: Not only where have you worked, but you also have to add detailed responsibilities here. Educational Experience: Include your educational background with result and year of passing. Co-curricular Activities: Adding your all co-curricular activities to the resume is highly appreciated. |
Length Of Documentations
In most cases, a resume should only be one or two pages since it contains your skills and qualifications only for a specific job. In most cases, a CV doesn’t include a length limit, and it’s considerably longer than a resume because it contains much more information, such as coursework descriptions, research findings, publications, and presentations.
Additional Dependency
In addition to your resume, you typically submit a cover letter outlining your goals for applying for the position. Your cover letter expands upon the skills and experiences that you have touched upon in your resume, emphasizing how they will make you more marketable for the job you are applying for. On the other hand, CVs are submitted singularly. You don’t need to add any additional latter with them.
When To Use A CV Vs Resume?
People who are seeking fellowships, grants, postdoctoral positions, or teaching/ research positions in postsecondary institutions or industries use CVs. Generally, graduate schools request a CV as part of an application, but they generally look for a resume that describes any publications and research projects.
All job application documents, including a resume, are referred to as CVs in many European countries. Sometimes, CVs and resumes are used interchangeably in the United States and Canada. In case you are unsure of what kind of document to submit, it is best to ask for clarification. Moreover, before applying with a CV or resume, find out the answers to these questions:
- Which kind of job do you intend to apply for?
- Where is the company established?
Source: Indeed
Top Ideas To Write Stunning Resume & CV [With Templates]
The main differences between a resume and a CV are length, content, and purpose. Let’s check out top ideas that are followed worldwide in CV vs resume.
Things To Keep In Mind While Writing Resume:
- Put the spotlight on your skills.
- If you are applying for a position in industry, non-profits, or government
- The cover letter should be no more than two pages with a page or two for publications and/or poster presentations if highly relevant to the position.
- You can lead with work experience after a year of industry experience and place the education section either at the end or near the end, depending on the qualifications.
🔎 Get The Best Resume Templates
Things To Keep In Mind While Writing CV:
- You need to highlight academic successes.
- The CV is used when applying to academic jobs, fellowships, and grants.
- The length depends on the experience of the applicant and may include a list of publications, posters, and presentations.
- Usually begins with education and includes the name of the advisor and the title of the dissertation. Normally used for tenure and promotion reviews and sabbatical requests.
🔎 Get The Best CV Templates
Hopefully, you’ve got a clear understanding of CV vs resume. If you already have a resume, but no CV or vice versa, you may want to put together one. CVs are, in many ways, more detailed versions of resumes with a few additional details, so to make one from another shouldn’t take a lot of time. Keeping both options on hand while applying for a job ensures that you’re prepared no matter what is requested in the job posting.
To keep yourself updated with more of these kinds of blogs and insights, subscribe to our blog or follow us on Twitter.
