As a job seeker you will encounter a request or 2 for your CV (Curriculum Vitae) or your Resume. You might be wondering if there are any difference between a CV and a Resume. Not too many know the difference. Lucky for you, you are about to be one of the few people who know how to compare a CV to a resume and when to use one from the other.
Let’s first see their definition
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
From the word in Latin which means, course of life. It is expected to be a detailed document about your achievements, more than just a career biography. Typically you can present your CV with 2 or more pages that covers your education, accomplishments such as awards, honors, publications, etc.
Résumé
A word in French which means summary. This should contain the summary of your education, work history, credentials and other accomplishments or skills. By definition, a resume should be concise and typically one page long, sometimes two pages.
What is the difference?
“I say potato, you say potahto”, is not the case if an HR asks you to submit a CV or a resume.
The obvious difference between a CV and a Resume is the length. CV is more static, meaning it does not need to be tailored for any job position in the way a Resume should. According to experts, a CV is “fairly detailed overview of your life’s accomplishments, especially those most relevant to the realm of academia,” thus the varying length. While Resume emphasizes on skills rather than academic accomplishments.
Most US companies (clients) would like to receive a resume, as most likely they will not have the time to look at a 5-12 page CV. A summary of your credentials will tell a lot about you. Meanwhile in Europe, Middle East, Africa or Asia, HR staff may expect to receive a CV.
The next time you are preparing to apply for a job, you might want to consider the following:
CV will include the following
Name and Contact Information
– contact information for your current institution or place of employment may work best.
Areas of Interest
– varied academic interest
Education
– list of your degrees earned or in progress institutions and years of graduation. You may also include dissertation or thesis.
Grants, Honors and Awards
– a list of your achievements
Presentation and Publications
– a list of presentations you’ve given at a conferences, articles or books you published.
Employment and Experience
– this may consists of volunteer work, leadership and other relevant experiences
Scholarly and Professional Affiliations
– a list of professional organizations you are a member or affiliated with.
Résumé will include the following
Name and contact Information
– your residential address might be the most appropriate.
Education
– a list of your degrees or certifications and educational institutions or programs.
Work Experience
– name of companies or organizations that you have worked for, location of each company, dates you worked, job title and duties.
Your take away here is you read any instructions provided by the hiring companies in their job postings. Follow the instructions and submit a stellar CV or Resume and the next job may be closer than you think.
We hope that you found this helpful. At HireSmartVAs.com we are always looking for top candidates who are looking for a career and not just another client. To apply for a position, contact our staffing partner at www.5StarVAs.com and show us what you can do to help our clients.
