Difference Between Resume and Curriculum Vitae(CV)- Educational
Ever wondered why a Brit applies with a CV and an American with a
resume? And why does an Aussie apply with both? There are a few
differences between the two types of application documents and this
article will straighten out your queries as well as tell you where in
the world you are likely to use which document. Let me kick off the
bonanza by introducing the contender in the blue corner…
The document tends to be organized chronologically and should make it easy to get an overview of an individual’s full working career. A CV is static and doesn’t change for different positions, the difference would be in the cover letter.
The job seeker should adapt the resume to every position they apply for. It is in the applicant’s interest to change the resume from one job application to another and to tailor it to the needs of the specific post. A resume doesn’t have to be ordered chronologically, doesn’t have to cover your whole career like and is a highly customization document.
As stated, three major differences between CVs and resumes are the
length, the purpose and the layout. A resume is a brief summary of your
skills and experience over one or two pages, a CV is more detailed and
can stretch well beyond two pages. The resume will be tailored to each
position whereas the CV will stay put and any changes will be in the
cover letter.
A CV has a clear chronological order listing the whole career of the individual whereas a resume’s information can be shuffled around to best suit the applicant. I would say the main difference between a resume and a CV is that a CV is intended to be a full record of your career history and a resume is a brief, targeted list of skills and achievements.
Let’s revise:
CV – long, covers your entire career, static
Resume – short, no particular format rule, highly customization
In the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, a CV is used in all contexts and resumes aren’t used at all. The CV prevails in mainland Europe and there is even a European Union CV format available for download.
In Germany, the CV is more commonly known as a Lebenslauf (true to the Latin origins) and is only one of many application document the poor German job seekers must produce to get an interview.
In Australia, India and South Africa, the terms resume and CV are used interchangeably. The term resume is used more for jobs in the private sector and CV is more commonplace when applying for public service positions.
Which do you prefer, the CV, the resume, both, none? Please share your experience in the comments below!
CV(Curriculum Vite)
A CV (Curriculum Vite, which means course of life in Latin) is an
in-depth document that can be laid out over two or more pages and it
contains a high level of detail about your achievements, a great deal
more than just a career biography. The CV covers your education as well
as any other accomplishments like publications, awards, honors etc.The document tends to be organized chronologically and should make it easy to get an overview of an individual’s full working career. A CV is static and doesn’t change for different positions, the difference would be in the cover letter.
Resume
A resume, or resume, is a concise document typically not longer than
one page as the intended the reader will not dwell on your document for
very long. The goal of a resume is to make an individual stand out from
the competition.The job seeker should adapt the resume to every position they apply for. It is in the applicant’s interest to change the resume from one job application to another and to tailor it to the needs of the specific post. A resume doesn’t have to be ordered chronologically, doesn’t have to cover your whole career like and is a highly customization document.
Differences
A CV has a clear chronological order listing the whole career of the individual whereas a resume’s information can be shuffled around to best suit the applicant. I would say the main difference between a resume and a CV is that a CV is intended to be a full record of your career history and a resume is a brief, targeted list of skills and achievements.
Let’s revise:
CV – long, covers your entire career, static
Resume – short, no particular format rule, highly customization
Usage around the world
A resume is the preferred application document in the US and Canada.
Americans and Canadians would only use a CV when applying for a job
abroad or if searching for an academic or research oriented position.In the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, a CV is used in all contexts and resumes aren’t used at all. The CV prevails in mainland Europe and there is even a European Union CV format available for download.
In Germany, the CV is more commonly known as a Lebenslauf (true to the Latin origins) and is only one of many application document the poor German job seekers must produce to get an interview.
In Australia, India and South Africa, the terms resume and CV are used interchangeably. The term resume is used more for jobs in the private sector and CV is more commonplace when applying for public service positions.
Question
So what gives if you apply for an American company in Europe or vice
versa? The jaded folks in HR will accept both types although I would
recommend you use the local version. It’s not that hard to convert your
document after all and if you hit a brick wall, just ask me for help.Which do you prefer, the CV, the resume, both, none? Please share your experience in the comments below!
