CV vs Resume: A Detailed Explanation Of Both The Formats

Have you ever wondered why do the British candidates apply with a CV and Americans with a resume? In some countries, candidates use both documents to apply for a job. But is there any difference between the two? Is one better than the other? There are a few notable differences between a CV and a resume. Read on to know more:

What is a Curriculum Vitae?

What does a CV stand for? The full form of CV is Curriculum Vitae, which means the course of life in Latin. It is a document that contains in-depth details of your life like your information details, academic qualifications, your job experience, your skills, and your professional accomplishments.

A CV needs to be organized in a chronological order to highlight an individual’s full course of a working career. It remains static, and the format doesn’t change for different work positions.  

What to include in a CV?

In today’s time, a CV must be written according to the hiring standards of various companies. It is imperative to include five mandatory sections in every CV.

• Contact Details:

You need to mention your email id, personal contact number and alternate contact number, LinkedIn profile, your website or other professional media handles. Do not specify any irrelevant URLs.

• Personal Statement:

This section includes all the necessary information about you and your parents. Don’t add your DOB. Attach photo only if it is mentioned in the job advertisement. Discuss what you aspire to be and what you can offer and do for the betterment of the company.

• Work Experience:

You need to mention all your professional activities like where have you worked, for how long you have been there and your job role. Don’t clutter it with every detail of your job role. Only mention the highlights in bullet points.

• Education:

Mention the name of your institution/ college/ university, the year of pass out and your degree. For entry-level, you can add your top achievements and your other academic activities.

• Skills:

Mention soft skills and job-related skills. Big firms prefer candidates with proficiency in writing, Advance MS Excel, or a programming language.

Apart from these sections, you can add a paragraph highlighting your achievements, volunteering experience, awards, professional certifications, and languages known. Don’t make a long list of references on your CV as it is redundant. But if you like, you may add a “References Available upon Request” clause at the end of your CV.

How Long Should A CV Be?

• For a fresher:

Don’t add too many irrelevant details in your CV. If you are a new graduate, your recruiter isn’t expecting long paragraphs on your past job experience. Keep your CV short and focus on the key areas of your education and other expertise.

• For an experienced:

Make a CV that is informative, readable, well-written, and presented in a proper layout. Don’t make your educations section larger than your professional part. When you have plenty of experience, try to portray that sharply so that your recruiters find all relevant information quickly.

Common CV Format

Curriculum Vitae Sample

A good CV includes all the details of your education, work experience, technical skills, languages, personal and professional achievements. No particular CV format is the right format, as every recruiter has his/her preferences. However, every recruiter agrees upon a few general guidelines for formatting a CV template.  

Here’s a sample CV (Text version) to help you understand better: CONTACT INFORMATION Billy Joe 555-555-5555 [email protected] EDUCATION PhD, English, Boston University, Boston MA, Spring 2018 Dissertation Title: “Female masculinities in old English literature.” MA, English, Boston University, Boston MA, Spring 2011 BA, English, Atlantic University, Virginia, Spring 2009 WORK HISTORY Academic Experience Visiting Assistant Professor, Atlantic University, Boston MA, Fall 2017-present Teaching Assistant, Boston University, Boston MA 2015-2017 Research Fellowships Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow, Boston University, Boston MA Spring 2017 Summer Fellow, Boston University, Boston MA, Summer 2016 HONOURS AND AWARDS Boston University Award for Excellence in Teaching, Fall 2017 Students make nominations for the professor who motivates to learn with a combination of subject-matter knowledge, academic rigour, and commitment to the university’s mission. Distinguished Graduate Award, Atlantic University, Spring 2009 Awarded to graduates who have shown a commitment to academics, character building, and leadership. SKILLS SUMMARY Communication Problem Solving Team Player Planning and Organizing Systems knowledge LANGUAGES English: Native Language Latin: Native Language Spanish: Advanced Reading and Writing German: Novice Speaker

What Is A Resume?

It is a crucial document that showcases your education, work experience, professional achievements and skills. Most companies ask the applicants to submit their resumes along with the cover letter to proceed with the job application process.

Your resume must be compelling. So, you need to adapt your resume to every position you are applying and customize it to meet the specifications of the job post.

What To Include In A Resume?

In the US, you need a resume to apply for almost any job. You need to give sufficient information to prove to the employer that you are the right candidate. Here’s a list of mandatory sections that should be included in your resume writing:

• Personal Details:

Write your full name, cell number, and email address. Don’t mention your birthday day and physical address.

• Career Objective:

Outline your career goals and skills in a short paragraph. For experienced, you can describe your experience in the workforce and what you are aiming next.

• Education:

List out the latest educational qualification first and work backwards. No need to list out every course you have completed. Mention the courses that are relevant to the job role

• Professional Experience:

List out the recent jobs with the job title, company’s name and tenure of your service. Under each job, you need to explain your job role in bullet points. You can mention the internships and volunteer work if it is relevant to the job you are applying.

• Skills & strengths:

You can list the information that is related to the job that you have applied for. If you have any professional membership, you can mention them as well.

• References:

You need to provide details of the professionals who can vouch for your abilities. If not, you can write “references available on request” and build your resume.

How Long Should A Resume Be?

There is no absolute right answer to the correct length of a resume. Generally, a professional resume shouldn’t be longer than two pages as your recruiter only scans through the vital information. You must keep your resume short and to the point to make a quality impression. It should be done in one or two pages if you don’t have experience for more than ten years.

Resume Sample

Here’s a resume sample with crucial skills section in Text version: Jane Smith (101) 444 -7890 [email protected] Skills Summary Communication: Communicates with internal and external customers at all levels via telephone and email. Problem Solving: Independently resolves in-depth queries systematically. Team Player: Encourages the development of others to achieve team goals. Planning and Organizing: Refined professional planning and organizational skills. Systems Knowledge: Peoplesoft and Oracle. Experience in preparing and analyzing reporting data. Professional Experience St. Thomas Medical Services, York, New York HR Coordinator, May 2012-Present   Collaborated with each office territory and developed processes to enable compliance and recruitment of national field employees Processed background checks, coordinated drug screenings and compliance of files to ensure seamless accreditation of health organization Proactively monitored employee files for monthly compliance requirements by utilizing the computer system and generated reports Educational Qualification Human Resources Certificate, 2011 City College, Sarasota, FL Systems Experience: Advanced skill in Peoplesoft and Oracle

Curriculum Vitae Vs. Resume – The Difference Between A CV And A Resume

“What is the major difference between a CV and a resume?” Well, there are three significant differences; the length, the purpose, and the layout.

• A resume is of your skills and experience in one or two pages, whereas a CV is more detailed and crosses over two pages.
• A resume is highly customizable according to the job position, whereas a CV is static.
• A CV gives a clear picture of an individual’s entire career in chronological order, whereas a resume is a summary along with the targeted skills and achievements.

Need Expert Assistance with your CV/Resume?

Contact MyAssignmenthelp.com

Your CV or resume needs to be consistent, aesthetically pleasing and informative. If you are not confident about the efficiency and accuracy of your CV or resume format, you can download a FREE CV template or Resume template from MyAssignmenthelp.com. Also, you can get professional help from our certified CV writers to create a CV or resume that will get you hired.