Resume and curriculum vitae difference

1. Resume and Curriculum Vitae
Resume is a document which describes personal and technical quality for a perspective employment.
It’s a biography of an individual but it emphasis on technical and educational skills of that individual. It’s
a mirror image of an individual. It describes about oneself and his/her personality. A resume is a short,
concise document that states relevant information regarding your education, skills, experiences,
accomplishments, and job-related interests.
It is a document used by persons to present their backgrounds and skills. Résumés can be used for a
variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a
summary of relevant job experience and education. The résumé is usually one of the first items, along
with a cover letter and sometimes an application for employment, which a potential employer sees
regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview.
In many contexts, a résumé is short (usually one to three pages), and directs a reader's attention to
those aspects of a person's background that are directly relevant to a particular position. Many résumés
contain keywords that potential employers are looking for, make heavy use of active verbs, and display
content in a flattering manner.
A resume, or résumé, 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.
A résumé is a marketing tool in which the content should be adapted to suit each individual job
application and/or applications aimed at a particular industry.
Definition: A resume is a written compilation of your education, work experience, credentials, and
accomplishments and is used to apply for jobs.
There are several basic types of resumes used to apply for job openings. Depending on your personal
circumstances, choose a chronological, a functional, combination, or a targeted resume.
Purpose of a Resume: Your resume is a self-marketing tool. The purpose of the resume is to effectively
communicate your assets in writing to an employer. You need to know what employers want, and then
present it to them in a clear, easy to follow format. It is an art, not a science, and should be tailored for
the job you are applying.
• Convince prospective employers to interview you based on your qualifications
• Create a professional image of yourself and establish your credibility
• Provide a sample of your written communication skills

2. Styles of Resume
A simple résumé is a summary typically limited to one or two pages of size A4 or Letter-size, highlighting
only those experiences and qualifications that the author considers most relevant to the desired
position. Résumés may be organized in different ways. The following are some of the more common
formats:
1. Reverse chronological résumé: A reverse chronological résumé lists a candidate's job
experiences in reverse chronological order, generally covering the previous 10 to 15 years.
Positions are listed with starting and ending dates. Current positions on a résumé typically list
the starting date to the present or to the current year. Both are considered acceptable.
The reverse chronological résumé format is most commonly used by those who are not
professional résumé writers. In using this format, the main body of the document becomes the
Professional Experience section, starting from the most recent experience and moving
chronologically backwards through a succession of previous experience. The reverse
chronological résumé works to build credibility through experience gained, while illustrating
career growth over time and filling all gaps in a career trajectory. A chronological résumé is not
recommended to job seekers with gaps in their career summaries.
2. Functional Resume: A functional résumé lists work experience and skills sorted by skill area or
job function. The functional résumé is used to focus on skills that are specific to the type of
position being sought. This format directly emphasizes specific professional capabilities and
utilizes experience summaries as its primary means of communicating professional competency.
The functional résumé works well for those making a career change, having a varied work
history or with little work experience. A functional résumé is also preferred for applications to
jobs that require very specific skills or clearly defined personality traits. A functional résumé is a
good method for highlighting particular skills or experiences, especially when those particular
skills or experiences may have derived from a role which was held some time ago. Rather than
focus on the length of time that has passed, the functional résumé allows the reader to identify
those skills quickly.
3. Hybrid Resume: The hybrid résumé balances the functional and chronological approaches. A
résumé organized this way typically leads with a functional list of job skills, followed by a
chronological list of employers. The hybrid résumé has a tendency to repeat itself and is,
therefore, less widely used than the other two.
4. Online Resume: The Internet has brought about a new age for the résumé. As the search for
employment has become more electronic, résumés have followed suit. It is common for
employers only to accept résumés electronically, either out of practicality or preference. This
electronic boom has changed much about the way résumés are written, read, and processed.

3. Many employers, and recruitment agencies working on their behalf, insist on receiving résumés
in a particular file format. Some require Microsoft Word documents, while others will only
accept résumés formatted in HTML or PDF text.
Many employers now find candidates' résumés through search engines, which makes it more
important for candidates to use appropriate keywords when writing a résumé.[citation needed]
Larger employers use electronic résumé processing systems to handle high volumes of résumés.
Job ads may direct applicants to email a résumé to a company or visit its website and submit a
résumé in an electronic format.
Curriculum vitae (CV): A curriculum vitae (CV) provides an overview of a person's experience and
other qualifications. In some countries, a CV is typically the first item that a potential employer
encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an
interview, when seeking employment.
A CV is a marketing tool and may be one of the most important documents you write in your
professional life. It is the sum and substance of your work history and education and indicates a
particular career direction. It should demonstrate credibility and be interesting. Because your CV is like a
personal advertisement, it should convince a potential employer that you are an outstanding candidate
for the job and that you will contribute to the organization.
A CV (Curriculum Vitae, which means course of life in Latin) is an in-depth document that can be laid out
over two or more pages and it contain 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.
Definition: A curriculum vitae, also known as a CV, includes a summary of your educational and
academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards,
honors, affiliations and other details.
Cover Letters: The purpose of a cover letter is to introduce yourself to an employer and to state your
interest in an organization or a particular position. A cover letter is an opportunity for you to highlight
aspects of your background that are especially relevant to the potential employer. A cover letter should
always accompany your resume/cv.
Difference between Resume and CV

4. The primary differences between a resume and curriculum vitae (CV) are the length, what is included
and what each is used for. A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and
education. While a resume is brief and concise - no more than a page or two, a curriculum vitae is a
longer (at least two pages) and more detailed synopsis.
Curriculum vitae includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching
and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details. In
Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, employers may expect to receive curriculum vitae.
Curriculum vitae are used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research
positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants.
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.
A typical resume is a general and concise introduction of your experiences and skills as they relate to a
particular career or position that you are aiming to acquire. As such, a resume may have to be altered
for each position that you are applying for so as to emphasize those skills and experiences most relevant
to the work. Resumes are usually no more than one page in length. They are often accompanied by
cover letters, which provide a permanent written record of the transmittal of the resume (what is being
sent, to whom it is being sent, and who sent it).
A typical resume will include the following information:
• Name and Contact Information: your residential address might be most appropriate, especially
if you do not want your current employer to know that you are looking for another job!
• Education: a listing of your degrees or certifications and educational institutions or programs.
• Work Experience: names of the companies or organizations that you have worked for, the
location of each company, the dates worked, your job title, and duties performed.
In contrast, a CV is a fairly detailed overview of your life’s accomplishments, especially those most
relevant to the realm of academia. As such, these documents have their greatest utility in the pursuit of
a job in academia or research. Because academic researchers are often working on and completing
many projects and teaching responsibilities simultaneously, it is wise to think of a CV as a living
document that will need to be updated frequently. A typical CV for someone in the beginning stages of
his or her graduate school career might only be two or three pages in length, while the number of pages

5. of a more seasoned researcher’s CV may run into the double digits. In both CVs and resumes,
information within sections is usually organized chronologically.
A typical CV will include the following information:
• Name and Contact Information: contact information for your current institution or place of
employment may work best, unless you do not want your colleagues to know that you are job-
hunting.
• Areas of Interest: a listing of your varied academic interests.
• Education: a list of your degrees earned or in progress, institutions, and years of graduation. You
may also include the titles of your dissertation or thesis here.
• Grants, Honors and Awards: a list of grants received, honors bestowed upon you for your work,
and awards you may have received for teaching or service.
• Publications and Presentations: a list of your published articles and books, as well presentations
given at conferences. If there are many of both, you might consider having one section for
publications and another for presentations.
• Employment and Experience: this section may include separate lists of teaching experiences,
laboratory experiences, field experiences, volunteer work, leadership, or other relevant
experiences.
• Scholarly or Professional Memberships: a listing of the professional organizations of which you
are a member. If you have held an office or position in a particular organization, you can either
say so here or leave this information for the experience section.
• References: a list of persons who write letters of recommendations for you, which includes their
contact information.
Point that should be considered while writing Resume/CV:
• Use white or cream 8 ½” x 11” paper, black ink, printed on one side only.
• Use standard typefaces such as Arial, Courier, Times New Roman and New Century Schoolbook.
• Use a font size of 10 to 14 points.
• Place your name at the top of each page.
• Use standard address format below your name

6. • Use complete school name, degree, and dates.
• Use complete job information and dates.
• Use boldface type and/or capital letters for section headings as long as the letters don't touch
each other.
• Dependent on key words – nouns that represent skills and experience rather than verbs/action
words. Find keywords in job descriptions and job listings
• Describe your experience with concrete words rather than vague descriptions.
• Increase your list of key words by including specifics; for example, list the names of software you
use such as Microsoft Word and Photoshop etc.
• Use jargon and acronyms specific to the industry you are applying for work in
• Avoid pronouns (e.g., I, my, us)
• Try to stick with one page, but use two pages if necessary.
• Provide a laser printer original or a typewritten original; do not send copies or dot matrix
printouts.
• Do not fold, staple, or paperclip.
• Don't condense spacing between letters.
• Avoid two-column format or resumes that look like newspapers or newsletters.

7. • Use complete school name, degree, and dates.
• Use complete job information and dates.
• Use boldface type and/or capital letters for section headings as long as the letters don't touch
each other.
• Dependent on key words – nouns that represent skills and experience rather than verbs/action
words. Find keywords in job descriptions and job listings
• Describe your experience with concrete words rather than vague descriptions.
• Increase your list of key words by including specifics; for example, list the names of software you
use such as Microsoft Word and Photoshop etc.
• Use jargon and acronyms specific to the industry you are applying for work in
• Avoid pronouns (e.g., I, my, us)
• Try to stick with one page, but use two pages if necessary.
• Provide a laser printer original or a typewritten original; do not send copies or dot matrix
printouts.
• Do not fold, staple, or paperclip.
• Don't condense spacing between letters.
• Avoid two-column format or resumes that look like newspapers or newsletters.