Understanding the Differences between a CV and a Resume
Insights – Something to Note
Before you start always remember to at least have some sort of experience in working whether it comes from an educational or community background. This step is important because it justifies your personal credibility as often certain institutions will hand our a certificate for you. Try to earn that experience through means such as:
- Getting a form of training from side jobs (it doesn’t have to start big).
- Include yourself in a certain community/ charity work (e.g. teaching kids, helping an organization, etc.).
- Try to obtain a certain internship as that is considered an experience that can be highlighted.
- Become an assistant for someone near you as that can also be applied as experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What if I don’t have any job experience prior to making a CV/Resume?
That’s okay. You can either try to find minor jobs or try to apply for an internship. If that’s still hard for you, you can try to make a list of things that you’ve done in the past to help a certain institution or community. If things are still a struggle then don’t give up. It takes time to actually fill a CV/Resume with credibility for your employers to recruit you.
What if I haven’t accomplished anything special/ won any awards?
If you’re still new to the job-seeker life then that’s okay. Instead of adding accomplishments or awards, you can instead fill that section with possible skills that you may have (e.g. being adept at Microsoft tools, able to read data, research, etc.).
The Difference?
A resume is a one- to two-page document presenting key facts about your professional experience, educational background, and skills. A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a longer document that details the whole course of your career. A resume is used for job search, a CV—for academic purposes.
Resume
A resume (or résumé, from French “to sum up”) is a short, concise document used for job applications. The purpose of a resume is to provide recruiters with a brief overview of the candidate’s work history. A good resume should be targeted at a specific job and one to two pages long.
What to Include in a Resume
- Contact Information including Recent Job Titles
- Resume Summary or Resume Objective
- Work Experience
- Education
- Skills
- (Optional) Additional Sections (Awards, Courses, Resume Publications, Licenses and Certifications, Interests, etc.)
Example of a Resume
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
A CV (full form Curriculum Vitae which is Latin for “course of life”) is an in-depth document which describes the whole course of your career in full detail. It’s usually two- or three-page long but can just as well be laid out roughly 10+ pages, if necessary. A Curriculum Vitae contains details about your education, professional career, publications, awards, honors, and other achievements.
What to include in a CV
Name and contact details
Home Address
Technical and personal skills
Work, and community and volunteer experience
Qualifications and education
Referees (you can include referees or note that referees are available on request).
Objective and personal statement
Achievements
Interests
Job-specific information (for example, a teacher would put their teaching philosophy in their CV).
Activities and hobbies part-taken (Optional)
Example of a CV
In Summary
Resume
- A Resume is shorter than a CV and should only be 1 - 2 pages long. Even with a short format, try to be able to fit in as much as possible while minding the criteria.
- Tailored to fit a specific job or company you are applying for.
- Used when applying for a position in an industry, non-profit organization, or simply when requested by the job-provider.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- A CV should be elaborate and detailed. You should be able to elaborate your education and work experience concisely. Usually consists of 2 or more pages.
- Used when applying for positions in regards to higher education, grants, and a higher-level position within a job.
- Can also be requested by the job-provider at times so you should also have a CV prepared at all times.
How to Make it Stand Out - Insights
- Try to make your CV/Resume stand out. You can do so by:
- Highlight your greatest or most recent achievements.
- Add any community/charity work that comes to mind.
- Try to choose the most presentable photo you have. Don’t use those boring photos most people tend to use (unless it was asked by the company – in which case they rarely do). Be yourself.
- Make your CV/Resume stand out by making it “pretty” but at the same time professional. You can use a custom design or even hire someone to design it for you.
