People often get confused when countered over the question to identify the differences between CV and resume. You might also wonder why there are jobs where you need to submit your resume and submit a CV in others. I am here to clear the clouds over this question and will help you clear out your understanding of what a CV is and what a resume is.

So, get ready for a brief but important ride where all your questions will answer regarding the topic of the difference between CV and resume. Without any further ado, let’s get you started.

What is a CV, and what does it stand for?

A CV is an acronym for Latin word ‘Curriculum Vitae’ which in English means “Course of Life.” The CV meant to be an in-depth document for the whole journey of your career with all the details. In general, the length of a CV varies from two to three pages and can range up to 10+ pages for a decorated CEO. Normally, a CV contains all about your education, publications, professional careers, honors, awards, and all the other achievements. However, in the USA and Canada, a CV is only used for academic purposes like academic jobs, academic applications, research fellowship, and grants.

So, what are the things you must include in your CV? Here is an answer for that,

What should you include In Your CV?

These are the things you want to include in your CV whether you are in the US or not,

• Your Contact Information
• Your professional profile; if you are in the US, then you want to include your research objective.
• The whole breakdown of your education history.
• All your previous or current professional academic appointments
• Any books were written or published by you.
• All your peer-reviewed publications
• Awards and honors
• Any non-academic activities you were indulged in
• Your language and skills information
• Any grants and fellowship previously awarded
• Previous and current memberships
• References

Now, let’s have an idea of what a Resume is so that you can contemplate the real difference between a CV and a resume.

What is a Resume?

Well, a resume is a French word that means “to sum up.” That clearly means that a resume is nothing but a summary. The question here is of what?

Resume in Canada and US is used as a summed up document for job application. The very purpose of a resume is exactly what its meaning conveys in French. It is a document that provides a brief overview of the candidate’s work history. The best trick, followed by many experts, is targeting the resume according to the specification of the job you’ve applied for. In general, a resume is only a page or two pages long. That is one of the core differences between a CV and a resume.

Let’s get to the details about the differences between CV and Resume. Let’s get you started,

CV VS Resume

The core difference between a CV and resume, as stated earlier, lies in the length, purpose, and layout of the documents. To be clear, a CV doesn’t have any sort of limit in terms of length, while a resume is typical of max two-pager in length. A CV is a whole document of a candidate’s academic career, while a resume is a summary of his skills and work experiences. Resumes are used generally for job-purposes while a CV is mostly used for academic purposes.

The above lines are all valid for the US and Canada, but what about the other countries? Let’s address that in our different section that is calledà

CV VS Resume: An International Faceoff

In the entire region of Europe, and New Zealand (Including UK, Ireland, and all other European Countries), CV is termed similar to the US version of Resume: a brief and specific document that is written to target a certain type of job. You won’t find any term as Resume there!!!

In the region of Australia and South Africa, ‘Curriculum Vitae’ & Resume are often used as synonyms to each other. Both the word means a max two-pager document with all the work experience or skill details.

In the region of South Asia, job seekers use a different name that is commonly known as “Biodata.” This document is more of details about their region, demographics, and personal details, date of birth, race, ethnicity, previous salary, and stuff like that. The term Biodata is very common in India and Bangladesh.

Key Takeaways

So, now you know the differences between CV and resume. Let’s guide you on how to use when with some simple use cases,

• While applying for a job in the US and Canada, always prefer a Resume. Keep that document short and customized to match the specific job requirement if you want to get shortlisted.
• If you are applying for an academic position in the region of North America, then prefer Curriculum Vitae. Include all the academic details to make it detailed and long.
• When you are applying for a job in Europe and New Zealand, name the document as “CV,” but remember that the European version of CV is the same as the US version of Resume.
• When applying to Australia and South Africa, always prefer the resume format.
• In South Asia, whether you need a CV or resume, make sure that it follows that same norms as the US version of CV and Resume does. If any company asks for a Biodata, then make sure to mention the details mentioned above, like date of birth, demographics, etc.

So, I hope you get my point here. Let me know how you like the post. Leave a comment and let me know what your take on resume and CV are. Adios for now fellas