What is the difference between a CV and Resume

Should I call it a CV or Resume’

Your C.V is a document that sells you at a glance just like any good brochure for any product. Let’s use a school brochure for example, when a school is advertising the service they render using a brochure what you will see is the beautiful classroom, the Computer room, their equipped laboratory, their feeding and transport system.

What I am pretty sure they won’t show you is a picture of their waste bin, cupboard and other unnecessary things.

Using the school brochure as an example, ask yourself what makes it work so well? It works because it is nicely laid out, it shows the key points of interest in a concise way and it describes the venue in an enticing fashion and in a professional format let you know how all the facilities can be available to you.

Curriculum Vitae!

CV (Curriculum Vitæ, 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. CV includes the following

• Bio data
• Summary of your Educational and Academic Background
• Work Experience and Skill set
• Special Achievements
• Publications, awards and affiliations
• Objectives
• Hobbies and References

Generally this format stands most certainly in Europe also in Africa or Asia.

There is no absolute rule but my view is regardless where you live a two page document will cover all eventualities. And yes despite what you think a two page document will suffice for most people and even those with a long and complex career history.

Resume

The term resume or “résumé” is a French word that means “to sum up.” And that’s what you use a resume for – to sum up your job-related accomplishments and experience.

Resume is a term used more frequently in the US and like C.V, it is a two pages document. However in the US they have a tolerance for shorter document rather than the longer traditional C.V as it is known. So a one page Resume is common.

But if one has excessive background information that is relevant to the Job or maybe research work related to the discipline , a longer document can be accepted and probably necessary. In the US they call this longer document C.V.

You can call them interchangeably unless you fall into the technical category, two pages will be perfectly acceptable so long as it looks good.

The difference

there are many ways to differentiate between a CV and Resume. Lets go through them bits by bits

1.  The purpose of the Documents, just as I explained earlier before, Resume mainly contains Job Experience which makes them fit for Job application while CV can be used for Internships and Scholarships
2. Length: A resume is usually a two pages summary of your career life while CV can go higher than that
3. Format

Key Takeaway 

One thing to keep in mind is that the term “CV” has different meanings outside the US.

In European Union countries, the term “CV” is equal to the American “resume.” So, when you apply for a job in Greece, the UK, or Denmark, your potential employer will ask you for a CV.

And that means they want to see your resume. You can even use the same resume templates and layouts as you would use for your American resume. That’s also true for New Zealand.

One of the significant differences that you may come across is that some EU employers want to see photographs on your CV.

For example, in Germany, Poland, Greece, Italy, or Portugal you will want to put your photo on your CV. German and Polish employers expect to see photographs. In Portugal, your picture is more optional.

Otherwise, there is not much difference between EU CVs and American resumes. The rule of thumb is to check out CV requirement in the country of your choice.

That’s because you’ll find small differences across countries. For example, European employers prefer to see hobbies on a CV, and UK employers expect to see your references.

In other parts of the world, the term “CV” keeps its American meaning.

For example, an Indian employer may ask you for a CV or a resume. When they request a CV, they want a record of your education, work history, training, accomplishments, activities, affiliations, and publications.

If you’re applying for jobs in the US, you’ll almost never have a need to make a CV. You’ll want to know how to make a resume instead.

But knowing the answer to the CV vs resume question is handy knowledge. Especially if you travel or work abroad and hear the terms used in a different way.

I hope this article helped clear up the differences between CVs and resumes. If you’re still not sure about some points, leave us a comment. We’ll answer all your CV vs. resume questions.