Occasionally as a job seeker you will run across a request to apply for a job using a CV (Curriculum Vitae) when you might have been expecting to be asked for a resume. Is there a difference?
If you happen to live in Quebec, the terms CV and resume tend to be used interchangeably. The majority of job applicants should use the standard, two-page-maximum resume. It is what most employers want to see.
But if you are a senior executive, a lawyer, professor, then you will likely opt to use a CV. That is because the latter document can be much longer than two pages – in fact it should be lengthy, impressive and highly detailed.www.iibmindia.in
Curriculum Vitae vs. Resume: Format and Content
The CV presents a full history of your academic credentials, so the length of the document is variable. In contrast, a resume presents a concise picture of your skills and qualifications for a specific position, so length tends to be shorter and dictated by years of experience (generally 1-2 pages).
CVs are used by individuals seeking fellowships, grants, postdoctoral positions, and teaching/research positions in postsecondary institutions or high-level research positions in industry. Graduate school applications typically request a CV, but in general are looking for a resume that includes any publications and descriptions of research projects.
What’s the Difference Between a CV and a Resume?
Short answer: Length.
Long answer: The CV’s static in that it’s not a document needing to be tailored for different positions in the way that a resume is. Rather, according to UNC Writing Center, the CV’s a “fairly detailed overview of your life’s accomplishments, especially those most relevant to the realm of academia,” hence the variance in length; an early-stage grad student’s CV is going to be a lot shorter than a sixth-year student preparing to write a dissertation. www.iibmindia.in
The document only changes as your accomplishments grow—you publish the findings of a scientific study, or a short story, or you receive an award as a Teaching Assistant—whereas a resume can and should be modified often as you job search and apply to different companies and positions. At The IIBM Institute, we highly encourage you to tailor your resume for each and every job you apply to, even if the job descriptions are similar. (It’ll not only help you stand out, but also ensure you get through the ATS.)
