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Resume or Curriculum Vitae?
Do you know the difference between a resume and curriculum vitae? Do you know which document you should be using for your job application? Do you know which one can benefit you more? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, fear not, here’s what you need to know.
You’re probably familiar with the term resume, but you may be wondering what a curriculum vitae is. Curriculum vitae (pronounced vee-tay) - commonly referred to as a CV – is a longer (usually 3 pages plus in length) and more detailed summary of your academic background and skills. Unlike a resume, which focuses on being as brief as possible, a CV focuses on completeness.
Like a resume, curriculum vitae should include:
- Contact information
- Objective/Vision
- Education
- Skills
- Experience
However, in addition to the basic resume outline, a CV includes:
- Academic or scientific research, teaching and laboratory experience
- Summary of qualifications
- Publications – academic or professional
- Presentations – academic or professional
- Awards or honors – academic or professional
- Professional licenses or certifications
- Affiliations or associate memberships
- Grants and fellowships
- Volunteer work
- Community involvement
- Cultural experiences
- Interests: future professional or academic goals
- Any other relevant information
You should also know that there are different CV formats, and the one you will use depends on the type of position you are applying for, as well as where you are applying. For instance, an international curriculum vitae is different from a standard CV because it also features a personal information section which includes: nationality, residence, date of birth, gender, marital status and dependants.
When should a curriculum vitae be used in favor of a resume? Usually a CV should be used when:
- Applying for academic, educational (I.E. teaching), research or scientific positions.
- Applying for fellowships or grants
- Applying for a job overseas, especially Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Like a resume, a curriculum vitae is designed to effectively market you as the perfect candidate for the position you are applying for. This is achieved by creating a CV that is effectively organized and filled with applicable information that matches and supports your professional, academic or research goal.
However, a CV can often be more challenging to write, this is because there is a higher chance you will lose the reader’s interest due to its long length. In order to avoid this, it is imperative that you mention your most noteworthy and impressive skills and qualifications first, and then follow up with the additional educational, academic, or work experience.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the differences between resumes and curriculum vitae, and can now determine which document is the ideal choice for the particular job position you are interested in applying for.
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