You’ve probably heard of a resume or a CV. And sometimes you discover they are used interchangeably. However, you’d be surprised to find they are two separate things. In this article, we set out their differences.
Resume
A resume is a very brief and direct summary of the professional background of someone within the job field. A notable feature of a resume is that it does not exceed 1 page. Because of this, adjust your resume in a targeted manner and only keep the experience related to the target job position.
What information should be in the Resume?
Title
In the upper middle of the Resume, write your name in capital letters. Below your name, write your address, mobile phone number, and email address in lowercase letters.
Background
This part can start with an educational or professional background, and both must be separate areas. If it is job-hopping, then put professionals first. In the educational section, you need to list the school you graduated from and the degree you got. As for the profession, list only the work experience related to the target position. For example, you want to apply for an accounting position. Delete the experience of being a server in a restaurant because this information will not help you.
Skills section
List the computer skills or language skills you have here. If you have extracurricular activities or community service experience, include that too. You can briefly attach your hobbies to the back.
What information should not be in the Resume?
No photos
People like to put photos on their resumes, which is unnecessary and will cause them to lose points. It is to avoid racial discrimination when recruiting.
Minimal personal info
A resume does not need to include small personal information such as age, gender, nationality, and marital status. In the Personal Info at the bottom, write about your hobbies, such as travel or cooking.
CV
CV is an acronym for curriculum vitae. The CV is a complete summary of your entire professional background. The length of a CV is more than a resume. It can include all your work experience (things unrelated to the target position can also be written), and the length can exceed 1 page.
What information should the CV contain?
Title
In the upper middle, write your name in capital letters. Below your name, write your address, mobile phone number, and email address in lowercase letters.
Personal statement
In this section, write a paragraph describing yourself. Write your achievements, your school, internship, and full-time work. Also, note what contribution you can bring if you successfully enter the applicant company. Write this part below the Title section.
Skills section
In this part, write all the dazzling skills you have. For example, fast typing skills, using HTML code, language skills, etc.
Background
The number one difference between a CV and a resume is the length. You can write more about your educational background and career experience, but it should be 3-4 pages at most. If your CV is too long after writing, delete the less important information.
Hobbies
In the Hobbies section of the CV, you need to describe the amateur activities you have taken part in; this can be 50-70 words in length. Whether it is your travel experience, cross-cultural exchanges, or voluntary activities, it must reflect your characteristics and temperament.
References
Finally, write a few contacts for the new employer to do background checks, such as your previous boss, colleagues, friends, etc. Write their names, mobile phone number, email address, and relationship with you
The Key Differences
In the United States, a resume is for job searches, while a CV is to apply for academic, educational, and scientific research positions. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, a CV is for job searches.
Length
Resumes are a summary of personal skills, experience, and education. The length is 1 to 2 pages, preferably within 1 page. The content of the CV needs to be more detailed, at least two pages, but not too long.
Personal information
Resumes mainly present personal professionalism, and it is not compulsory to write hobbies at the bottom. For a CV, after writing a personal statement of about 50 words, you need to start another paragraph to write about your hobbies.
Contact person for background investigation
There is no room for references in a resume. If your employer requires you to provide relevant information, you can do it separately. But then you must write references at the bottom of the CV.
Read More: How To Write a Strong Resume With No Work Experience
