CV vs. Resume: What Are The Differences?

Any successful job search is almost impossible without necessary documents, such as resume and cover letter. Unfortunately, many inexperienced unemployed confuse a Curriculum Vitae (CV) with a resume and do not understand the distinctions between two types of summary. Sometimes people believe that this is one and the same application. Have you ever thought why a British applicant sends a CV and an American provides a resume? Or why candidates receive rejection letters in spite of the fact that they submit perfect resumes? Very often, depending on the type of job and the country of residence, an applicant has to create CV or resume. It is easy to understand that these application documents proceeding from their names, but for what purposes were they designed? Though, it is necessary to figure out the distinctions between Curriculum Vitae and resume and when it is appropriate to use them, even if you apply to resume & CV writing company for help. 

Curriculum Vitae In Latin it means “course of life” and for job hunters this is a thorough paper that consists of two or more pages and is rather a nuanced description of applicant’s achievements than a simple list of jobs. Also it covers education and honorable distinctions such as rewards or publications if there are any. There are certain rules of CV-composing: it is necessary to organize the synopsis in chronological order and provide in-depth review of an applicant’s entire working career. This paper has to be unchanged and is adjusted to different positions.

Resume This is a brief and laconic summary of candidate’s knowledge and experience. As a rule, this document isn’t longer than one page; sometimes it consists of two pages, but no more. The goal of resume is to help a job seeker stand out from other applicants. If someone is searching for a job and is planning to apply for various positions, it is highly recommended to modify the paper to every opening. It is necessary to customize the text from one employment application to another, tailoring the paper in it to the requirements of each separate opening. It is unacceptable to compose resume in chronological order or describe the full career, because it is a customizable paper.

Differences between CV and resume As is already clear, there are three primary distinctions between application documents: the size, the goal and the layout. Both CV and resume can be used in application letters, but you can’t send resume that is stretched beyond two pages or Curriculum Vitae with a detailed synopsis of skills. There is one more important thing to remember about: that resume can be tailored to each job position whilst CV has to remain unchanged. To make a long story short, here is the key dissimilarity resume from CV: Curriculum Vitae is an accurate record of candidate’s work and career history and resume is a short summary that covers knowledge and achievements.

When and where to use Resume and CV as application documents are not interchangeable around the world. Resume is the standard application document in the United States and Canada. American or Canadian job seeker would send Curriculum Vitae if looking for a job overseas or if applying for academic or scientific oriented positions. On the contrary, CV is a widespread document in European countries, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand. The UK or Ireland HR managers do not expect to get resume, besides there is a European Union CV format for job seekers. There are certain countries, like Australia, India and South Africa, where both resume and CV can be submitted, because these two documents are considered to be interchangeable and. The only thing is that resume is more common place if a job seeker is applying for a certain public service position.