Are you familiar with the elements that set a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) apart from one another? Both of these documents are used to apply for jobs. Moreover, they also look pretty similar on the surface.
This is not it, a lot of people even use these terms interchangeably but they actually serve different purposes and have different meanings. Are you curious to know what makes them different from each other?
In this guide, we have spilt some tea regarding the differences between a resume and a CV to make you understand which one to opt for.
So, without any further ado, let us begin!
What Is A Résumé?
A resume is a concise document that details relevant skills and experience for a certain internship or job. Resumes are tailored specifically for every job application. Most of the time, they are used to seek employment in the United States. In order to make your resume look professional and crisp, we suggest you hire a top resume writer with years and years of experience. You should keep one thing in mind – in a resume, you must not include your picture until or unless it is specially requested. Now that we are aware of the key elements of a resume, let us look into what a CV is.
What Is A CV
CVs are mostly used to apply for fellowships, academic positions, jobs, and apply for grants in the United Kingdom or European Union. A CV is a longer document that offers comprehensive insights into one’s academic and professional achievements. Even though it is not necessary, you can also add your picture to your CV. We think it is pretty clear what these terms refer to, why don’t we take a look at what set these terms apart? Let us start!
6 Major Elements That Sets A Resume & CV Apart From One Another
Number 1 – Résumé And CV Length
Since a resume is crafted specifically for each job that appeals to you enough to apply, it must be short and brief. It must never extend to more than 1 page. On the contrary, a CV is an in-depth look at all your employment and academic history. Even though there is no length restriction when it comes to CVs, they are about two pages long on average.
Number 2 – Career Type
Medical, legal, and academic career fields need CVs for their job application in the United States. So, if you are working in any of these professions, you will most certainly use a CV. A lot of careers use a resume. If you are required to tailor a CV, you are most probably applying for a federal or academic position. Whereas, you can submit your resume for all the other jobs. Therefore, you will quite probably never have to learn how to write a CV at any cost.
Number 3 – Location
A lot of job applications in European countries prefer a CV over a resume. So, if you are applying for a job in one of those countries or if you reside in the EU, then your best bet would be to opt for a CV. Similarly, American countries request a resume rather than a CV. So, if you are in the US, then you must probably use a resume instead.
Number 4 – Photos
As we have mentioned earlier, you can add your picture to your CV. However, you must never include your picture on your resume. On the basis of your profession, you might want to include a picture on your application. Even though, this element is rarely required by professionals.
Number 5 – Specificity
Resumes must be tailored for each and every job application with proper action words. Such words will help the recruiters focus on the most relevant work skills and experience for a certain job description. CVs can be a wider overview including most or all of your work experience especially if you are applying for a legal, medical, or academic position. Whereas resumes might be more tailored for job applications in European countries. Thus, it is not essential to make a CV as brief as you would make a resume. If you are unaware of the best practices for writing your application, we suggest you seek help from online resume services Toronto.
Number 6 – Content
You only need to have one CV, and you need to update it as you go. It must include all your certifications, achievements, academic qualifications, etc. On the other hand, a resume must be tailored to each and every position that you apply for. It is due to this reason, that resumes are a lot more focused on the preciseness of the information on the basis of different job positions.
Summing It All Up!
That is all, folks! Now that you are well aware of what a resume and CV are, and what factors set them apart from one another, let us sum up all the things that we learned in this blog.
A resume is a short document, usually a one-page summary that includes your professional experience and all the relevant background information for the job position that you are applying for. Whereas, a CV is comparatively a longer academic diary that focuses on all your publications, certificates, and experience.
The key difference between them include:
- A resume is one page (max. two) whereas a CV can be much longer
- A resume is need for hunting jobs in all industries. On the other side, the CV require for jobs and admissions in academia
- Your resume will be customize as per the job you are applying for. Whereas, the CV is a much more comprehensive overview
All in all, they more or less mean the same thing and are commonly use to apply for jobs. So, what are you waiting for? It is up to you now to choose between a CV and a resume. Opt for whichever option suits your purposes and job-seeking process the best. And that is it.