Some use the term CV and resume to mean the same thing. As these documents are very similar, it can be confusing for job seekers. While it is true that much of the same information is included in both CVs and resumes, you can learn to understand the differences between the two and learn about the sections specifically required in each.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Understanding the Differences Between Resume and CV
Step 1. Let's try to understand the definition and purpose of CV and resume
Understanding the meaning of each word can help define the purpose of these similar but different documents.
- "CV" stands for "curriculum vitae", the Latin expression for "course of life". As the definition implies, it is a detailed description of professional life and includes as much information as possible that gives a complete understanding of what has been achieved.
- The word "resume" has French origins and means "to summarize". As with a summary, a resume is a shorter, more concise description of your professional career that has relevance to the job you are applying for. Resumes are usually read quickly to get a general understanding of the candidate's capabilities. Try to distinguish yourself by showing everything you would like to read and eliminating information that would not interest you.
Step 2. Know when to use the CV and when to use the resume
Knowing when to use a real CV versus a resume can be difficult, as many use the two terms as a synonym. However, through some information, you can decide what type of document to submit for the job you want to apply for:
- CV - Use a CV when it is requested directly by the employer, when applying for a position in a country that adopts the CV (throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East) or when applying in the United States or Canada for jobs in the field of scientific research, academia or medicine.
- Resume - Use a resume when applying for jobs in the United States or Canada (in fields other than that listed for the CV) and in other countries that decide to accept a resume over a CV. You can research the application requirements in each country before submitting your application.
Step 3. Understand that the CV and resume have different levels of depth
CVs are more detailed than resumes. According to the CV definition, more details are needed to inform employers about your full history. On the other hand, the resume is a summary. While it must provide details about your experience and education, it must be written in a concise form presenting only the most relevant information.
- In a CV the details can include the exact names of the courses attended to achieve a degree, all publications and details on specific projects and their outcome.
- In a resume you can choose which information is most relevant to include by reading and understanding the job position you are looking for and looking at your resume, asking yourself the question: "Is this information or experience necessary for this position?" If the answer is "no", it is very likely that the interviewer will not consider it, so you should omit it from the resume.
Step 4. Know that resumes and CVs usually have different lengths
Having different levels of detail, they also have different lengths. The CVs do not have to respect a certain length and can be even more than 10 pages, because they include many more sections than a resume (publications, research projects, courses attended, etc.) and more details regarding the individual tasks of each job or project. Resumes, as in any summary, must remain short, but effective.
- Although there are different opinions on the brevity of a resume, we don't define the number of pages, but we say that it is best to keep it as short as possible, but at the same time containing all the information necessary to help you get an interview.
- This means understanding the type of person the company you are applying to is looking for and leaving only the information in the resume that will help sponsor you as the ideal candidate for that job.
Step 5. Keep in mind that the writing style is different
The sentences of a CV can be written in more detail and in a more complex way. Resumes, on the other hand, are more effective when written with short, effective sentences, using keywords.
- For example, in a resume you could write “Efficiency increased by 25% by implementing new process procedures”.
- In a CV, however, you might write “Task to find inefficiencies in the department to solve and implement new process procedures. New procedures researched and implemented over the course of 6 months to eventually achieve 25% more efficiency."
- These two sentences describe the same thing, but you can see how a CV explains the situation better than a resume, which focuses on what you did and the results in a short summary.
Step 6. Keep the detailed CV and resume relevant
As said before, the CV provides the reader with most of the details about your experience and education. In some ways, these details may not really be relevant to the job you are applying for. A resume should be limited to only the relevant information that will help you get the job, so it's best to write the resume clearly and concisely that indicates why you are the best candidate for that job in as few words as possible.
For example, choose whether to list all of your publications or only those most attractive to the employer
Method 2 of 3: Include Required Information in a CV
Step 1. Include personal information
That is, name, address, telephone number and email. Before applying in countries abroad, check how the personal information requested may vary.
For example, you may need to provide your personal status, nationality and a photograph
Step 2. Make sure you include all education-related information
You can choose to indicate the names of the courses and the average of the grades in addition to the degree, the name of the institution and the dates you attended. In a resume, this would be all the information you need about education, but in a CV you can include something else, like:
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Dissertation or thesis.
Describe your work and research done, along with the names of those who collaborated.
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Awards, honors, associations, scholarships and grants.
Provide details on each of these categories, including what you did to achieve them.
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Specialized training and certifications.
List names, dates and institutions for training and certifications not related to your formal education.
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Academic offers.
These include committees and associations to which you have contributed in the university.
Step 3. Provide details of your experience
You can decide to list them all chronologically or to divide them into subsections such as “Academic projects”, “Field experience”, “Research”, etc. Include company names, titles, hiring dates, and all jobs, projects, and achievements in the list.
Step 4. Include creative work, publications and presentations to provide a complete picture of your academic career
List all publications and work you have written or contributed to. Add all presentations and speeches to public conferences, including topics, institutions, event, dates. When making the list, indicate the names of the authors, the titles, the journals, the pages and the year.
Do not add jobs that you have not accepted or have recently submitted
Step 5. Include additional information
By having almost unlimited space on a CV, you include any additional information that paints a clear picture of your professional and academic life. Include any additional information that might catch the recruiter's or HR manager's attention.
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Professional affiliations or affiliations.
Any affiliation outside the university, preferably those recognized nationally or internationally.
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Community service / volunteer.
Show what you do in your spare time and how you choose to contribute to the community.
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Languages.
List all the languages you speak and your level.
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References.
Provide names, titles, company and contacts.
Method 3 of 3: Include the Required Information in a Resume
Step 1. Include personal information
That is, name, address, telephone number and email. Before applying in countries abroad, check how the personal information requested may vary.
For example, you may need to provide your personal status, nationality and a photograph
Step 2. Provide the title of the position you are applying for
Indicate the position you are looking for and the intention to provide your qualifications. This will allow the recruiter to immediately know which position you are looking for.
- Many large companies have a variety of candidates for each open position and may have several open positions at the same time.
- Providing the title of the position you're interested in will ensure your resume goes to the right place.
Step 3. Write and include a summary status
This section is very short, a 3-5 sentence paragraph highlighting skills, experiences and achievements related to work. Summary status is a good way to give the recruiter an idea of why you would be an ideal candidate for the job, without asking them to go through your resume in detail.
Step 4. Include details regarding your basic skills and abilities
List all the skills you have and are required to do the job well. Listing all of your skills will allow you to sell well to a potential employer by providing them with an easy-to-read list of your skills.
For example, Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Optimizer, Problem Solving, Negotiation, Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Skills
Step 5. Provide your professional experience
Provide the company name, title, years of employment, and a brief description of tasks and achievements for each job you have done in the past 10 years. Write each job using adjectives such as "qualified" or "rated" followed by a brief description of what you did and the results you achieved.
For example, “Business relations developed in the Southeast territory to increase sales by 30% in 6 months”
Step 6. Write down your education, training and certifications in detail to provide background information
List all education, training, and certifications relevant to getting the job. These qualifications can be critical, depending on the industry you want to work in.
For example, if you are applying for the position of nurse, list your bachelor's degree and any other certification, eg. resuscitation. Having a certification in project management would not be relevant in this case and should not be listed in the resume
Step 7. Provide additional sections only if they are relevant
You can choose to include additional sections such as honors and recognitions, professional affiliations or affiliations, community service / volunteerism, and / or language skills. As mentioned before, you can understand if some of these sections are relevant to be included in the resume by re-reading the job description and understanding what is rated positively by the employer.
For example, if you are applying for a role in a non-profit organization, they may be interested in seeing which community services and volunteer organizations you have been active in, as opposed to for-profit organizations
Step 8. Don't cheat yourself when writing your resume
There are many misconceptions about the length of a resume and what it should contain. To put it simply, if the information is relevant to the job you're applying for (if it's in the requirements or qualifications section of the job posting) add it to your resume.
