Rockhill City Guide Business What Is the Difference Between a CV and a Resume?

What Is the Difference Between a CV and a Resume?


What Is the Difference Between a CV and a Resume?

When applying for any job, it is very important to have a well written CV and/or resume. While these two seem a lot alike, there are some differences. It is important to consider having both already written and ready to hand out at a job interview. While a lot of people may have heard of both a CV and a resume, they may not get the difference. Oz Resumes, which creates resumes in Perth, has shared some information about what they both are.

Explaining the Resume

Before continuing it is important to fully understand exactly what a resume is in order to know the difference between a CV and a resume. A resume is important to have, but why? Shouldn’t a job application be enough? For the most part, yes. However, it always looks better to have a resume and shows that the possible employee put in time to get the job by showing interest. Plus, it is highly professional.

What is the Reason for Having A Resume?

When applying for any line of work, an employer will want to know some basic things about the potential employee. A resume will and should have information that says not only who someone is, but what they can do for the company. A resume may be considered a form of advertising of an individual for a particular position.

Here are some things that should be included in a resume:

  • Skills that the individual has to offer.
  • Experience that the person has.
  • Important achievements that relate to a work setting.
  • Anything that makes the person stand out and shows that the person has experience and the knowledge along with the ability for the particular employment.
  • Personal details; this includes name, address, phone number, previous employers, education history, and other important information.
  • References (anyone that may be willing to vouch for the person).
  • Detailed employment history.

Do note that listing some experience in other areas that may not seem relevant can actually help when making a resume. This is because it gives a quick look at the person and some of their attributes as well as their talents.

Formatting of a Resume

While a resume may be written in any way that one prefers, there are many common templates that are usually used. If a person has access to a Word document, then some templates may be available to be downloaded and used there. Also, Google Docs has resume templates that can be used for free with any Google account.

While writing a resume may seem like a lot of work, the many templates that can be found make it simple to do so. It gives the individual a sheet that is basically a fill in the blank, with examples that can be deleted and replaced with the person’s unique details. This can make writing a resume much simpler.

While it may seem like once a resume is written the job is done, this is not the case. Over time, skills can be obtained as well as experience. A resume can be updated anytime. This allows individuals to add pertinent information to a resume that is relevant to potential jobs and employers.

What About a CV?

The primary difference between a CV and a resume is the length. While a resume is a mere quick look into a person, a CV can be more detailed. Often a resume and a CV can both be given to an employer. A CV goes more into detail about accomplishments.

A CV, or curriculum vitae, is more of a record of all of a person’s academic achievements. It can also include any professional achievements. A curriculum vitae does not always need to be used, but it is a good idea to have one on hand in case it is ever asked for. In some fields, it is good to go ahead and hand in a curriculum vitae along with a resume.

A CV Format Is Different

A curriculum vitae will be much different that that of a resume. This is because a resume is a quick look into someone’s life, while a CV goes into more detail about achievements that are professional or academic. A format can be found in some of the links above. Also, the length of a CV is much longer than a resume. A resume should not be more than a few pages, while a CV can be as long as the individual would like.

In this YouTube video, more information can be found about the difference between a CV and a resume.