Seldom are the chances that you ask a fresh graduate about submitting his CV or resume, and he understands the difference. Okay, now that you see the point, it surely would’ve ringed a bell somewhere!

So, let me just put it across downright bluntly.

Have you ever thought about the fact that why does a Brit apply for a job using a CV and an American with a resume? And to your astonishment, a professional from Australia would apply using both. There it begins to boggle your mind and shatter every modicum of misconception you had regarding these seemingly significant documents!

Just hold your horses, the section to follow will clear every doubt hovering above your head and enable you to hunt for a job with a clear perspective in mind.

What is a CV?

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a comprehensive document entailing all details pertaining to your career, in two or more pages. It will proliferate over your academic achievements and every award, honor and publications associated with your career. The document is organized in a chronological manner and provides an overview about your full working career, at length. However, the most imperative thing to consider over here is that a CV remains static in all situations. Even if you’re applying for different profiles, the only difference that’ll happen will be with the cover letter. Attesting to expertise and authority, a CV is generally used in a PhD driven environment, like a job in academics or one requiring high level research.

What is a Resume?

A resume on the other hand is nothing more than a concise document providing a brief introduction of your skills and experiences. Importantly, it will always focus towards a specific role or position that you seek to acquire, hence will keep on altering according to each job application you make.

A typical resume entails the following details

• Name and Contact Details: In here, your residential address (permanent) might be the most crucial thing to include. In addition to this, always go for a personal email-id to avoid your current employer from coming into the picture.

• Qualifications: This would enlist your degree(s) and all certifications you hold, since high school. In addition to this, the course and name of institution would also be indispensable in the section.

• Work Experience: Herein, you would include all information pertaining to the companies and organizations you’ve worked with. The profile you hold, along with the duties and responsibilities are also imperative to include.

The Major Differences You Should Look Out For!

Might be quite conspicuous, but the major differences between a CV and resume lie in the areas of purpose, layout and length. A resume is a concise summary of the skills and experience you hold in a field, while a CV is a much detailed version entailing every tiny bit of detail about you and your career. Moreover, the resume will be targeted towards a specific job role, and a CV without being tailored every now and then, will stay put.

Not to miss, a CV will have every detail laid out in a chronological order as they happened, whereas in a resume, it can be shuffled according to an applicant’s requirements. It is meant to be scanned by the employer in nearly 15 seconds or less.

While formatting both of these documents includes basics like keeping the font size in mind, including simple language and ample keywords, there usage around the world differs to a great extent. In countries like the US, the UK, Germany and New Zealand, a CV is used to apply for positions, while in countries like India and South Africa a resume is quite prominent.

The list and differences can go on till eternity, but the hack lies in spotting the basic ones. Having said this, there lies no hurdle between you and a desirable offer, provided that the aforementioned are kept in mind, religiously!