A CV is a full record of your education and career, while a resume is a short summary of it, tailored to the job you apply for. Which one you send depends on the job and on the country.
Every job seeker comes across both documents, and employers ask for one or the other. So is there a difference between a CV and a resume, and is one more important than the other? Read on to find out.
What is a CV?
CV is short for curriculum vitae, Latin for "course of life". A CV is a full record of your academic and professional history.
A good CV lists your name and contact details, your education, your skills, your work experience, and your other achievements. You can add more information to match a specific job advertisement.
Because it covers so much, a CV is often 2 pages or longer. A person with a long record of education, work, and achievements, such as a researcher with many publications, may have a CV of many pages.
What is a resume?
A resume is a summary of your CV, so it is much more concise. To make it easy to scan, a resume often uses bulleted lists to highlight the main points.
Many employers prefer a resume that fits on a single page, and a resume that is too long may not get read at all. That said, as your career grows, you may end up with a two-page resume, and that is fine.
What are the main differences between a CV and a resume?
The length is the most obvious difference. You can put anything that is even remotely relevant to your job search in a CV. Some people even list every workshop and conference they have ever attended.
The second difference is the order. A CV lists your education and achievements in full and in order, usually starting with the most recent. In a resume, you can move things around to match the job you are applying for.
The most important difference is the focus. A CV is a broad record of your working life, whereas a resume is tailored to one specific job. When you apply for a job as a full-stack developer, for instance, you should only list the work experience that is relevant to that position.
Is one better than the other?
No, each has its purpose. It all comes down to what the employer asks for and what kind of job you are applying for. For a job in an academic field, send your CV and describe your research, teaching experience, grants, and publications in detail. For a technical job, send a resume and leave out everything that is not related to the position.
The country matters too. In the United States and Canada, employers mostly ask for a resume, and a CV is mainly used for academic, research, and medical jobs. So if you are not sure which one to send there, send the resume. In the UK, Ireland, and much of Europe, however, "CV" is the usual name for both, and employers there expect the short, tailored version that Americans call a resume.
To write a strong one, see how to write a resume and the 5 tips for writing a resume.
Edit and proofread your CV and resume
Whichever document you send to your future employer, edit and proofread it thoroughly. A spelling or grammar mistake could be the very thing that keeps you from your dream job.
Read it slowly, ideally after a break, and ask someone you trust to read it too. The Spell Checker can also find the spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes that tired eyes miss.