CV vs. Resume: what’s the difference?

There are primary things in life that you deserve to know about, thought-provoking questions that keep demanding answers, things like why can’t petrol hit freezing point or why a camel can pass through the eye of a needle and a rich man can’t, or even why pictures come out in squares whereas camera lenses are circular or something more subtly comical like do androids dream of electric sheep? 

A number of those are enough to make you see rationality as a brick wall, one that alters reasoning efforts, turning them into futile demands that seldom equal anything, and as of present, the far cry, even though distinctive from the others, has mutated to a seemingly unresolvable enigma, one that would make you sit down and wonder, is there any difference between a CV and a RESUME?

Because it would be rather mind-opening to know why some people apply with a resume and others with a CV. Are they just vocable variations in similitude as defence and defence organise and organize?

Before we plunge deeper into sketching out significant differences subsisting between a CV and resume, when and where they can be used, let’s utilize this brief moment to identify what a CV is and what a resume is.

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What is a CV?

A CV is a brief Latin phrase that stands for Curriculum Vitae, which means course of life. A CV is a comprehensive document that outlines your professional and academic history. This usually comprises information surrounding your work experience, feats, awards, grants, research projects, coursework, and other publications.

What is a Resume?

A resume is a formal document that a job applicant creates to itemize their qualifications for a position. A resume is often presented with a personalized cover letter where the applicant defines why he is interested in that particular job or position in a company. They are expected to be concise and clear and tailored for specific jobs.

Although they, at times, are identified in sameness or grouped as one owning to their significant similarities, there exist at least a couple of variances that stretch from the introduction to format to purpose, that can help you tell them apart.

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• Length: A resume is expected to be either a single-paged or a couple that presents only key factors about your professional experience, and educational background, while a CV can count up to 10 pages that detail the entire course of your career
• Purpose: A resume is used for job hunting, while a CV can be used for more than just job hunting and chasing opportunities,  a CV can be used for research and academic purposes
• Information required in it: your CV can at times be viewed as an academic journal where most of your qualifications are to be included as well as your achievements and certifications. It must be wired to be welcoming to all your attributes, distinctive or not it must be universally inclined and prone to alteration when need be. Whereas A resume has to be created (or at least customized) per job. That is to say for each job you apply for a new resume must be created a resume delivered for the position of a content writer cannot and should not be presented for the role of a scriptwriter. A resume should be focused on projecting your professional skills and achievement rather than academics, so it’s safe to say that a CV focuses on academic qualifications while a resume fixes its focal point on professional attributes and qualifications.
• a resume is used for job hunting in industries and any business defined by growth and personal interest while a CV is used for jobs and admissions in academia,

Also Read: The Ethics of Academic Research; 2 Ways to Balance Objectivity and Subjectivity

What do you include in a CV that makes it differ from a CV?

Looking for what to include in your CV? Aside from highlighting the differences, this article is also designed to inform you on the necessary factors to input while building a CV they are:

•   Contact information: full name, email address, website link, social media profile(only the relevant ones), phone number
• Research objective, individual profile, or private statement
• Educational background
• Professional academic appointments
• Books
• Book chapters
• Peer-reviewed publications
• Awards
• Grants of fellowship
• Research experience
• Non-academic activities
• Languages and skills
• References

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Unlike a CV a resume is short and straightforward, you are expected to point out only the relevant aspect of your working career. Aside from that, only contributions to majorly recognized growths should be included. A professional resume should contain the following

• Full name
• Contact information
• Job title
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills
• A supplementary section composed of Awards, Courses, resume publications, certifications, licenses, and interests.

By now, it is almost impossible not to have grabbed the idea between the monikers’ CV and resume and what makes them different. So we would forge ahead and pay attention to the outgrowth of concern that has left many addressing a CV as a resume. Maybe you might have not been told this in the orientation camp.

Still, it is only in developing countries like Nigeria and some sub-Saharan and West African countries that picture no difference between the two. As so they go ahead to allude to whatever document submitted in a bid to secure a job as “my CV” but where did this all start, where did it all begin? History doesn’t know, but it would be proper and less demeaning not to point fingers and just throw caution to the wind and call it out as ignorance.

However, most countries hallmarked by the dawn of 1800s civilization have addressed both documents appropriately. See South Asia for example, the term “CV” connotes a much different meaning and is expected to contain different biodata that slightly contrasts the containment in a  resume. Here are some specific takeaways that can expose you to a tour of resume vs. CV

• In major countries like the US and Canada, make use of a resume whenever you are seeking any job of any type. be sure to make it as concise as possible
• When job hunting in European countries or new Zealand, be sure to go along with a CV or at least brand the name of your file a CV since its national idea of what defines it is almost in sameness with a resume
• In Australia and South Africa, a CV is a resume with a different spelling, either of the two can be used for job hunting so far, they are brief.

Do you understand,  has this article effectively differentiated both documents to your understanding?