One of the most common questions beginner resume writers ask is “What is the difference between a resume and a CV? Well, today, we’ll be going over just that, moreover, we’ll be going over why knowing the difference is vital in resume or cv writing.
Resume
Resume or more accurately Résumé is a french word that translates directly to “Summary”. So from an etymological standpoint, we understand that a resume is the condensed version of something bigger. As we know that resume is essentially a document that people send to employers for a chance for employment. Keeping in mind that a resume is an application and the term resume means to summarize an event we deduce that a resume is essentially a document that contains professional information particular to a specific occupation.
CV
A CV is short for “Curriculum Vitae” which is Latin for “Course of life”. As everyone knows that a CV is a document used for applying for a certain job we can deduce that a CV contains all available professional information one has to offer.
Splitting Hairs
Now that we have gone over what the technical difference is between a Resume and a CV, it’s worth mentioning that practically speaking in an overwhelming majority of cases there is no practical difference between a CV and a resume.
In most of the world, employers and employees use these terms interchangeably the only difference in the usage is that one term is used more in one region compared to another.
The term CV is used in most European, Asian, and African countries but the term Resume is more used in the USA, Canada, and Australia. However, as mentioned before even in specific regions the two words are used interchangeably. This is just another way of saying whether you use the term CV or Resume anywhere in the world the meaning remains the same.
What’s the point?
The entire point of this explanation was that even though a CV and a Resume are interchangeable terms it’s good to know the technical differences for on the rare occasion it is specified whether the recipient requires a Resume or a CV and yes as rare as it is it does happen.
For instance, in academia Colleges and Universities don’t require anything in particular but require a CV that contains all of your academic information. So, when pursuing academic ventures the appropriate term that should be used is a CV and not a Resume.
Resume and CV in the modern world
Now that we’ve gone over the exact differences between a resume and a cv let’s talk a little about their role in modern world use.
A few decades ago it was completely okay to send in a CV, containing information from your high school and that one summer you worked as a roofer but in today’s world, things have become a bit different.
The modern-day job market is a tough nut to crack. For every available position, 250 applicants are applying for it on average, out of which only one will be chosen. In other words, if you’re a job seeker in today’s world, your chances of getting hired are slim and even less if you don’t know what you’re doing. This means that job seekers need to avail any advantage that comes their way, to compete.
One way to achieve this is to keep their resumes targeted. Targeted Resumes are resumes that are designed to apply for a certain job and contain information relevant to that position.
Targeted Resume
As the competition in the job market increases so does the workload for HR Managers and Offices. Think about it, if you’re an HR Manager and you’re being flooded by hundreds if not thousands of resumes each day. One after the other going on and on about things that have nothing to do with the job. Obviously, these resumes will not be thoroughly read, which means that the applicant will stand no chance of getting hired. In contrast when HR Managers see a resume that has information they specifically asked for automatically become more attractive for selection.
This is why it is recommended to keep your resume short and to the point. So next when you ask yourself “How long should be my resume?” just remember the “One-Page Rule” which is that if you’re making a resume and it starts to cross into page 2 then you’re probably making a mistake. For more insight regarding resume making and building visit My Resume Liftv- Resume Builder. Try the My Resume Lift Resume Builder to make multiple targeted resumes without wasting time and effort. My Resume Lift Offers its users multiple professionally designed resume templates to work with. Additionally, My Resume Lift’s Resume Builder not only helps you structure your resume but it helps its users with pre-written editable content that makes, making a resume or cv a piece of cake.
