Self-representation is a must-have. Still, questions arise: how long it should be, how tailored. And the most confusing, what is a difference between CV and resume.
Most people in their life use only one of the kinds, either CV or a resume. And they are often confused about the other kind when stumbling upon it. Ask a dozen people about the differences between a CV and a resume. You'll hardly find a couple of people, who do know the differentiation. The vast majority finds them interchangeable. If this is your case, don't worry. Here you find all the information you need. What a CV is, how it is decoded and the advantages of the each document. Actually, it isn't complicated at all. One simply has to understand the matters.
What Is Resume?
Why has it even appeared in the business? Well, there are many vacancies out there, which is great. The only tricky thing is, there are a lot of applicants, especially when a job position is really appealing. If everyone sends a full CV, it would be too much and, thus, too long. So here comes a resume. It allows simplifying and shortening the whole process without the significant losses. Searching for the right fit then gets much easier. The precise and concise formatting makes it possible for the hiring manager to skim through the applications and get the gist.
As the service with reviews of the best resume writing services NYC states, the main goal of each applicant is to stand out and present themselves with the document. Basically, a resume is a short summary or overview of the education, career history, maybe, some credentials and recommendations. It may include other industry-related achievements as well. None the less, it is typically one page long, sometimes two, no more than this. Bullet points are often used, as they help visually draw the data up.
There are several kinds of resumes, such as chronological, functional and mixed variants. Each one suits the corresponding target and job position. A chronological resume lists a work history, starting with the most recent. This type of resume is one of the most common because it is perfect for the most employers. A functional resume, on the other hand, focuses on the skills and experience rather than career timeline. The resume is beneficial for those, who are starting out, having gaps in the work history or changing a profession. If that's the case, a functional resume will be the best choice.
What Is CV?
The word is much used here and there in the graduation school and university. Many students get acquainted with the term. They pretend to be aware of what they are talking about without understanding it fully. Luckily, there is Google and articles like these. So let's move on to the crucial characteristics of CV, which stands for 'curriculum vitae.' Like a resume, it provides with the summary of the skills and experience but is much more comprehensible.
Thus, common rules of the keeping it short and sweet do not work. CVs consist of more than one page. Typically, it is two or three pages. It can be even longer, all depends on the degree of the experience and academic status. CV holds information about the degrees, research, scientific works, publications, and awards. They have more details, especially in terms of the academic background.
That's why such thing as a CV summary exists. It can be partially compared to the standard resume. It takes one page overall and is a short brief of the document. It is a good way of conveying a message about someone's qualifications or skills. It becomes very useful in some cases. For example, when big organizations arrange a competition and a large number of applicants is expected. It is a good idea to gather all of the background information together and then break it down into the few general categories.
When Is CV Used?
CV is mostly used outside of the USA, in Europe, Asia, Africa and so on. However, people use it in America as well, just not this much. But it can be quite useful when one is engaged in the academic or medical activity. CV is also a great tool when it comes to the applying for the international positions, internships or scholarships.