Key Difference: A curriculum vita (CV) is a document that provides the details of an applicant. It provides an overview of a person’s experience and qualifications. This document gives a clear and concise history of the person in approximately 2-5 pages. A résumé is a document that provides the background and skills of an applicant. Resumes are a short summary of the applicant’s skill and experience when it is relevant to the post. Resumes are often short, usually 1 to 3 pages.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) and résumé are documents that play a crucial part in a person’s life. It is most commonly used during job application, interviews, grants, etc. CVs and résumés encompass the major details of a person’s life in a short and concise manner. Because of their similar nature, it is understandable why people are confused between the two terms. However, these terms are not similar and are actually used for different functions.

A curriculum vita (CV) is a document that provides the details of an applicant. It provides an overview of a person’s experience and qualifications. This eliminates the need for companies to have to look through papers, documents, certificates, etc. when hiring a person. This document gives a clear and concise history of the person in approximately 2-5 pages. In many countries, CVs are the first documents that are asked by employers when hiring employees and are used to determine if the applicant has relevant requirements for the position.

The term ‘curriculum vitae’ is a Latin expression that translates as “course of life.” The contents of a CV change depending on the country in which the person applying a job. For example, UK requires a CV to be short, usually two pages, and hence it contains limited information such as summary of past employment, qualifications, summary of education and a little personal information. In the US and Canada, a CV is usually longer, from 2-5 pages depending on the applicant. The CV would have detailed information about the applicant. It would also include details such as personal hobbies and interests.

A CV is expected to have details such as: name and contact information, areas of interest, grants, honors and awards, publications and presentations, employment and experience, scholarly or professional memberships, references and hobbies. The format of the CV is determined by the applicant. Experts suggest that even though a CV is expected to be longer and more detailed it, it is best to use bullet points and headings to help the employer understand it better.

A résumé is a document that provides the background and skills of an applicant. Résumés are used for a variety of reasons, specially when applying for a job. Résumés are a short summary of the applicant’s skill and experience which is relevant to the post. Résumés are the most common document required by an employer which is used to determine if the applicant is right for the job. Résumés are often short, usually 1 to 3 pages. It has a consolidated summary of the applicant’s experience and education. A résumé is often submitted with a cover letter.

The main purpose of a résumé is to direct the employer’s attention to the skills, education and experience that may be relevant to the job that is being applied for. In a way, Résumés are used to market the applicant to the employers; it shows all the best aspects of the applicant. Résumés make heavy uses of verbs, flattering language, keywords, bullet points, attractive headings, etc. Résumés often required to be altered depending on the position that the person is applying for. However, when it comes to job fairs or internships, a short and general résumé can be used. Résumés should include information such as: name and contact information, education (most commonly up to high school), work experience, other skills or projects that make you an asset for the position sought.

There are three common formats of Résumés: reverse chronological résumé, functional résumé and hybrid résumé. Reverse chronological résumé lists the applicant’s job experiences and skills in a reverse chronological order, where the most recent is on the top, followed by less recent. Functional résumé lists work experience and skills sorted by skill area or job function. It focuses on the skill that is required by the current position that is being sought. Hybrid résumé is a mix of the first two and are often repetitive, which is why it is not commonly used.

A résumé is actually a shorter version of a CV and is more popularly used when it comes to job applications. The popularity is because of the number of applications that are received by employers daily. In order to make it less time consuming, Résumé s make it easier to determine if the applicant is right for the job. CVs are more commonly used for when applying for grants, scholarships, etc. where they like to see everything including a person’s personal interests and hobbies. Many people also provide a hybrid of a résumé and CV, where all the education and experience are listed on the top, with more personal details listed at the bottom. One should also see which is being required a résumé or a CV before providing any of the documents.

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