A CV sounds a lot like a resume.
A resume is a short document (1 -2 pages) that you use to give future employers a brief overview of your work history.
The term resume is a French word that means “to sum up.” And that’s what you use a resume for – to sum up your job-related accomplishments and experience.
A CV or Curriculum Vitae is a record of your academic and professional achievements. Latin for “course of life,” a CV is often a longer document that goes into detail where a resume doesn’t.
The length of a CV is often subject to the applicant’s experience.
CV vs Resume – What is the difference?
What is the difference between a CV and a resume?
Length:
- The ideal resume is one page long with a two-page upper limit.
- The ideal CV has no page limit. The length of your CV can range from a double-digit page count to a few pages.
Layout:
- Resumes lead with contact information plus a resume summary or objective. Your education and experience sections come next. Depending on your career progress either can come first. Finally, you add a skills section to your resume and any extra sections you need.
- If you have little to no work experience, you might want to put your education first. Professionals with work experience will want to lead with their experience section.
- Make sure you display your information in reverse-chronological order. Start with your most recent job and degree first.
- A skills section should round out your resume. You can also add your hobbies.
You should always tailor your resume to match the information in the job description.
- There is no clear layout for a CV. Your best course of action will be to look for examples of CVs. You can use the CVs of people who have applied to similar positions to get an idea of how yours should look.
- At the end of the day, a CV should contain as many achievements and details about your work as necessary.
- A CV should include your education, work history, skills, publications, public speaking engagements, awards, and interests.
What should you put on a great resume when applying for a job?
Here is an easy checklist of what to include on a resume:
- Contact Information
- Work History / Experience
- Education
- Skills
- A Resume Summary or Objective (Optional)
- Hobbies and Interests (Optional)
What should go on a great CV when you’re applying for an academic or research position?
Your CV can include everything that you’ve done to date. And that is a lot of material if you’ve been in the game for a long time.
As mentioned, CVs don’t have a length limit. You may also need to include specific information.
- Contact Information + Brief Biography
- Areas of Academic Interest
- Education + Qualifications
- Employment History + Achievements and Responsibilities
- Professional Development Courses + Training
- Teaching Experience
- Research Experience + Lab Experience
- Graduate Fieldwork
- A List of Skills + Technical, Computer, and Language Skills
- Professional Licenses and Certifications
- Scholarships, Grants, Fellowships, and Assistantships
- Study Abroad and International Experiences
- Descriptions of Theses and Dissertations
- Bibliography + Publications
- Presentations, Lectures, and Other Public Speaking Engagements
- Exhibitions
- Awards and Honors
- Memberships
- References
- Hobbies, Interests, and Related Extracurricular Activities
References

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