Difference between a CV and Resume

Curriculum Vitae (CV) outlines the academic qualifications, researches and other relevant details about a
person, to represent him in front of employers. A Resume is to the point document, which underlines a person’s
qualification for a specific job. Whenever a person applies for a job, he has to make a document  which introduces
him. Which one is suitable a CV or a Resume? It is going to be very difficult to choose one of them if you  do not know
about their differences. It often happens, many times when candidates without knowing which document is
required, they send whatever they have at that time, which is the biggest mistake and they can even be disqualified
for not sending the desired document. In this article excerpt you will find the most important differences between
CV and Resume.

BASIS OF
CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) RESUME
COMPARISON

Meaning A document containing information A Resume is a document having

related to individual's past qualification, details of an individual's current
experience, skills, competencies and education, relevant work
achievements is known as a CV or experience, competencies and
Curriculum Vitae. previous job achievements, skills

Type of Document Comprehensive Concise

Etymology Curriculum Vitae is a Latin expression A French expression which means

which means course of life. summary.

Length 2 to 20 or more pages 1 to 2 pages

References Included Not Included (Employer’s request)

When to use Applying for an academic position, Applying for the job, and internship
advanced research, fellowship, fresh or taking part in the job fair,
graduate searching for a job suitable for people having years of
experience

Modification Can be modified Yes, it can be modified according to

job.
Definition of CV

CV is an acronym used for the word Curriculum Vitae, which is a Latin word, that means ‘course of life’ i.e.
an individual’s course of life. Curriculum Vitae is a written document which contains details about a
person’s past education, experience, knowledge, skill, competencies, accomplishments, projects, awards and
honours.

The CV is a biography of an individual’s academic background and professional experiences. It also

includes details about a person’s area of interest and extracurricular activities. It is modified according to the
job. It should be systematically arranged so that a proper sketch about an individual’s career can be drawn.

Definition of Resume

A resume is a short and brief description about, what a person possesses in context to the respective job like
qualifications, previous job experiences and achievements, competencies and skills. It is in the form of a
document which is required at the time of applying for business, government and industry jobs. It is a
snapshot of an individual’s professional profile.

The term Resume is a French expression which means ‘summary’ i.e. summary of an individual’s work life.
It only outlines the job applicant’s relevant qualifications and experience which is required for the specific
job. It should be prepared in such a manner that will make an impression on the potential employer because
a resume can open the doors of an interview. It also helps the recruiter to pick the most suitable candidate
for an interview. The job seeker should present the latest details first in the resume.

Key Differences between CV and Resume

The following are the major differences between CV and Resume

1. A CV is a descriptive document which lists out all the details about a person’s career. A Resume is a
snapshot of a person’s working life, presenting all the details which are required for a job.
2. A CV is comprehensive while a Resume is concise.

3. The word CV is an abbreviation for Curriculum Vitae, which is a Latin word. The word Resume is a
French term.

4. CV is lengthier as compared to Resume.

5. CV gives emphasis on academic details whereas a Resume is focused on non-academic details along
with highlighting key skills and competencies, matching with the job.

6. CV can be customized, it can also remain static, but a Resume is dynamic and it changes according
to job.
 7. A CV includes references. In contrast to Resume, which do not include references, but only is
requested by the employer

8. CV is suitable when applying for academic positions, fellowship, advanced research, and for
freshers. On the other hand, Resume is accurate when applying for job, internships or taking part in
the job fair.

BIODATA

Biodata means "Biographical data" is defined as one's life and work experiences. The main focus on
personal attributes like date of birth, religion, sex, race, nationality, PAN, passport, permanent and
temporary residence, martial status, hobbies, height, weight, hair/skin/eye color, and a photo etc.  One can
not expect to predict all future behaviours from Biographical information, but it helps in individual selection
in that it can give an image of most likely future behaviours based on an individual’s prior learning history. 
Biodata is generally used in south asia like India,Pakisatan,Bangladesh etc.  In India biodata is used for
defence jobs,government jobs, or when applying for research grants etc.