As shocking as it sounds, there is a significant difference between a curriculum vitae and a resume, and they are used in different scenarios. When applying for a job, you may provide the recruitment agency with a resume or a CV to demonstrate your work and educational history. Both are intended to introduce you to the employer and demonstrate your suitability for the position. Which one you use is determined by where you are in the world, what you want to achieve with it, and your work history.

Resume vs. CV

The term ‘resume' is derived from the French word 'résumé,' which means ‘summary' or ‘summation.' A resume is a brief summary of your work history, with possibly a few other details thrown in for good measure. The majority of other information will be included in a cover letter or a form application.

CV is an abbreviation for Curriculum Vitae, a Latin phrase that roughly translates to "the course of my life." This typically provides a comprehensive overview of your work history, as well as any qualifications and skills, accomplishments you have made, educational background, and any personality traits you believe will set you apart from the other applicants. The CV is considerably more detailed than the resume.

Resume or Résumé usually contains:

1. Full name
2. Your current position or the position you're applying for
3. Contact information
4. Resume summary or objective
5. Work experience
6. Education
7. Skills
8. Languages
9. Certifications and interests (optional)

Click here to see a sample of a resume

Skill and competency are central to resumes. These personal marketing documents concisely and powerfully highlight your skills, notable accomplishments, and work experience.

• The most widely used career document among job seekers.
•  A brief overview of your education, work experience, credentials, accomplishments, and skills. Should be customized to a specific job description.
•  Typically, they are one or two pages long.
•  Visual aids such as bulleted and numbered lists, bold fonts, various font sizes, and multiple columns are included.
• There are three types of resumes: chronological, functional, and hybrid.

CV or Curriculum Vitae usually includes:

1. Full name
2. Contact information
3. Resume summary or Resume objective
4. Research interests
5. Education
6. Publications of books and papers
7. Teaching experience
8. Work experience
9. Conferences and courses
10. Skills
11. Certificates
12. Languages
13. Grants of fellowships
14. References

Click here to see a sample of a CV

Your credentials are the foundation of your CV. Typically, they are used by job seekers seeking positions in academia, scientific research, and medicine.

• An extensive career document outlining your academic and research background.
• Candidate's entire career path is shown in chronological order. Everything is as detailed and thorough as possible.
•  It usually takes much longer than a resume to complete. Anything from one to ten pages is fine.

CVs, in contrast to resumes, are static documents. It is not possible to adapt them to different roles.

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