Most likely, you have heard the term resume and are familiar with it. But how many of you have heard of a Curriculum Vitae (CV), much less know what it is?

First, a CV is an overview of your entire life’s accomplishments. It should focus on your academic accomplishments, skills, research, awards, and any articles you have published. As you can guess, a CV is not something you would use for your typical job. These are primarily for those who are in the medical, research, and science fields.

Resume vs CV

Pay Attention to the Length

Usually, a resume should be no longer than one page and at the very most, two pages. It is pretty well known that it’ll end up in the garbage if you go beyond two pages. A CV has no limit of pages and can be as long as you need it to be in order to showcase your accomplishments. One important thing to remember when using a CV is you should highlight all relevant information in a way that shares a lot of information in a few words.

Determine the Purpose of Each One

A resume provides a quick overview of education, experience, and skills to show you are the right fit for a specific job. In contrast, you can use a Curriculum Vitae for a variety of reasons. You could use it to apply for grants, fellowships, internships, or various positions in the science or medical fields.

Include the Correct Information

One reason that resumes are shorter than CV’s is because of the amount of information included in them. A resume is basic and changes based on the position you are applying for and focuses on your work achievements instead of academic ones. A CV should expand as you advance in your academic and professional life. Some people compare it to an academic diary that you update as new information becomes relevant.

Check and Recheck for Mistakes

It’s a well-known fact that resumes and CVs have a massive impact on if you’re going to be called in for an interview or not. All of this pressure can cause you to overlook simple things like spelling and grammar errors. Most of us rely on apps to let us know about any grammar and spelling errors. These programs don’t pick up every error, and there are times when words are spelled correctly but are still flagged as a mistake.

Formatting & Formality

Lack of formality is a sure-fire way to get your resume tossed. You don’t want to start cover letters with “hi” but instead, address it as “Dear” or to whomever the hiring manager is. Do not mention your age or any other personal information. Many states prohibit this because it could lead to lawsuits.

When creating your resume or CV, you need to make sure it’s formatted correctly. The first thing you do is make certain your name and contact information are in the upper right-hand corner. Unlike a resume, your last name needs to be on each page of the CV. Even if you’re the best candidate, sloppy informal resumes and CVs will ensure you don’t get an interview.

Relevancy to the Job You’re Seeking

It’s recommended to keep a master copy of both your resume and CV. This is so that you can tailor it to fit the position you’re seeking. For example: if you want to apply for a physician position, you don’t want to use a resume. Instead, you need to learn how to write a CV that focuses on your academic accomplishments, volunteer work, and published articles that focus on medical-related fields. The same principle works for resumes. Pick relevant employment and skills that the job requires.

Don’t Include References

References take up space that you could use for other relevant information. The purpose is to get an interview; make them stand out. If the company is interested in you, they will request them during the interview. The only time you should include references is if the job description requires you to.

Writing a CV or resume can be overwhelming and confusing, and there are a variety of rules that will change depending on the position. One thing that people agree with is to keep it easy to read without hard-to-read fonts. Once you learn the basics of writing a CV and understand its difference from a resume, you’ll be sure to land the position of your dreams.