Difference between a CV & Resume

Ever speculated why a Brit applies with a CV and an American with a resume? And why does an Asian apply with both? There are a few distinctions between the two types of application documents and this article will clear out your questions.

 Let's start discussing the features of CV and Resume individually and figure out the differences.

CV:

A CV (Curriculum Vitæ, the word derived from Latin means a course of life) is a detailed document that can be composed of over two or more pages and it comprises a high level of detail about your accomplishments, a great pact more than just a career biography. The CV covers your education as well as any other accomplishments like publications, awards, honors etc.

The document inclines to be organized in a sequence and should make it easy to get an impression of an individual's full working career. A CV is static and doesn't change for different designations, the difference would be in the cover letter.

Resume:

A resume is a brief document classically not longer than one page as the planned the reader will not reside on your document for very long. The goal of a resume is to make a person stand out from the race.

The job hunter should adjust the resume to every position they apply for. It is in the candidate's interest to change the resume from one job application to another and to modify it to the needs of the specific post. A resume doesn't have to be ordered in a particular sequence, doesn't have to cover your whole career like and is a highly customizable document.

Differences:

As mentioned, three key differences between CVs and resumes are the length, the purpose, and the layout. A resume is a short summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages, a CV is more comprehensive and can extend well beyond two pages. The resume will be personalized to each position whereas the CV will stay static and any changes will be in the cover letter.

A CV has a clear sequence and order listing the whole career of the person whereas a resume's information can be modified around to best suit the candidate. The main difference between a resume and a CV is that a CV is intended to be a full record of your career history and a resume is a brief, targeted list of skills and achievements.  To keep the difference, some online tools are also available that allow you to build CV and resume with more perfection.

Read More

The 7 most common CV mistakes

Confirming your CV stands out from the troop is no easy task. For each designation, a hiring manager recruits for they receive on average around 70 requests and research recommends you have only 15-20 seconds scanning time to influence.

The online CV building tools as we know are rapidly being reinforced with extra channels of showcasing a person's talent. But, the CV is still very much in demand for employers all over the world.

Here are our 7 quick hacks on the most common CV mistakes to avoid.

Inappropriate work experiences:

The petrol station shift, the cash boxes at the superstore and the warehouse job over the summer were all countless life-shaping experiences, but there's no room for them on your CV. Keep any experiences you add current and related to the job and person requirement you're applying for.

Don't get personal:

Remove any personal details like religious references, marital status, and age. You are not required to add these on your CV. Remove any reference to your current and past salaries as well as irrelevant qualifications.

Misrepresentation:

Enhancing your triumphs on your CV is never a good idea. Playing you are the CEO of a company, setting up an aid or going to one of the UK's top universities that don't exist won't do you any favors.  Write the facts and emphasis on your main achievements and accomplishments rather than misrepresenting yourself.

Unreliable formatting:

Swapping between one and two columns, different size and obsolete styles of fonts make an unfriendly read for the hiring manager's eye. Choose a style and stick with it. Divide your CV up with clear headings and bullet points.

Unprofessional email address:

How would you feel about reading the CV of someone with the email address Clubmonster@gmail.com or beerforbreakfast@hotmail.com? Hilarious as it is, it doesn't carry a professional image. Keep your private life apart when it comes to email addresses.

Poor grammar:

There's no excuse for spelling mistakes and bad grammar. Proofread your CV, once for spelling mistakes, once for grammar and then read it back to pick up any final mistakes. If you're unsure have a friend or colleague check through it for you.

 Hobbies:

If your hobbies are relevant to the company you're applying to they could help you get an interview, but it's better to include any examples of volunteer or charity work.

You have limited space, so use it wisely!

Read More

What sections to include in a Resume

Most resumes have four basic sections (Contact information, Education, Objective, and Experience). These sections in a resume provide managers with significant information such as your education, your professional background, and the level of your qualification.

Here is the detailed description of the basic things that your professional resume should have:

Contact information:

Generally, About Me, Section in the resume should include full name on the resume, resume address, phone number, and email. You can add the link to your LinkedIn profile or personal website too. Format this section according to your preferences, but keep it looking professional by using standard formatting.

Education:

If you are making a chronological resume, first, write the highest degree you’ve achieved. Following the latest move to the oldest keeping in mind the latest to oldest sequence. Don’t forget to include the following information: name of educational institution, date of graduation, academic level, and field of study.

Objective:

Keep your resume header clear and focused. For example, “Looking for a position as a Financial Analyst to use research and quantitative skills.”

Experience or resume work history:

The resume experience section is typical for every resume. Here you present your professional work experience. You can choose various options for presenting information - by the company, position or date. Also, you can include skills that were used at a particular job position in a given period. Don`t forget to mention your scholarships.

Summary of qualifications:

Adding a Summary of Qualification section to your resume can be very helpful in thinking about your key strengths relevant to the job position for which you’re applying.

What to write in the skills section of the resume:

Your resume is the best place to highlight your abilities. Skills section in resume depends on the type of document you’re writing. This section includes your skills that are related to the job you are applying on. It helps to hire managers to find out if you have the required skill-set for the desired position.

So what to write in the skills section of the resume? Writing the skills section, match the requirements posted in a job vacancy. If there are several types of skills that are important to mention, you can include more than one list in your resume. Make sure to list abilities that are relevant to the position you are interested in (computer, language, technical skills, etc.).

You can also create a basic profile and let an online tool do the job. J

Read More