CV vs Resume Which Is Better for a Fresher?
- What is a CV
- What is a resume
- What to list in a CV
- What to list in a resume
- Difference between CV and resume
- Which is a better choice for freshers
The first step into your work life from your safe haven of the academic quarters can be quite intimidating for many students.
Questions like What is a CV? What is a resume? How to know whether to submit a CV or a resume? What is the difference between a CV and a Resume? keep popping up.
So, freshers bid adieu to your woes regarding CVs and resume.
In this blog, we will try to address all your queries about what is a CV, what is a resume, the difference between a CV and a Resume, and which one you should choose when applying for a job.
Without further ado, let’s begin!
What is a CV
Deriving from the Latin heritage, Curriculum Vitae (CV) means the course of life.
Similarly, in our modern lives, a CV helps one to highlight the achievements in your professional and academic lives in detail.
Depending on the type of job, a CV is asked to be presented at the time of the job application.
What is a resume
Another document of importance for jobseekers is a resume. In French, a resume means a summary, and much to its etymology a resume summarizes the career trajectory of a jobseeker.
It helps a jobseeker to introduce oneself to the recruiter when applying for a job and hence requires top priority when one is planning to start a career.
However, a lot has changed over time, and to leave an impression on the recruiter, a resume needs to be updated.
Read: How to Write the Best Resume in 2020 (With Resume Samples)
Now, reading about what is a CV and what is a resume, a fresher might think both are synonymous.
However, contradictory to common belief, a CV and a resume are different documents.
Confused? Don’t worry, let’s go through the contents found in each document, then we can break down the differences in simpler terms.
What to list in a CV
So, now that what is a CV has been addressed, here are the contents which are found in a CV.
A CV is a detailed document of a jobseeker’s career containing name, contact information, mail address, work history, academic qualifications, awards, extracurricular activities, etc.
You can also read Pro Tips to Get Your CV Format Right to curate an amazing CV!
What to list in a resume
A major difference between a CV and a resume is in its length and area of focus.
A resume is a much crisper version of a CV where a jobseeker graphs his work experience in a bulleted format by highlighting his/her most relevant skill set.
It provides an introduction of a jobseeker to the recruiter who takes a quick scan of the document to consider one’s candidature for the position.
Difference between CV and resume
Still confused? Let’s break down the difference between a CV and a resume into simpler terms.
Characteristics of a CV
Length
- A CV goes beyond 2 -3 pages
- A CV is extremely detailed
Content
- A CV speaks of a jobseeker’s entire educational and professional background
- It contains detailed information about your educational qualification, awards, recognitions, research papers, and publications
Chronology of writing a CV
- A CV is written in the order of the events that occurred for the recruiter to understand your growth graph.
Characteristics of a Resume
Length
- A resume is rounded up in a maximum of 2 pages, with roughly 1 page for each decade of experience
- A resume is a very concise and crisp document
Content
- A resume, because of its concise character, houses only the specifics: mainly your work experience and your proficiency
- In a resume, the most important skills are highlighted
- This helps the recruiters to understand what to expect of you as a candidate
Chronology of writing a Resume
- A resume could be written in various formats as long as it is crisp and does not have any unnecessary information
- It could be written in either a chronological format i.e., in the manner the events occurred or in a functional format. This means highlighting the skill set a jobseeker possesses which is in tandem with the skills desired by the recruiter
- A jobseeker could also follow a combinational format where the most important skills are highlighted first followed by a combination of chronology and functional formats
Which is a better choice for freshers
Now, despite clarity in the differences between a CV and a resume, it is natural to feel confused about which document to produce when and where.
Given its lengthy characteristics along with detailed writing of your career path, a CV comes handy majorly in academic fields or if you are applying for a managerial position.
In academics, a CV requires you to point out all the papers you have written and published till date which gives clarity to the higher authorities in institutes about your capabilities, subject knowledge, and whether you are cut out for the job of an educator.
For managerial positions, a CV provides a great deal of insight about one’s experience and managerial capabilities thereby giving an understanding of whether or not one can manage administerial tasks.
On the other hand, a resume is your best friend when applying for more technical jobs such as in IT, as a Content writer, etc. where skills acquired have more weightage to bag the job.
However, to make it to the finishing line you must ensure that you get your resume on point!
Writing a resume requires caution and experience to perfect all the elements like resume headlines, profile summary, and what power words or action verbs you can use to sharpen your resume.
Although it is not rocket science, sometimes it is wise to take the help of resume writing services such as Naukri FastForward.
Here, experts in the field of curating a resume will help you get a spectacular resume at an economical rate just by filling in some basic details.
So, bid adieu to your doubts about resumes and CVs and start working on your job applications with confidence!
All the best!