CV vs. Resume: What’s the Difference?
As you begin to enter or reenter the workforce, you likely know what a resume is and why it’s important. But as you advance further into your career and start gaining interest in new and more professional positions, you may start to get asked for a curriculum vitae. What in the world is a curriculum vitae and why can’t you just submit a resume?
Today, we’ll go over the CV vs. resume debate, giving you all you need to know. Let’s jump in.
CV vs. Resume: What Are They?
To start us off, we’re going to take a look at the standard resume. Resumes are usually around one page in length, two pages if you need, but one is considered the standard. You can present these for almost any and every job out there.
A resume will go over your work history and accomplishments to make sure you’re an ideal candidate for the job you’re applying for. They’re really meant to highlight and showcase you to the employers. Your skills, work history, and achievements are essentially used as ammo when marketing yourself for the open position.
Now, a curriculum vitae is almost the same thing, but not really. A CV has the same goal as a resume which is to make you look like the ideal candidate. While a resume boasts more on your skills and whatnot, a CV is based on your credentials. We’re talking about your education, certifications, any memberships or professional affiliations, and research experience.
CV’s are definitely longer in length and seem a lot more professional. This is because CV’s are primarily used to apply for jobs in the medical field, any type of science profession, and jobs in academia. Your curriculum vitae, which translates to “course of life” will be used to ensure the best candidate is chosen for the position.
Should You Write a Curriculum Vitae?
Well, it depends on where you’re planning to take your career. If you’re a nursing student getting ready to graduate and look for a job, then it’s definitely in your best interest to start writing a CV. Even if you just started college or university, it’s a good idea to write down everything you don’t end up forgetting.
If you’re just going to college and don’t really know where you’re headed in life, that’s completely okay, but you don’t need to write a CV. If you’re ready to start working on a CV, but you don’t know where to start, it’s a good idea to look into professional CV writing. This way you can be sure to have a CV that will impress your peers.
Being Prepared
At the end of the day, the CV vs. resume debate isn’t really a debate. You’ll use one for some jobs and the other for different ones. What really matters is that your work hard and better yourself so that no matter which one you have to submit for an application, it’ll be reflecting the ideal candidate.
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