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CV vs Resume: The ultimate guide to using the right one

Posted on 12-04-2020
Person waving at laptop for virtual interview

Knowing the difference between a CV and a resume could make or break your chances of landing your dream job. Use our handy guide to understand the differences so that you make the right choice when applying for jobs.

Job search Job seekers

Picture this: you’re applying for a job and the recruiter asks you for your Curriculum Vitae (more commonly known as a CV). But in all your past job interviews, you’ve only ever been asked for a resume. What do you do?

Don’t worry! We’ve all asked ourselves the same questions when looking for a job. Knowing the difference between a CV and a resume can be tricky, but lucky for you, we’ve prepared this handy guide to help you land your dream job.

Read on to learn more about CVs and resumes, when to use them and how to write them.

What’s the difference between a CV and a resume?

In Quebec, these terms are often used interchangeably, but in other areas of the country they’re considered very different documents. Sending the wrong one to your recruiter might land your application in the shredder, so it’s important to know the difference.

A resume is a brief 1- or 2-page summary of your professional experience and skills. A good resume will clearly show the recruiter why you’re the right person for the job, without providing your whole employment and academic history all the way back to elementary school.

A CV is much more detailed than a resume. It should include information about all your professional experience, your accomplishments, training, important projects, and even academic history if it’s related to the job you’re applying to.

When to send a CV

Now that you know the difference between a CV and a resume, you need to know when to use each one.

Send a CV to recruiters when you’re applying for an upper-management job, an academic job, or a research position. A resume will usually be too brief for you to feature all your relevant experience and skills when you’re applying to these kinds of positions.

If your job falls into one of these categories, but the recruiter specifically asks for a resume, then you should send a resume. Have a CV at the ready in case the recruiter asks for that, too.

When to send a resume

Send a resume to recruiters when you’re applying for entry-level positions, lower management jobs, “blue-collar” jobs, or jobs in creative industries like marketing.

A CV is much too long-winded for these kinds of job applications, and you might not have enough work experience to fill more than two pages without resorting to including irrelevant experience and achievements.

Again, if your recruiter specifically asks for a CV, send one of those. Make sure you also have a great looking resume at the ready if needed.

How to write a CV

Your CV needs to be detailed. When we say detailed, we mean very detailed. Here are the elements you should think about including on your CV:

  • Summary statement
  • Complete work history
  • Scholarships, grants, awards and honours received
  • Professional training, certifications and licenses
  • Research projects
  • Information about your thesis (if you have a master’s degree or PhD)
  • Published books and papers
  • Public speaking engagements at events or conferences
  • Professional or academic references and recommendations.

You don’t need to include every single one of these; it all depends on the job that you’re applying for. But for high-level positions and academic jobs, try showing off as many of these points as possible.

Aim to make your summary statement about 100-150 words long and use it to quickly tell the recruiter what you do, what areas you excel at, and what you’re interested in professionally.

The other sections of your CV should be concise and easy to read. For example, when talking about your work experience, bullet points and short descriptions of your responsibilities and results are enough.

Top tips for making your CV stand out

It’s good to know what a CV is for and what information needs to be detailed on it, but making your CV stand out is the key to getting through to the interview stage of the hiring process.

Here are our top tips on writing a standout CV for best results:

Don’t force your CV into a format

There are lots of CV templates on the internet, and while they’re a great place to start, make the CV template work for you. You may need to tweak the format, add new sections, and make it yours before you send it off to the recruiter. That way it doesn’t look like you just pasted your information into a generic CV template without giving it a second thought.

Put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter

Recruiters review hundreds of CVs every day, so putting yourself in their shoes could give you an advantage over other candidates.

To do this, make your CV easy to understand and skim through. Easy-to-read fonts, clear headings and subheadings, and colour-coded sections could be the subtle factors that get you a job interview!

Lead with results

It’s great to talk about your experiences and responsibilities in a particular role, but it’s even better to talk about what you achieved. For example, instead of saying you led a customer support team, give details about how your leadership increased customer satisfaction.

Focusing on results shows the recruiter how you will benefit their company in the long run, rather than how you can simply do the job to a satisfactory standard.

Do your research

Researching the company and role that you’re applying for is a great way to stand out from the crowd. Do this by looking for keywords in the initial job posting. If the vacancy says they’re looking for someone with creativity, make sure to include those exact words on your CV.

How to write a resume

Focus on readability. Resumes give the recruiter an overview of your experience and skills, so keep it short and concise, while making sure to add the following information:

  • Contact information
  • Work experience
  • Education, awards and scholarships
  • Special skills
  • Certifications and training
  • Languages
  • Interests and activities

As you can see, these points don’t dive as deeply into your professional and academic career as a CV does.

With a resume, less is often more, so include information that’s highly relevant to the position that you’re applying for. But just like with a CV, you should be highlighting the skills that recruiters are asking for in their job postings.

Do I need to send a cover letter with my CV or resume?

Plenty of candidates send only their CV or resume when applying for a job, but adding a cover letter separates you from the crowd and increases your chances of getting to the next stage of the hiring process. A good cover letter is usually expected when applying with a CV or for any “white collar” position.

Just as with CVs and resumes, a good cover letter should be properly structured, well researched, and written with a particular job or company in mind for maximum impact.

The bottom line on CVs and resumes

You now know the differences between a CV and a resume, what kind of positions they’re used for, and when to send them to recruiters, so you’ve got a good head start on other candidates.

If you’re working in an industry where CVs and resumes are used in the hiring process, try having both documents ready to go so that you’re not scrambling to get them done 15 minutes before the application deadline.

Make sure to update your CV regularly, and always ask for a second opinion from coworkers before sending it off to a recruiter. Oh, and most importantly, good luck with your job search!

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