Some Facts About CV Writing

Even though CV and resume are often considered as interchangeable terms, a CV differs from resume both in nature and meaning. They are similar only in two aspects. One is that a CV covers all the information given in a resume, in addition to other details and records. And the other similarity is that both these documents are biographical data about a person, vital for assessing his academic or professional ability. The full form of CV is ‘Curriculum vitae’. It is a Latin term which stands for “course of life.” Resume is a French expression which means synopsis or summary. These meanings describe the exact nature of work involved in both.

CV writing is a more comprehensive job than resume writing. A CV is a record of milestones in a person’s academic curriculum and professional history; whereas, resume is a record of a person’s educational qualification and professional experience in relation to a particular job or position.

CVs are created by both students and job seekers. CVs are vital when it comes to applying for academic posts in universities and educational institutions. Submitting a CV is also inevitable for jobs at various research and development centers and administrative departments. It is also useful for several high-profile executive jobs.

The term CV is commonly used in UK and some other European countries for both educational and professional purposes. However, in other places like US and Asia the term ‘resume’ is generally used for all the business and job related biographies.

CVs are longer than resume, normally spanning 2 pages. However, CVs for senior posts might go on for several pages. There are many companies that insist the applicant to attach a detailed CV along with his resume and other certificates. If the company is interested in a particular resume then they can rely on CV to learn more about the candidate’s academic and social life. CVs are also demanded in case of overseas jobs or education.

CVs give a fundamental idea about a person’s background. Apart from your whereabouts and contact identifications, a CV begins with a prologue recounting your performance and aspirations. It is usually a short introduction that summarizes the purpose of the CV. It is followed by educational qualifications consisting of academic degrees and training courses mastered. The third part should contain professional details.

You should enlist all your work experience along with details of the employers and nature of the jobs. Finally, you can add a review on your professional skills. You should mention your best skills and also the skills you are working on or aspiring to accrue in future. You can write your CV in first person or third person. Your CV should be a set of records containing no form of personal interpretations or opinionated statements.

Generally, all the CVs required for esteemed positions are written by hired professional writers. CV writing requires more research and takes more time and the charges are normally higher than resume writing. For basic level CV help internet is the best option. There are hundreds of articles and sites offering free samples and layouts customized for different curriculum.