“Hey, my name is Gilbert and last week I saw a job advert in one of the Dailies which I fully qualify for. On the instructions they have asked candidates to send resumes and clarified very well that they do not want any CV’s. Any person who sends one they said will be penalized. I am confused. All along I have thought resume is just a synonym for CV. Kindly advice, what’s the difference?” The email read.
Indeed what’s the difference? Let me break this down for you.
What is a CV in the first place?
A CV (Curriculum Vitæ) is what we are most used to in Kenya and it’s an in-depth document which can be laid out over two or more pages depending on your experience.
Get this, a CV contains a high level of detail about your achievements, it covers other accomplishments like publications, awards, honors etc.
As you know by now, a CV tends to be organized chronologically and should make it easy to get an overview of an individual’s full working career. It doesn’t change much when applying for different positions, the only thing that changes in this case is your cover letter when you tailor it around a certain job ad.
A resume is shorter than a CV
This document which is an enigma to many job seekers is a document typically not longer than one page as the intended the reader will not dwell on your document for very long.
The goal of a resume is to make an individual stand out from the competition.
Here is the key point: The job seeker should adapt the resume to every position they apply for. It is in the applicant’s interest to change the resume from one job application to another and to tailor it to the needs of the specific post.
And what’s the difference between the two? There are major differences between CVs and resumes is the length, the purpose and the layout.
A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages while a CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages.
NB: A resume will be tailored to each position whereas the CV will stay put and any changes will be in the cover letter.
A strong, professionally written resume, starts out with a brief Summary of qualifications, next is a key word section listing your areas of strength or industry expertise, then Professional experience which is summarized.
Remember that, the information listed under Experience is written in reverse chronological order (most recent/present job first and going back from there) and includes a balance of responsibilities and accomplishments for each position.
Which one you think works best for you….the CV or Resume?
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