What is a CV 'Curriculum Vitae' ?

CV also known as ‘Curriculum Vitae’ translates to ‘course of a life’. It is a thorough expansion on your full professional history and development. A CV could include your academic history, job experience, awards, grants, scholarships, research, publications, and more.

CV or Resume?

A CV and a resume will both be beneficial for your career goals depending on what you are pursuing.

A resume is typically more concise, whereas a CV is more of a detailed outlook on all that you have accomplished throughout your work and academic life.

A resume is usually crafted to a standard one page template and a CV can be three plus pages. It is important to remember that although they are similar in nature they can not be substituted for the other.

A CV would be more useful in circumstances where someone is extensively trying to determine if you are a good fit. This would primarily be when applying to academic, graduate programs or for research opportunities. On the contrary, resumes are more helpful when employers are looking to quickly hire a candidate for a role.

One indicator that you may be asked to provide a CV is if the application is highly competitive. Another indicator is that if you expect that you will not receive the decision immediately, but rather over a lengthy course of time. These can both be insightful signs to prepare your CV as they are desired in situations where decision-making is intensive.

What to Include in your CV

When preparing your own CV you might want to include your contact information, award information such as scholarships or grants, research, publications, honorable affiliations, professional certifications, education, volunteer experience, skills, and personal projects. CV's are meant to be read by a human so they can be lengthier, compared to resumes that should be concise to not get rejected by robot software.

In most parts of the world CV’s and resumes are not interchangeable, so it is important to distinguish which one is being requested. All in all, a CV is an encompassing document of who you are and what you have done within academia and the workplace. In a CV, the details matter.

Need help finding a career path to prepare your CV for? Take a career assessment today.