Last updated on February 24, 2024
Do I Need a Resume or a CV
Knowing the difference between a resume and a CV can help you make a better presentation to potential employers. Sending the wrong one to the job you really want? Could be the difference between getting a call to interview or not.
If you want to be sure? Ask the recruiting contact what type of presentation they prefer before you submit. Don’t be afraid to do that and it won’t hurt your chances of interviewing. Actually, they’ll probably appreciate your being conscious of that.
Why are there differences in presentation?
As a hiring manager, I often recruit for IT and we tend to be more “modern” – in our industry, we only want a stripped-down skills resume. Like similar industries, we’re all about what you bring to the mix. In the positions we fill, it’s less important to me where you got the experience – I’m looking for you to be adaptive. I want you to bring me those transferable skills and certifications if it’s required for the position in a clear list, but that’s about all I need.
A more traditional small office – like a dentist or doctor’s office – might prefer a CV. In that setting, they will be more interested in your schooling on top of your experience, because you couldn’t do the job without it. There’s medical terminology and needing to know how to handle patient records and navigating insurance billing among other things. These are quite specific to their industries so it makes more sense to show where you got the know-how because they’re not going to take it on faith that you know.
The presentation preference really does depend on the industry. Let’s have a look at the differences.
What makes up a resume?
A resume is a concise first presentation of your experiences and skills as they relate to a particular career or position.
Most companies want a resume. Your resume should be edited to emphasise the particular skills relevant to the job for which you’ve applied. This comes in handy when your skills are transferable between industries – reorder them to showcase the most relevant ones. I have about six versions of my resume that highlight different sets of skills. A general resume is fine to have on-hand, but it’s always better to highlight the skills relevant to a position when you can. It will make yours stand out.
A resume should have:
- your name and contact info
- work experience with the names of companies you’ve worked for
- the relevant dates
- your job titles
- what you accomplished at each (and quantify it)
Resumes should be no longer than 1 page or 2 pages tops.
What makes up a CV?
Very different from a resume, a CV (Curricula Vitae) is a detailed overview of your accomplishments over the 
course of your life.
This would include not only job experience, but especially your schooling. Due to the detail around the schooling, a CV is generally more suited to jobs in academia, the medical field, or around research.
A CV is a showcase of:
- courses you’ve taken in the relevant field
- the many research projects you’ve been involved with
- publications (written by you or referencing you) and presentations to you
- professional memberships
- grants, honours and awards
- the list of persons who’ve written you letters of recommendation and their contact information
A CV is also a much more evolving entity. You should update it often and it will grow over time to become many pages long. Depending on your experience, these could even go into the double digits.
Send the recruiter exactly what they want to see
Keeping these things in mind will allow you to send exactly what a recruiter wants to see. Your best presentation can put you on the road to getting that new job, so worth your while to find out their company’s preference.
Need help with constructing your actual resume? Keep an eye out for my next article on creating a resume that can help you get noticed.
[Addition: See my article Create a Rockin’ Resume – Selling You Do’s & Don’ts for tips on crafting your resume]