What is a resume used for?
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‘Resume’ is a word you’ll hear a lot during the job-hunting process. A resume, sometimes called a CV or curriculum vitae, is a document that lists your work experience, education, skills and achievements. Show
You’ll need a resume for almost any job application. It’s considered essential information to give to an employer so they can weigh up whether you’re suitable for a role, and if they want to invite you to a job interview. What should my resume include?
Next, include your education or work experience – start with whichever is more recent.
After this, it’s a good idea to add some more information to reinforce or add to the picture of what you’ve got to offer.
How long should my resume be?Keep your resume short and to the point, so you can make a good impression when an employer takes a quick glance at it. Consider making your resume one or two pages if you have less than 10 years of professional experience. Senior executives or academics may like to have resumes that are three or more pages long. What should it look like?It’s important to make sure the design and layout of your resume is neat and makes it easy to read. Use one or two clear fonts and use headings, bullet points and paragraphs to split up the text. While you’re at it, make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. What to leave outYour resume is meant to give a summary of your skills and experience – so there’s no need to include every detail. Some information isn’t necessary in a resume: You’ve probably heard of the Curriculum Vitae (CV) more than once. In some cases, it’s used as a synonym for the resume. In others, it seems like it’s something completely different. So, which is it? What’s a CV, anyway? Is it any different than a resume? If so, how?
 What is a CV? [+ Real-Life Example]The term CV is an abbreviation of the Latin word Curriculum Vitae, which is literally translated to “the course of your life”. A CV is a very in-depth document that describes your career journey step-by-step, including all sorts of personal information. You can look at the CV as a comprehensive description of everything you have ever done, all the achievements you are proud of, and all the publications that bear your name. You need to update your CV every time you accomplish something new academically or professionally. Meaning, whenever you get a new job, publish something new, obtain a new certificate, and so on. There is no rule of thumb on how long a CV should be - depending on the amount of experience, it can range from 2 to 8 pages.
Real-Life CV ExampleWant to see how a CV looks like in practice? Check out a real-life sample below. Elizabeth Smith is a marketing professional with a specialization in online marketing. She’s applying to become a professor at a university. In Elizabeth’s CV, you can see a summarized snapshot of her life: everything she has studied, all the conferences she has been to, the skills she obtained, and a list of her publications. Since she’s applying for a job in a university, Elizabeth mentions her academic achievements and interests first, and professional experiences later. Want to create an awesome CV, but don’t want to spend hours playing around with the formatting & layout? We’ve got you covered! Use one of the 8 Novorésumé CV templates. What is a Resume? [+ Real-Life Example]A resume is a short, straight-to-the-point, document created for the purpose of applying to a specific job. Unlike the CV, you should try to keep a resume as short as possible. In 99% of the cases, you’d want to keep your resume to 1-page max. If you have 15+ years of experience, or really believe that the extra information you can mention can add value to your application, you can make it 2 pages tops. In a resume, you only mention the aspects of your work experience and skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. A good resume highlights specific contributions you have made in your previous work and showcases how your different skills can be useful for the position you are applying to. The resume is usually accompanied by the submission of a cover letter which states your intent for applying to the job. The cover letter builds upon the skills and experience you have touched upon in your resume, explaining how they’re going to help you excel at the job you’re applying for. Making a resume and continuously updating it can be a hassle. Want a modern-looking resume done in less than 5 minutes? Try our online resume builder. It’s free, and you can select amongst 8+ templates.
Want to learn more about what you can mention in each of these sections? Check out our guide on what to put on a resume. Real-Life Resume ExampleTo get a better idea of what a resume looks like, check out the example below. In this case, Elizabeth Smith is applying for a job as a marketing specialist, not a professor. Create Your Resume Now Unlike Elizabeth’s CV, her resume is significantly shorter and more to-the-point. She only mentions relevant work experiences, skills, certifications, and education. After all, the hiring manager cares about her skills as a marketer, not her academic achievements. The ordering of information is also a bit different. In Jane’s CV, she mentions her academic experiences first and then moves on to work. Here, it’s the other way around, with minimal emphasis on Jane’s academic successes. Want to get started with your resume, but don’t know how? Check out the Novorésumé guide on How to Make a Resume. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about making a resume, one step at a time. CV vs. Resume - What’s the DifferenceNow that you have a clear idea about what’s a CV and what’s a resume, here’s a complete list of the differences between the curriculum vitae (CV) and resume:
To give you a better idea of how a CV and a resume differ, here are the two other examples side-by-side: CV vs. Resume - The Difference Between U.S. & EUBy now you should have a clear idea about the differences between the CV and the Resume. Here’s where it gets a tiny bit trickier: these differences generally only apply in the United States. In all of Europe, the word CV is essentially just a synonym for the resume. So, if you’re applying for a position in the EU, and the job asks for a CV, you should know that it actually means a resume. ConclusionNow, let’s sum up everything we learned in this post:
Now that you know the difference between a CV and a resume, it’s up to you to decide which one fits your purposes and job hunting process best. It’s tough out there as it is! Here at Novorésumé, we are committed to making that process simple and fun for you. In less than 5 minutes, you can create a professional, modern-looking CV or Resume. All you need to do is go through our slick template gallery and choose the format that suits you best. Choose among 16+ templates for building a resume or a CV for any industry or job position. You can even select a template for the cover letter that goes with your CV or resume. What is the main purpose of a resume?The purpose of a resume is to introduce yourself to employers, present your qualifications, and secure an interview. The goal of writing a resume is to showcase your experience, education, and skills in a standardized format which is easy for recruiters to read.
What are 3 reasons why a resume is important?Resumes help employers make hiring decisions and help you get your first interview.. Outlines your relevant skills and experience. ... . Displays the benefits you offer employers. ... . Grabs the attention of employers. ... . Matches you to the position.. What are the benefits of a resume?To sell your skills: Through a well-written resume, you can sell the skills which you have accumulated over these years. You can let the recruiter know what all skills that you have acquired through different jobs and how you are going to utilize them for the betterment of the prospective organization.
Is it better to have a resume or CV?When applying for most jobs in the U.S., a resume works best. You simply want to give the potential employer a reason to interview you. Applying for positions in the academic, research, scientific, and medical fields may require a CV rather than a resume.
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