A crucial step in the employment search process is creating a summary of one's professional background and skills. 

However, one of the first challenges young job seekers face, straight out of high school, college, or postgraduate studies, is deciding whether to produce a résumé or a CV. But why does it matter when looking for a job and what makes the two different?

A person's academic accomplishments, publications, and other pertinent information are listed in their curriculum vitae (CV) to sell themselves to potential employers. 

A resume is a brief document highlighting a person's qualifications for a given position. A CV is substantially longer than a resume in terms of length.

Every time a person applies for a job, they must create a document introducing themselves. Which is better, a resume or a CV? If you are unaware of their differences, picking one of them will be very challenging. 

The biggest mistake is when candidates send whatever they have available at the time without understanding which document is necessary. They risk being disqualified if they don't send the required paperwork.

The key differences between a CV and a resume are listed in this article.

What is a CV?

The word Curriculum Vitae, a Latin term that means "course of life" or an individual's course of life, is referred to by the abbreviation CV. 

A curriculum vitae is a document that details an individual's background in terms of their schooling, work experience, expertise, knowledge, competencies, projects, awards, and recognitions.

A person's academic training and professional experiences are detailed in their CV, which is a biography. Information regarding a person's hobbies, extracurricular activities, and areas of interest are also included. 

It is unchanged for all jobs and is not changed following the assignment. So that a proper outline of a person's career may be created should be organized systematically.

Things to include in your CV

A CV comprises information pertinent to the job you're applying for in addition to the essentials, such as research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional affiliations and licenses, awards, and other accomplishments.

• Your name 
• Contact information
• Education and skills
• Experience 

What is a Resume?

A resume summarizes a person's qualifications, prior work experiences, achievements, competencies, and skills. 

It comes in paper and is necessary when applying for business, government, and industry employment. It is a glimpse of a person's career history.

The word "resume" is a French word that means "summary," or a summary of a person's professional life. It only lists the job applicant's relevant credentials and experience needed for the particular position.

Given that a resume might lead to an interview, it should be written in a way that will impress the potential employer.

Additionally, it aids the hiring manager in selecting the best applicant for an interview. The job applicant should start with the most recent information in the resume.

Things to include in a Resume

Your resume should not exceed one or two pages. Do not include your social security number, health information, or date of birth.

Limit the use of "I" and other personal pronouns. Use action verbs to start your statements. Be sincere, but try to keep insufficient information off of your CV.

Fix any mistakes on your résumé. Have you checked for errors by someone else? Use a 10–14 point font size that is basic and easy to read. Make use of sturdy paper.

CV vs. Resume: Comparison Table

Comparison factor	CV	Resume
Meaning	A document containing information about an individual's past qualifications, experience, skills, competencies, and achievements is known as a CV or Curriculum Vitae.	A Resume is a document having details of an individual's education, work experience, competencies, and previous job achievements.
Type of Document	Comprehensive	Concise
Etymology	Curriculum Vitae is a Latin expression that means course of life.	A French term that means summary.
Length	2 to 20 or more pages	1 to 2 pages
References	Included	Not Included
Oriented towards	Academic qualification	Non-academic qualification
When to use	Applying for an academic position, advanced research, fellowship, etc.	Applying for the job, and intership or taking part in the job fair, etc.
Modification	No, it is same for all jobs	Yes, it can be modified according to job.
Stresses on	Expertise, i.e., what skills make you an expert in a particular field.	Contribution, i.e., how your work made a difference, where you have worked.
Education	At the top of the CV,	Mention the experience.

Key Differences between a CV and a Resume

• A CV is a detailed document that outlines every aspect of a person's professional history. A resume summarizes a person's professional record that includes all the information needed to land a job.
• A resume is brief, whereas a CV is thorough.
• Curriculum Vitae, a Latin word, is the source of the abbreviation CV. The term "resumé" is French in origin.
• In comparison to a CV, a resume is shorter in length.
• CVs and resumes are different in that the former are typically tailored to the particular job of interest. Only the experience and qualifications that directly correspond to the job description are often listed on a résumé. A CV may be slightly customized, for example, by stressing particular competencies pertinent to the position, but other than that, little editing or fine-tuning is necessary from one job application to the next. The number of publications, abilities, and accomplishments on a CV increases over time.
• While a resume focuses on non-academic information and highlights significant abilities and competencies relevant to the job, a CV emphasizes academic information.
• A CV is static and cannot be customized. However, a resume is dynamic and varies depending on the position.
• References are on a CV. As opposed to a resume, which omits references.
• When applying for academic posts, fellowships, advanced research, etc., a CV is appropriate. However, a resume is accurate when submitting an application for a job, an internship, or attending a job fair.
• The focus of a curriculum vitae (CV) is expertise, or what makes you a specialist in the subject you have chosen to study. On the other hand, a CV focuses on contributions and how your work affects the places you have worked.
• The top of the CV includes a section for education. In contrast to a CV, where education is listed after the experience.

The distinction between a CV and a resume is obvious; the former includes all facets of a person's professional life, whereas the latter is targeted directly at a given position. A CV is more in-depth than a resume. 

These two terms are not mutually exclusive and are not interchangeable. In most nations, candidates must submit a CV or resume during the hiring process. The differences in the two papers' contents are discussed in this article.