So you are reading all the advice on the web about how to write a perfect resume and you come to a post where the writer is using the words resume and CV interchangeably, without ever giving explanation. You are left confused rather than enlightened, and the next thing you want to know about is the difference between a Resume and a CV.

Ever wondered if resume or CV both refers to the same thing or something entirely differents? As experts will tell you there is difference between both, and this post will not only make it clear for you, but also help you know about the times, when and where in the world you are likely to use which documents.

What is CV?

A CV or a Curriculum vitae meaning course of life in latin), is a complete account of your achievement and chronology. This in-depth document is over two or more pages and contains a greater level of details than viewed in a simple carrer biography. Whether it's your academic details or other accomplishments like awards, honors, publications, any voluntary work that you undertook during your free time or any internships that you think might be relevant for the job you are applying for, all these details can be safely included in the CV. The average length of a CV easily crosser two pages. And for the way a CV should be written, the document mostly is orgarnised chronologically and remains static, as it doesn't change for different positions.

What about the Resume?

A resume is in stark contrast with a CV. It is a concise documents that is typically equal to a single page and the recruiter doesn't want to spend too much time looking at your resume. The resume should be able to make you stand out from the crowd. Besides, a job seeker should be able to change the resume as per the positions they are applying to. It is only for your good that the resume is tailored to a specific post. It is not necessary to order it chronologically and neither does it require you to write about your entire carrer.

The major differences.

Thus, the major differences between a resume and a CV are in the purpose they serve, their length and their layouts. CV means long, static piece of documents that cover your entire carrer in a chronological fashion. A resume is short, highly tailored and has no paticular rule.

How to use them.

In countries like US or Canada, a resume is the preferred way of receiving job. In other western countries like UK, Ireland and New Zealand will only see CV as the mode of job application. There is no significant usage of resume at all. For help, one can refer to the European union CV format which is available for download. There are some countries like India, Australia and South Africa where the terms Resume and CV are used interchangeably. So if you are applylying jobs in these countries, then it only depend on the industry and sector where you are applying for the job. In private sectors, a resume is more preferred while a CV is more common when applying to public sector jobs.

Bottom line.

Winning a particular job opportunity takes a lot more than just sheer talent. You should have to present yourself in an appropriate manner in order to be noticed in a sea- full of people similar like you or perhaps even more talented than you. A good job application therefore is essential, and knowing the difference between a resume and a CV is a perfect place to start. You can also go for visual CV because that will represent the skills in a better way.