CV, Curriculum Vitae and Resume Formats

CV, Curriculum Vitae or resume? - That is the question!

 A CV is an abbreviation of Curriculum Vitae - Latin for "course of life".

CVs are used in the job search process in all countries around the world except the USA and Canada.

Americans and Canadians use CV in job search overseas and a Curriculum Vitae if they are seeking faculty, research, clinical or scientific positions internally and internationally.

To a great degree, the CV is equivalent to a resume.

The major difference between CV and resume is in the lengths. Usually, the standard CV is between 2 and 8 pages long where the standard resume is between 1 and 2 pages long.

A CV is similar to a resume in that it provides more details about one’s professional qualifications, experience and education.

You can turn your updated resume into a CV by adding relevant detailed information and expanding the descriptions of your educational and professional experiences.

Whereas resumes are a reflection of your main accomplishments only, CVs are detailed accounts of your education and work experience to date.

Applying for a job abroad differs from country to country. Therefore, if you want your job application to be taken seriously, you must consider national differences correctly.

Generally, most information referring to resumes is applicable to CVs and vice versa. However, you should be aware that there might be subtle conventions associated with the international job application process within different countries.

Regardless of the CV format, you choose the focus of your CV should be to persuade the employer to invite you for an interview. Therefore these pages contain guidelines that will improve the odds of your CV achieving the objective you want - obtaining job interviews.

As you can see from the above table the majority of countries, except Canada and the USA use CVs instead of resumes. For China, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa it is a matter of semantics - both names, a resume and a CV are being used synonymously.

Remember that your CV/resume must be targeted, scannable and generate hits. If you have difficulty with your CV writing or resume writing instead of staring at a blank piece of paper, use CV samples and CV templates, resume samples and resume templates.

Most recruiters expect to receive a cover letter together with your CV or resume. So, prepare a cover letter convincing the reader why you are the best candidate for the interview using cover letter writing tips.

Other CV, Curriculum Vitae or Resume Info

Now to finalize your job search, if your cover letter and CV are ready, you may email them through an international job search to job recruiters and headhunters worldwide.

Start preparing for job interviews and check the job interview tips dos and don'ts. Also, find out why people are not being hired.

In addition, on job search, visas, work permits, cover letters, CV & resume, job interview and dress codes pages, you will find very useful tips for many different countries.

Good luck with your CV, Curriculum Vitae or Resume!