Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)?

Do I need a Resume or CV? 

 

CV

  • Purpose: Your CV is a full list of your professional and educational history.

  • Use: Required for academic positions, fellowships and some research positions.

  • Audience: Read by academics with similar education.

  • Length: Depends on experience, usually 2-5 pages in early research career.

  • Content: Covers entire academic history in detail; more elaborate than resume.

  • References: A list of 3-4 references should be included at the end of the document.

 

 

Resume

  • Purpose: Your resume is a selection of your experience and skills that are most relevant to a specific advertised position.

  • Use: Used for non-academic positions in private industry and public sectors.

  • Audience: Read by machine, recruiters, and hiring managers.

  • Length: 1-2 pages

  • Content: Focuses on professional history (i.e., employment and workplace skills); more succinct than CV.

  • References: References will be requested separately

 

Want to learn more? Watch this video from LinkedIn:  The difference between a resume and a CV | LinkedIn Learning

 

Differences Between Graduate and Undergraduate Resumes

 

The Length of a Resume

It is common to see a two-page resume for graduate resumes. The length of your resume should be connected to your experience. Many undergraduate students are still early in their careers when they enter higher education, so a one-page resume is common. However, for non-traditional students who may have entered the workforce before coming to college, it may be more likely that you would have a two-page resume as a student. As a graduate student, you may have more experience, could be working in different roles while going back to school, etc. 

How to organize your resume

Where you list information in a resume or CV is driven by many factors. For a curriculum vitae (CV), you may want to have your education towards the top of the document, especially if you are looking to apply for academic roles. If you are still in school or newly graduated, it is good to keep your education towards the top of the document as well. If it has been more than five years since you graduated with an undergraduate degree, it is fine to not list your education on the first page.

What details to include on your resume

For both graduate student and undergraduate resumes, you are expected to expand on work-related experience. List the specifics of your work and interpret how it was useful to your employer. If you are applying to roles in research-oriented fields, do not shy away from jargon or specialized detail. Your goal is to portray yourself as an insider to those with a technical, specialized understanding matching or surpassing yours. This is particularly true for graduate students applying for academic roles. Students who recently graduated with an undergraduate degree or current graduate students should prioritize internships, relevant learning or hands-on experiences, education and training, and transferrable skills in their resumes/CVs.


 Transforming your CV into a Resume

You may need both a CV and a resume for your job search. Sending the appropriate document (CV or resume) tells employers that you can distinguish the differences between the academic and non-academic environments and that you can adapt your skills to either environment. Most employers in industry prefer a resume. When rearranging your CV to make it a resume:

  • Refocus your experience. Think creatively about how your academic experience can be translated into the necessary skills for a non-academic environment. Consider skills of project management, leadership, teamwork, effective communication, and meeting deadlines.
  • Emphasize skills and accomplishments.
  • List relevant presentations, publications, and papers, but not all.
  • Highlight your transferable skills.  They are measurable abilities or knowledge that hold value in any role or industry. The term “transferable” comes from the fact that, regardless of changes in your job title or company, these skills can seamlessly transition to your new position. Examples include: languages, writing, research, software proficiency, leadership, management, administrative support, and project coordination. 

Resource: Learn more in this guide from Princeton. https://careerdevelopment.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf1041/files/media/transforming_your_cv_to_a_resume-final.pdf

 

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