Many employers require you to provide either a resume or curriculum vitae to compliment your job application. But what makes these two documents different? In this article, we will explore this question and the importance of creating a well-built, professional resume and/or curriculum vitae for your job endeavors.

Resumé

A resumé is a one page professional document detailing your key academic and work experience that best describes who you are. If you need a template to create your personalized resumé, visit our Resumé Prep page.

On the header of your resumé you should include your name in bold print, your best contact phone number, professional email address, and if you have one, a link to your LinkedIn. A LinkedIn is essentially an online site which mirrors your resume and allows you to connect with employers and other job seekers within your field of interest. Think of it as Facebook but more professional, highlighting your academic and wok experience all in one.

Education

Your education should always be the first section in your resumé. You should always list your most recent education in descending order. If you graduated college, list college as the most recent form of education, then high school as second. If you received a certificate in a certain apprenticeship, include this as well!

Professional Experience

Similar to the education section, list your most recent professional work experience. Include the company’s name, your job position, and the dates you worked at the company. You should also include a few bullet points of specific responsibilities and accomplishments you had at the company since this would assist employers in learning more about your work skills and how it would benefit their company.

Extracurricular(s) and Volunteer Experience

If you are engaged in any extracurricular activities in or outside of school, highlight the activities you’re currently involved in – especially the ones that best reflect your skills and character. For example, if you’re applying to a political think tank, you would include that you were a member of the Political Science Club and Student Government on campus, rather than stating you were part of the Microbiology club. Though you may have a diverse set of extracurricular and volunteer organizations, there should be a clear link between your interests and skills that should be reflected on your resumé.

Skills

The last section of your resumé should include skills you have developed over the past few years. Whether that be gaining the skill to code, using Microsoft office, and learning another language besides English, the skill section should again relate to your overall theme in your resumé. Your skills should not be too extensive or detailed such as with your education and professional work experience, rather a short brief list.

An example would be:

  • Fluent in German – full written and verbal proficiency
  • Violin and Guitar – Chamber Orchestra at High School
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office and expertise on Outlook

Curriculum Vitae

The curriculum vitae is formatted the same way as your resumé (education, professional work experience, extracurricular/ volunteer, and skills). However, your curriculum vitae should be around two to four pages as it highlights all the activities and events you were in for the past couple of years – typically over the past four years such as with high school and college.

The curriculum vitae is quite lengthy compared to a normal one page resumé as it is often used for educational research positions. Just think of your curriculum vitae as an extended version of your resumé that includes more than just your prominent involvement and activities.

Below is an example of what a typical section in a Curriculum Vitae would look like:

Volunteer Experience
Nevada Tutors Association, New York City, New York; Jan. 2014 – Oct. 2019

Senior Tutor Instructor

  • Tutored over 200 Junior and high school students in Algebra and Calculus II.
  • Accumulated over 400 hours of tutoring.

What differentiates a Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae (CV)?

Resumé

One page that sums up your education, work experiences, extracurricular, sports, volunteer, and skills.

Curriculum Vitae

More than one page (usually 2-4 pages) highlighting all your education, honors & awards, work experiences, extracurricular, sports, conferences, presentations, and key skills.


In our next article, we will explore another supplement to your job application, the Cover Letter. Stay tuned for this important article as many employers do require this type of document when considering future employees for their company.

If you have any questions regarding creating a resume or a curriculum vitae, feel free to contact us and we’ll be more than happy to assist you.

Story by Kyle Catarata – OWINN Special Projects Coordinator