Whether you are applying for a job, graduate school, or for an academic position, one document that is a must-have is a resumé or curriculum vitae (also known as CV) detailing why your combination of educational qualifications and years of experience makes you the best candidate for the job. They serve as a powerful tool to showcase your skills, accomplishments, and potential to prospective employers. It’s a marketing document that tells your professional story

The language origin of Curriculum Vitae is Latin which means course of life while Resumé is French meaning summary

These two terms, curriculum vitae and resumé have long been used so interchangeably that many applicants assume they mean the same thing. At first glance, they might appear similar, but they differ in several ways.

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Despite these differences, one thing they have in common is that they should be:

1. tailored to a particular application, for example, if you are applying for the position of an account officer, you do not need to include your previous work experience as a waiter at a restaurant but if you are applying for the job of a customer support agent, this might be a useful experience to add because it shows you have previous experience working with customers.
2. in reverse chronological order, i.e., the latest qualification or experience should be first in line.
3. readable, make your document easy to read. Recruiters go through hundreds of applications and by making your resumé or CV easy to scan through by avoiding unnecessary words or explanation, clearly listing your qualification, and avoid using fonts and color combination that is hard to decipher or not clear enough to be seen can influence to an extent your success in the application.
4. including the use of Action words and quantify achievements: when describing your responsibilities and accomplishments, use strong action verbs to convey your impact. Whenever possible, quantify your achievements with specific numbers, percentages, or metrics to provide a clearer picture of your contributions. For example, instead of saying, “I received the products supplied to our company”, you can say, “I ensured that only high quality products were delivered to our company by running quality checks on every product delivered.”

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CV & LAYOUT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD

The world is large with different cultures and practices, this is what makes the world interesting. When it comes to applying for international opportunities, this diversity is extended to CV and resumé practices. Here is a brief, non-comprehensive, non-exhaustive look at the different layouts there is:

In Europe generally, just like the United states, emphasis is put on achievements, it is also necessary to include a description of your role and responsibilities. Language(s) fluency along with language proficiency levels are expected to be listed.

In the USA, Sweden, Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, Mexico, some parts of Africa, Canada, and the UK, you are not expected to attach a photo to your CV or resumé except if it’s for a modeling or acting job where physical features play a role in the selection process while in Austria, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, France, Portugal, Spain, south-east Asia, Gulf countries, professional portrait passport-style photograph can be attached to the CV or resumé. Resumés in the UK usually have two to three pages, whereas resumés in the US usually have one to two pages. A short personal statement (also called professional summary) is very common at the start of the top part of the CV which summarizes career goals, skills and experience.

In some parts of Africa and Asia, personal information such as date of birth, local or state government origin, marital status, ethnicity, etc. is expected on the application but if you are applying as an international applicant, this is optional except if it was specifically asked for by the company. In some parts of Asia, CVs and resumés can be long (2-3 pages or more) and a professional photograph is expected. Final grades and educational institution are expected.

In the USA and Canada, applicants with over 10 years of experience add an additional section in their CV or resumé called ‘Additional Experience’ to document experiences gotten over 10 years ago while the most recent experience should be in the ‘Work Experience’ section. It’s not necessary to include personal information like your date of birth, marital status, or a photo on a U.S. resumé. Furthermore, in the United States, education details include degrees, institutions, graduation dates, and relevant honors at the end of a resume.

When applying to a country, it is crucial to research its specific requirements and expectations. By adapting your CV to the local conventions, you can demonstrate your understanding of cultural norms and increase your chances of being hired.

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Your CV or resumé is the first impression you make, getting it right and proving you are a worthy candidate is the first step.