How To Prepare A Good Resume And CV

How To Prepare A Good Resume And CV How To Prepare A Good Resume And CV â€Å"If you call failures experiments, you can put them in your resume and claim them as achievements,† said professor Mason Cooley. His witty observation highlights this basic truth: the effective resume and CV writing requires careful thought and attention. The following tips can help produce a quality resume or CV. Know The Difference It is important to know the difference between a resume and a CV (curriculum vitae). While resumes are commonly required by companies from job applicants, certain positions require a CV. Both documents are a written summary of a person’s background, but there are three main differences between the two: length, content, and purpose. First, a resume is a brief summary of a person’s background, education and work history. It usually is one page in length, and at most two pages. A CV is more detailed and therefore longer. For a younger professional a CV may only be 2-3 pages. As he/she gains more experience, the CV may increase to 10 pages or more. Second, a resume and CV will differ in contents. A resume will usually be limited to education, work experience, and credentials. A CV may include these as well, but will also have teaching experience, awards, publications, presentations, and any other career-related achievements. Finally, the two documents serve different purposes. A resume is a concise summary of education and experience focused on presenting a person’s qualifications for a specific job. Because of this, resume editing is often necessary to tailor it to the particular job sought. A CV is a detailed overview of life accomplishments often focusing on academic history, experience and research. As such, CV writing is often required if a person seeks a position in higher education, research, or medicine. Additionally, if a person applies for an international position, a CV is most often required and not a resume. Include Needed Information Since these documents will form a prospective employer’s first impression, a person needs to include the proper information for each type. For a resume, this includes the following: name and contact information, education, and work experience. Arrange the information in each section chronologically. An applicant should also prepare a cover letter to send with the resume. It serves as a written record of what is sent, to whom it is sent, and who sent it. A CV is much more detailed. It should include personal information such as marital status, age, date of birth, number of children, personal interests, and a professional photo. It should then detail the candidate’s academic background, beginning with high school. A person should also include research experience, teaching positions, grants, honors, awards, fellowships, publications, presentations, scholarly or professional memberships, licenses, certificates, and all other related information. The details in each of these sections should also be arranged in chronological order. Prepare and Polish Finally, prepare the written products with careful CV and resume editing. Maintain uniformity in style, font, and formatting throughout the documents for an appealing finished product. A person should proof-read the writing thoroughly to insure proper spelling and grammar. Free online grammar editing tools are a great help in this task. Considering a resume and CVs importance, a person may consider employing the services of a company like for assistance. Contact us today at toll free at 800-573-0840 to see how we can help.