A résumé is a document that contains a summary or listing
of relevant job experience and
education. The résumé or CV is
typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is
typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment.
A curriculum vitae (loosely translated as course of
life) provides an overview of a person's life and qualifications. It differs
from a résumé in that it is appropriate for academic or medical careers and is
far more comprehensive. A CV elaborates on education to a greater degree than a
résumé. A résumé is tailor-made according to the post applied for. It is
job-oriented and goal specific. One of the key characteristics of a proper
résumé is conciseness.
In the United States and Canada, a CV is expected to include a
comprehensive listing of professional history including every term of
employment, academic credential, publication, contribution or significant
achievement. In certain professions, it may even include samples of the person's
work and may run to many pages.
In the European Union, there has been an attempt to
develop a standardized CV model known as Europass (in 2004 by the European
Parliament and European Commission) and promoted by the EU
to ease skilled migration between member countries, although this is not widely
used in most contexts.
A standard British CV might have the following points[1]
-
Personal details at the top, such as name in bold type,
address, contact numbers and, if the subject has one, an e-mail address.
Photos are not required at all, unless requested. Modern CVs are more
flexible.
-
A personal profile, written in either the first or the third
person, a short paragraph about the job seeker. This should be purely factual,
and free of any opinion about the writer's qualities such as "enthusiastic",
"highly motivated", etc.
-
A bulleted list of the job seeker's key skills or
professional assets alone is somewhat unsophisticated
-
A reverse chronological list of the job seeker's educational
qualifications and work experience, including his or her current role. The CV
should account for the writer's entire career history. The career history
section should describe achievements rather than duties. The early career can
these days be lumped together in a short summary but recent jobs should
illustrate concept, planning, achievement, roles.
-
A reverse chronological list of the job seeker's
education or
training, including a list of his or her
qualifications such as his
or her academic qualifications (
GCSEs,
A-Levels,
Highers,
degrees etc.) and his or her professional
qualifications (
NVQs and
memberships of professional organizations etc.). If the job seeker has just
left the place of education, the work experience and education are reversed.
-
Date of birth,
gender if you have an ambiguous first name, whether
you have a
driving license used to be standard - but
nothing is required and you should not waste space on trivia. An employer
requesting date of birth and gender needlessly could find itself on the losing
side of recent
anti-discrimination
legislation.
-