A curriculum vitae (CV) differs from a resume. A resume is generally a shorter document which details a candidate’s relevant experience, knowledge, and skills. For instance, if a candidate worked for five years in the restaurant industry and then wished to get into accounting (or vice versa), the earlier experience would either not be included or be included in a truncated form on a resume. A curriculum vitae or CV is a complete listing of everything a candidate has ever done; every degree earned and job worked, even if the employment was volunteer, or very short term, or completely unrelated to the application at hand. As such, CVs can become very long, sometimes 5+ pages, whereas resumes are usually 1 to 2 page documents.

Curriculum vitaes or CVs are also always in reverse chronological order, showing a candidate’s experience linearly, whereas a resume can be manipulated to highlight the experience or knowledge most relevant to jobs a candidate is applying for.

Curriculum vitaes are most often used in academic, military, or federal government applications. Most employers, including Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, and everything in between, will request a resume from a candidate. However, having a curriculum vitae or CV on hand can still be important. While many employers will request a resume prior to interviews, once a first interview has been completed, prospective employers may request more in-depth information before proceeding to a second interview or a job offer.

Full Circle Resumes has a team of experts who have drafted curriculum vitaes or CVs for professionals all over the world. Our team is experienced in producing academic CVs, military CVs, and federal CVs. Feel free to reach out to our team with your CV questions or place an order today.