What is CV?

The French word curriculum vitae must be pronounced somewhat like ka-ree-kyu-lam vee-taai. Vitae can also be pronounced vai-tee (consult a pronunciation dictionary). Some people wrongly spell this word as carriculam vitae, perhaps due to its striking resemblance with the other related words career, curricular etc. Remember that there is no ‘a’ in curriculum.

A curriculum vitae (also known as CV) differs from a resume mainly in two aspects: length and focus. While a resume is a crisp description in just a page or two, a curriculum vitae is usually as long as two to four pages; sometimes even up to eight pages as per the requirement! It focuses on the academic qualifications of the applicant whereas a resume highlights the professional experience and expertise.

A CV outlines all the educational qualifications and professional affiliations in chronological order so that the employer can take a quick look at the progress of the applicant qualification after qualification Besides, it includes honours, awards, presentations, research experience and so on. A college or university graduate who is starting to hunt a job prepares their curriculum vitae so that the potential employer can get an in-depth knowledge about their academic performance based on which they will be getting the right job.

A final word: though there a few such intricate differences between a resume and a curriculum vitae, the current trend is to use the two words interchangeably. The day is not too far when these differences between the two words will fade away. The most important thing is whether you write a CV or resume, the aim should be to get the employer call you for an interview!