What does CV stand for?

The primary meaning of the abbreviation CV is biographical data. Such a term like CV can be found more often in European countries than, for example, in the USA.

That is why many students are wondering what exactly a CV means and for what cases it needs to be done. Moreover, many people still get confused. What is the difference between a resume and a CV?

Typically, a CV is very similar to a resume. However, it is done in a slightly larger volume and is thus more detailed. Most often, CVs are written by specialists who consider positions in various academic or scientific circles. Therefore, a CV will contain detailed information about:

• All scientific publications;
• Numerous public presentations;
• Awards;
• Degrees;
• Grants Received;
• Scholarships.

A CV is most often used as a document that is mandatory in order to obtain a particular job. It must necessarily contain a photograph located in the upper right corner of the cover page of the document. It is also worthwhile to understand that a resume may provide the most detailed information about both education and experience gained in the context of a candidate’s career. Keep in mind that the American version of CV is shorter compared to the European counterpart.

Do you need a CV if you are a US citizen?

In the United States, few people distinguish between a CV and a resume, and therefore, if you do not know how to write a CV, then there is no problem for you. Even if you imagine a situation that you need to compose a CV, it is quite easy to do since at the moment there are a lot of examples and templates on the Internet.

Also, you can easily find a vast number of informational articles that tell about all the intricacies of writing a resume for each specific profession. Only this way, you can create a CV that can subsequently attract the attention of an employer and become the most informative document about your career experience.

A CV is your professional story

So, a resume is such a document that describes all your professional experience, as well as skills, knowledge, education data and additional courses. For example, an accountant needs specialized education or completed accounting courses, the ability to work with specific computer programs, an analytical mindset (preferably), and knowledge of tax legislation.

And how does a potential employer find out that you have all the necessary qualifications, received the proper education, and are able to complete the tasks? Right, thanks to a resume.

Write your CV simple and clear

When choosing a format for your resume, find a balance between uniqueness and clarity. If you overdo it with creativity or, conversely, use too dry style, the chances of success will decrease. We advise you to adhere to these recommendations:

1. Use the chronological order when listing jobs. First, write about the last position held, and at the end – about the first.
2. Combine the job description with a mini-story about your job responsibilities. Briefly but informatively write down what tasks you had to solve at the previous job, what benefits you brought to the company. If you can provide analytics in numbers, this is perfect.

You have probably already heard that professional HR managers review each resume for no more than 10 seconds and make decisions on whether the candidate is suitable for the corresponding position. For you, this means that the first impression is the main success factor.

The very first thing you need to do is to start with a brief listing of your skills and key accomplishments. This approach attracts the attention of most HR managers for whom a professional record is the most significant element. Besides, any HR manager will immediately understand that you want to make the right and professional impression and will accordingly remember you and highlight you from the main crowd of candidates.

Let’s try to consider this with an example for an accountant job:

‘I am an ambitious, hardworking and attentive person with vast experience in accounting and financial reporting. I have strong analytical and economic skills necessary for persistent activities in the framework of the campaign. I would really like my future employer to be able to improve the company’s economic indicators with my help.’

More about the result and less about the responsibilities

If you simply list the duties that you performed at previous places of work, your resume will in no way be able to stand out among other candidates who use the same technique. In addition, such a method has long been outdated and has ceased to be taken seriously at the level of HR managers who review dozens of applications daily.

That is why in order for your resume to stand out and compare favorably with other papers, it is necessary to focus the attention of an HR manager precisely on the achievements that you were able to witness in your previous job. For example, you could write the following: ‘I helped to increase sales of the main product of the company by 20%’ or ‘Under my leadership, the sales department monthly increased sales by 15%.’

Show your professional growth

Do not forget that you should also use your resume to focus on personal development within your career. Therefore, you need to show employers how you were getting new positions or expanding your responsibilities and were able to reach new heights. All this will help the future employer to understand how easy you are to learn and have an opportunity to receive additional skills.

Finally, it is worth recommending that you definitely check which keywords are used to search for specialists in your profession. It is easy enough to do this, and after you find the list of keywords, be sure to use it for your resume and then the employer will notice your candidacy much faster.

Edit your resume for every specific job description

It goes without saying that when you are perplexed by the job search, you can apply and send resumes simultaneously for several jobs. At the same time, it is essential to understand that before you start submitting your resume, you should study the future job in detail and see what requirements the employer put forward to a potential candidate. In other words, you need to customize each of your resumes for a specific vacancy.

This means that you should focus the attention of the future employer on your abilities and knowledge that are best suited for a particular role. Be sure that if you spend a certain amount of time making several versions of the same resume, but focusing on different vacancies, this time will not be wasted.

In conclusion

If you follow these simple tips, write the resume as a success story, showing your strengths, both hard and soft skills, and make sure it’s creative and error-free, you will be surprised with the number of interview invitations. If you have problems with composing a CV by yourself, you can always contact a professional writing service.