CV in Full Form vs. Resume: A Complete Guide

Many people often mistake the full meaning of a CV for a resume since they are both commonly defined as documents required for an application. 

While a resume is used for general job applications and is more common in the US, Australia, and Canada, a CV (Curriculum Vitae) on the other hand is used for job search in academic, education, scientific, medical, or research fields. Hence, a CV’s full form is usually longer and includes more detailed information compared to a resume.

There are more remarkable distinctions between these two documents - which will be explained further in this article. You can also learn how to compile your work and educational qualifications in the full form of a CV.

The full meaning of a CV can be referred to as “Curriculum Vitae”, a Latin term meaning course of life. A CV fully presents the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and accomplishments throughout his/her academic and professional career. Based on what to show on the full form of a CV, hiring managers can determine whether or not the said individual is qualified for the opening position. 

In general, CVs are used everywhere in the world including the UK, New Zealand, the European Union, and Asia. Note that CVs can be referred to differently in different countries, for example, biography, employment record, or “biodata” in India. 

There are two major types of a CV’s format and full form that you need to know, including job application CV and academic CV. 

Academic CV

An academic CV is designed specifically for academic purposes and emphasizes your contributions to a particular field of study or practice. That can be publications, projects, achievements, awards, and honors, etc. You will be asked to submit a full and complete academic CV if the position you’re applying for is within the education, scientific, medical, or research fields. You should consider opting for this type of CV when you wish to be a researcher or get admitted to higher degree programs like Master and Ph.D. 

CV for Job Application

A job application CV can be used for a job search and application in nearly all industries. It focuses more on the job applicant’s work history, skills, and achievements in previous roles as well as educational background. This CV format & full form type is suitable for such job seekers as executives and top-level professionals.

The term resume is French for "summary", referring to a document used for a variety of reasons, but most often, securing a new employment. Simply put, a resume is a one to two page long document that job applicants create to demonstrate their skills and qualifications relevant to a specific position. It is usually paired with a cover letter to express your motivation to apply and further explain why they should hire you. 

The purpose of resumes is to give your potential employer a brief overview of your competencies, work experience, and achievements in the field. In most cases, recruiters and employers prefer a concise resume without a lot of extraneous information. As they only spend about six seconds reading an individual’s resume, you should keep it short but still cover all necessary information. 

Resumes are used in the United States, Australia, and Canada where have strict anti-discrimination and labor laws. Resumes in these countries are the equivalent of job application CVs that are used in other countries.

In the table below, you will find the key differences between a CV and a resume in terms of purpose, content, length, and design. Pay extra attention to the circumstances when you will need to submit a CV or a resume. 

Below are 8 sections you should put in a CV full form for job applications.

1. Contact Information

The contact information to put in the full form of your CV should consist of:

• Full name 
• Professional title
• Email
• Phone number 
• Complete address (optional) 
• Social media page or personal website (optional)

These are basic personal information that you should include so that hiring managers can contact you for further steps of the recruitment process. Make sure you provide accurate information and a professional email address as well. 

2. Personal Profile or Objective

This can go by the name of a personal statement, career objective, or summary of qualifications. This part is placed at the top of your CV and provides a summary of your skills and qualifications relevant to the job opening. Think about it as a self-introduction to hiring managers in order that they want to read on to know more about you.

3. Work Experiences

4 basic elements in the work experience section are: 

• Organization/Company name (with location) 
• Job title
• Start and end of the employment period
• Job responsibilities and accomplishments 

4. Education

In this section, you should cover the following elements:

• School name (with location)
• Degree level
• Major & minor
• Graduation year
• GPA (recommended if it’s high)
• Relevant coursework (recommended if it’s beneficial for your application) 
• Academic honors (award, scholarship, publication)

If you’re a recent graduate writing a CV in full form for a job application, it’s better to place this part before the employment history.

5. Awards & Honors

These can also be understood as achievements, which you have earned for going beyond average either in your studies or on the job.

Consider adding quantifiable results that contributed to the award/honor to make these claims more convincing and specific. 

6. Publications

If you’re pursuing an academic, research, or science job, it’s important to highlight the papers that you have published or contributed your work to. This way, you can demonstrate your expertise and especially, exceptional research and writing skills. 

7. Conferences & Presentations

As long as the presentations you’ve made or conferences you’ve attended are involved in your field, don’t miss adding these to your CV. 

8. Skills

Here, hiring managers can find out whether you’re the right fit for the vacancy. A rule of thumb is listing out both soft and hard skills – ideally 5 bullet points for each category. 

There are also 3 other ways to structure the skills section, including: 

• Expanded bullet list
• Integrated with work experience
• Categorized skills section 

Below are 10 sections needed to create a CV full form for academic applications.

1. Contact Information

Similar to a CV full form for job applications, you will need to provide basic personal information and contact details. It’s optional to write a professional title, full address, and social media accounts.

2. Personal Profile or Personal Statement

A well-written personal profile or personal statement can show program managers that you deserve being given a chance through your full CV form. It means that you need to briefly highlight your educational qualifications, personal traits, and other academic achievements in the first place. 

3. Education

This section is considered as a key part of an academic CV as school advisors want to see whether you have obtained fundamental knowledge of the field or required courses. This follows the standard format of an education section. Keep in mind that you can also include your relevant coursework or thesis title if related to the position you’re applying for.

4. Publications 

Here is the list of types of publications that you can include in an academic CV

• Research papers
• Peer-reviewed publications
• Books/Book chapters
• Book reviews
• Articles

For each type, present all of the information about the title, journal title, date of publication, and (if applicable) page numbers.

5. Awards

As a student, you can highlight your academic achievements at school, such as: 

• A high GPA
• Dean’s List
• Scholarships
• Honor Roll
• Awards won for a specific activity or course
  

6. Grants & Fellowships

Here is what to write in the grants and fellowships section in an academic CV:  

• Program title 
• Start and end date
• What you have done and accomplished
  

7. Conferences & Presentations

You can itemize any presentations (including poster presentations) you have made or talks that you have participated in. Any conferences or panels that you have organized can also help you get a leg up on the competition.

8. Experiences

If you have gained any experience in the field such as teaching or research/lab experience, you could list all of these in your CV’s full form.

For teaching experience, incorporate teaching skills into the job description to further explain what tasks you have performed and how this links to the job you're applying for.

Meanwhile, research/lab experiences are required for science students or research scientists. In this part of your full CV form, you will need to show that you have acquired fundamental knowledge and essential skills when it comes to research or lab work.

9. Non-Academic Activities

Aside from academic-related experiences, below are some extra non-academic information that can also demonstrate your capabilities: 

• Internship
• Volunteer work
• Personal projects
• Extracurricular clubs/teams
  

10. Languages & Other Skills

Aside from writing your CV in full form in English, it’s also great to show more about your language skills in your CV. You could include a separate languages section that lists any other languages in which you have intermediate, advanced, professional working, or native/bilingual proficiency.

In addition to soft and hard skills, computer and transferable skills can also be the cards you sh ould play with prudently when designing a CV in full form. These are the skills you have gathered back in school, internships, volunteers, or any previous working experiences and can be leveraged in various jobs and industries. 

--- Originally written by May Luong ---