Resume Guide

SUNY Westchester Community College • Career Services Resume/Cover Letter Guidelines 2022-2024 5 RESUME TYPES Application for Job/Internship In most cases, resumes are created in application for a job. This type of resume is focused on your accomplishments in a school, extracurricular/community and work - related settings. The focus is to “sell” you to the prospective employer and show that you have the appropriate background for the new job. The goal is to be offered an interview for the job that you are seeking. If you are applying for an academic position, you may be asked for a CV- curriculum Vitae. (more on that below) College Applications Some college applications require a resume or include it in the optional document section of the application. This type of resume is similar to a job resume but has more detail about your extracurricular or community activities as well as your academic success. Include items such as work experience, both relevant and not, volunteer experience, college activities, clubs, organizations, leadership roles, team projects, skills and interests. Perhaps expound on items you were not able to detail in the college essay or on the application itself. The idea is to give the admissions committee and idea of who you are and ensure them of your commitment to their university. CV vs. RESUME What is a CV? Curriculum Vitae, more commonly referred to by its shorthand abbreviation CV (a Latin term meaning course of life) is a far more comprehensive document. Unlike the resume, which lists work history and experiences, along with a brief summary of your skills and education, the CV goes above and beyond just a mention of education and work experience. CVs are primarily popular among academics, as graduate students often spend a lot of effort getting their work published during their post-grad years. The CV often lists—in thoughtful detail—your achievements, awards, honors, and publications, and information universities care about when hiring teaching staff. Unlike a resume, which is rarely longer than a one-sided single page, the CV can be many more pages—depending on your professional achievements. Anyone Besides Academics? Academics are not the only ones who may need the long (sometimes, very long) document over a resume. The website Undercover Recruiter explains that U.S. and Canadian residents need a CV if they’re applying to work abroad, specifically in the U.K., Ireland, and New Zealand. In these countries, “a CV is used in all contexts and resumes aren’t used at all.” Moreover, “The CV prevails in mainland Europe and there is even a European Union CV format available for download,” a super helpful template if you’re confused about how to build one.