Resume Guide

SUNY Westchester Community College • Career Services Resume/Cover Letter Guidelines 2022-2024 6 What’s the Difference Between a CV and a Resume? Short answer: Length. Long answer: The CV’s static in that it’s not a document needing to be tailored for different positions in the way that a resume is. Rather, according to UNC Writing Center , the CV’s a “fairly detailed overview of your life’s accomplishments, especially those most relevant to the realm of academia,” hence the variance in length; an early-stage grad student’s CV is going to be a lot shorter than a sixth-year student preparing to write a dissertation. The document only changes as your accomplishments grow—you publish the findings of a scientific study, or a short story, or you receive an award as a Teaching Assistant—whereas a resume can and should be modified often as you job search and apply to different companies and positions. How Do I Know When to Use Which? Fortunately, almost any job you apply to will let you know what you need. When you apply for a job in any US city there will likely be clear language on what’s required with the application. When looking into international opportunities it’s probable that the application will explicitly state that you need to submit a CV or resume for consideration. If you are unsure about what is needed, it’s OK to ask the point of contact directly, “Would you prefer a resume or CV?” (And in America, the answer will almost always be “resume” since we know that recruiters don’t spend more than six seconds looking, anyways.) Should I Have a CV Handy? If you don’t currently have one, maybe create one just in case. So, the next time you go to modify your resume (a familiar and somewhat ongoing practice, I hope), start building it out. If nothing else, it will serve a dual-purpose: Not only can you have it handy if you do ever need it, but you’ll also have a running list of everything you’ve ever accomplished, a.k.a., a master resume to pull from as you tailor your own for specific positions. Adapted from CV Vs. Resume—Here Are the Differences By Stacey Lastoe https://www.themuse.com