What Is A Curriculum Vitae?

Resume writing and Curriculum Vitae writing are two entirely different things; however, many people confuse the two. They are both used for the purpose of seeking employment; however, there are clear differences. Before you begin to apply for the work, you need to ensure that you understand what the differences are, and when to use each of the items.

There are many jobs, which will need detailed information regarding an applicant; therefore, a resume will not be good enough. If you are searching for a position in education, medicine, and sciences, you will need a greater knowledge of your life. Curriculum Vitae means course of life and is typically shortened to CV.

A CV is accepted all over the world, and although, companies and countries may have different variations the content remains the same. This is often incredibly detailed, and far longer than a resume. It will include many different sections including, former positions held, education, affiliations, courses taken and your personal details.

The education section can be incredibly detailed, listing not only where you studied, what you studied, but a brief outline of the courses which you attended. Experience is another detailed section of the CV, which will need to include all previous jobs. Both paid, and unpaid jobs need to be listed, alongside a detailed explanation of position held, and tasked completed.

You may not consider some of the work that you have done over the years to be relevant; however, some employees may be interested to see how diverse you are in your work. Every small detail should be included, as this will help to promote your skills and personality. Scholarships, grants and awards should also be included on the CV, as these are all relevant to your experience.

The idea of the CV is to promote yourself, and get noticed by your experience and the way that you can portray your work history through your Curriculum Vitae. You need to ensure that you write enough on your CV; however, it does not need to be your autobiography. If you have had many different jobs, you may want to limit the amount you list to jobs that are related to the position you want.

When you submit your curriculum vitae, you need to have a cover letter included, which should be limited to one page. All references in the letter should refer to the CV, which you are submitting, and be clear what position you are applying for. Many people are daunted by writing a CV; however, it is only a list of your work history, experience, education and personal details.

There are free templates, which you can use to research the different ways to lay out a CV and ensure that you are happy with the result. You need to make sure that you check the spelling on the CV and that the grammar is correct. Employees will feel better at offering a position if time and effort have been applied to the CV.