What is a resume or CV?

Your resume is your first impression for a prospective employer. Your resume is a professional and legal document that demonstrates your qualifications for a position. Your resume’s purpose is to get you an interview. Employers typically spend less than 30 seconds reviewing your resume so it is crucial that it is well organized, concise, and tailored to the role you are applying for.

As you draft your resume, keep the company in mind and the job description at hand. Make sure you emphasize your experiences that are consistent with the skills the company is looking for in their next hire. The first step to impressing employers is an error-free resume tailored to their specific opportunity. 

Some employers or graduate programs may request a curriculum vitae (CV) for a more comprehensive look at your experience. While very similar to a resume, a CV is often used in academia, science fields, or when applying outside of the U.S. As you are starting out your career, you may not actually have many differences between your resume and CV. If you are looking for internships and jobs internationally, use GoinGlobal as a resource to learn about CV expectations in another country.

The Career Center can help with all of your resume and CV questions. Schedule an appointment in Handshake if you have questions getting started or fine-tuning your documents for the perfect job or post-graduate program.

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