When should jobseekers use curriculum vitae, commonly referred to as CV rather than a resume?  The purpose of a CV or resume is to convey our personal and professional details in a way that presents you in a best possible light.  In other words we can say that it is a document through which we are marketing our skills, abilities, qualifications and experience to employers.

Curriculum vitae, is a Latin expression which can be loosely translated as (the) course of (my) life.  It is an outline of a person’s educational and professional history usually prepared for job applications. Conversely, a resume is a career and educational summary meant to highlight the skills and experience and directs a reader’s attention to those aspects of a person’s background that are relevant to a particular position.  A CV is longer up to three to four pages, but a resume is one to two pages long. Resumes are intended to present a summary of highlights to allow the perspective employer to scan through the document visually or electronically and see if the skills match their available positions. A good resume can do that very effectively­­­—— a CV cannot.

When writing a resume, we need to present the information in a way that best showcases the qualifications and experiences which helps the employer notice what we have to offer. A resume’s format is based on the headings used as (Career Objective, Professional Summary, Experience and Education); the order in which they appear; and the dates of employment for each position. There are several basic types of resumes used to apply for job openings. Tailor the resume to the specific position applying and present the most relevant skill, experience and achievements as per the employer’s requirement. Taking the time to format the resume is well worth the effort.

Resume Formats
Chronological:  A chronological resume is organized with most recent information first. It is best used when the employment history shows growth and development an when one seeks to stay in the same field.  The employment history, education, and related training and skills should be listed in reverse chronological order and the content should emphasize specific results. This format should not be used in case of frequently changed jobs or if large gaps exist in employment history.

SAMPLE: https://indevjobs.org/pdf/MAYURESH%20DHAVALE_1.pdf

Functional:  It is most commonly used when there is a large gap in employment history or if never worked before. When someone doesn’t have a lot of work experience, a functional resume that focuses on the skills is a good way to market to a potential recruiter. In other words it focuses attention on specific areas of expertise and lists them under headings as; Marketing Skills, Accounting Skills and IT Skills Work history and education are listed after the skills. This resume format emphasizes on qualifications and is recommended when changing careers or downplaying an unimpressive work history.

SAMPLE: https://indevjobs.org/pdf/MAYURESH%20DHAVALE_2.pdf

Mixed: This format is a combination of both the above formats.  It balances the focus on skills and achievements with work history including dates and job titles. With this type of resume we can highlight the skills relevant to the job applying and can provide chronological work history as the employer needs.

SAMPLE: https://indevjobs.org/pdf/MAYURESH%20DHAVALE_3.pdf

Conclusion
We use a resume to apply for business, industry, governmental and non-profit jobs. The main purpose of the resume is not in fact to get a job. It acts as a marketing document to introduce to potential employers, promote what it is we have to offer and entice them into wanting to know more.  If the resume does what it’s supposed to do will be called for an interview.