CV Writing

Difference Between Biodata Resume and Curriculum Vitae

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There is a difference between Curriculum Vitae, CV, Resume and BioData. When making applications for a job, you must know what exactly your employer needs.

What is a Resume?

A resume is a summary of one’s education, skills and employment when applying for a new job. Resume is a French word meaning “summary”.  A resume does not list out all details of a profile. It outlines only some specific skills customized to the target job profile. A resume is usually one or a maximum of two pages long. A resume is usually written in the third person to give it an objective and formal tone.

How a good Resume should look like?

 A good resume would start with a Brief Profile of the candidate,

  • Summary of Qualifications, followed by Industry
  • Expertise and then Professional Experience in reverse chronological order.
  • Focus is on the most recent experiences (with responsibilities and accomplishments), and previous experiences are only presented as a summary. This would be followed by Education details and/or Professional Affiliations and/or Voluntary Initiatives.

A resume would be ideally suited when experience people apply for specific positions where certain specific skills are more important than education.

C.V. – Curriculum Vitae

A cv is more detailed than a resume. It is usually 2 to 3 pages long. It can also be  longer as per the requirement.

A C.V lists out every skill, all the jobs and positions held, degrees, professional affiliations the applicant has acquired, and in chronological order. A C.V is used to highlight the general talent of the candidate rather than specific skills for a specific position.

A C.V should be the preferred option for fresh graduates or people looking for a career change. It could also be used by people applying for academic positions.

BIO-DATA

Bio Data is the short form for Biographical Data and is an archaic terminology for Resume or C.V. In a bio data, the focus is on personal particulars like date of birth, gender, religion, race, nationality, residence, marital status, and the like. A chronological listing of education and experience comes after that.