What Is a CV and When Should It Be Used?

What is a CV and when should it be used? A CV is the acronym for curriculum vitae and it’s used as a tool to apply for a job in place of a resume. It includes a more in-depth description of your educational and work history than what would be covered in a resume.

For example, it’ll include your education and what you majored in just like a resume but it will also include a short description of the courses you’ve taken, grants you’ve received or extra curriculum that applies to the job position you’re applying for.

CV’s are best used when you’re applying for a professional position in which the employer needs more information about your background in order to make the best decision. Some of the professions that prefer the curriculum vitae include the media, science, medical, law and educational fields.

These careers are very demanding and there’s lots of competition. The potential employer needs to learn all he can about the applicants so he can make a well-informed decision on who to hire.

The CV will normally be longer than the regular resume because it does contain more in-depth information. However, it should never be filled with fluff to make it longer. In other words, it needs to contain only the information that is relevant to the particular job you’re applying for.

Therefore, you should avoid adding irrelevant information simply to make it longer or to try and impress the hiring manager. He’s only interested in the information that is pertinent to the job and won’t appreciate having to wade through pages of information within the CV to try and find it.