Resumes, CVs, and Cover Letters Whats the Difference

Resumes, CVs, and Cover Letters What's the Difference pexels.com For many of us college students, internship and job hunting season is year round. Unfortunately, that often means sifting through tons of job positions online to find out which ones you want to apply to. Once you find a position you’re interested in, you realize that applying might not be quite as easy as you thought you are tasked with submitting a variety of documents, which might include a CV, resume, and/or cover letter. If you’re confused about the differences among them, you’re not alone. Many students could certainly benefit from a refresher on these essential application documents. Resumes This is probably the most common document that all college students know about and that pretty much all job applications require. A resume generally includes your work experience, education history, accomplishments, skills, and sometimes volunteer experience. Oftentimes it is a crucial part of the job application process, as it allows employers to get a basic idea of who you are, your achievements, and other relevant experience you may have had. Most employers tend to quickly scan resumes, looking for the most pertinent information to decide if you’re qualified or not. In that case, it’s important to keep both the content and format of your resume concise and easily readable, so attempt to keep yours within one page to make things easier for the employer. In terms of formatting, many resumes generally organize information under headings such as “Education” or “Work Experience” with bulleted lists. You may decide to change up the order of these categories, depending on what feels right or makes the most sense to you. And, as you gain new experiences over time or if you apply to a variety of jobs, don’t forget to update your resume with the appropriate information to present yourself most appropriately for the position. CVs CV, which stands for curriculum vitae, meaning “course of life” in Latin, differs from a resume in that it is much more thorough and detailed. According to the website of The Writing Center at UNC Chapel Hill, a CV is “a fairly detailed overview of your life’s accomplishments, especially those most relevant to the realm of academia.” In that vein, a CV is most often used by academics such as graduate students, who have a good deal of academic achievements, awards, skills, experiences, and publications to display. UNC’s website shares that, typically, a CV will include name and contact information; areas of interest; education; grants, honors, and awards; publications and presentations; employment and experience; scholarly and professional memberships; and references. As a result of including so much in-depth information, a CV ends up being multiple pages, in contrast to a one-page resume. Also, because it includes your life accomplishments, you won’t have to constantly change or tweak it the way you would a resume only add to it when you have another achievement to put down. Cover letters pexels.com A cover letter usually goes along with the resume. Contrary to what many people may think, the purpose of a cover letter is not to simply regurgitate the information from your resume in letter form. Rather, it allows you to further elaborate on the skills and experiences you already briefly mentioned in the resume. Essentially, you are making a case as to why you qualify for the position by emphasizing your interest in the company or organization and explaining how your experience and skills are best suited for the job all while weaving your own voice into the letter. According to thebalance.com, a site that provides great tips on writing cover letters and other job application documents, a good cover letter should include the following: the job you’re applying for, how you heard about the job, why you are qualified, what you have to offer, why you are interested, and a thank you for being considered. As with any letter, a cover letter should include an introduction, a couple body paragraphs, and a conclusion with your signature. Remember to “show” rather than “tell” through your writing; provide examples of your experiences and qualifications, rather than blandly or generically announce that you have x, y, and z characteristics. Ultimately, a cover letter is meant to show more of who you are to the employer so that he or she can gain a fuller view of the type of worker and person you are. Knowing how to write all three of these documents will most definitely benefit you in your job search. Keep them in mind as you become more involved at your university, as you gain more experience in a certain field, and/or as you pick up a new skill. Your applications and future jobs will thank you.