Because I write a lot of employment assistance documents, I am constantly asked, “What is a CV and should I use a CV or résumé?
Simple answer: If you are looking for employment within the United States or anywhere with a US-based company, the résumé is preferred over the CV – even with those seeking opportunities in medicine, the law, or academia (who actually call the résumé a CV) – the correct answer is a résumé instead of a CV.
Why?
Generally, a CV contains some very personal information that, under the rules of the EEOC, would be inappropriate questions to ask of any applicant. For example: Your photograph, your ethnicity, your age, your gender, and your marital status.
A very important second reason is the fact that individuals who review employment documents within the US, regardless of the employment environment, are very busy (or think that they are very busy) and a long and boring document just looks to complicated to read and understand – hence, it is often passed over for shorter and perceived easier to read documents.
Can most of the data from a lengthy CV be condensed into a 1 or 2 page résumé? Yes, professional résumé writers do it all the time.
To be frank, anytime you are given the choice to read a 1 page document or a 2,3,4 or even more document; everyone will opt for the 1 page document, so paddle down stream. Yes it is very difficult to condense multiple pages into a single page, but the result is often worth the effort. I tell my clients that the higher the position they seek, the shorter the résumé needs to be to demonstrate your ability to communicate.
Summary:
Use a CV when applying for a position outside of the US and use a résumé when applying for a position within the US or with a US-based company operating outside the US and do not include any personal information on the résumé that would make it possible for anyone to easily guess your gender (if your first name is John – only a fool will not know your gender); your race (such as a photograph); your age, your race, your marital status, or your religion. Most importantly, there are some exceptions and if you are in doubt, telephone me (719) 447-1147 and ask – there is never a charge or obligation.
