Best Practices for resume and cover letter writing for India : 6 Steps Tutorial

Best Practices for resume and cover letter writing Section 1 :

Difference between a CV & Resume

What is a CV?

A CV (full form Curriculum Vitae which is Latin for “course of life”) is an in-depth document that describes the whole course of your career in full detail. It’s usually two- or three-page long but can just as well be laid out over 10+ pages, if necessary.

A Curriculum Vitae contains details about your education, professional career, publications, awards, honors, and other achievements. A CV is used primarily for academic applications: academic jobs, grants, research fellowships, etc.

What to Include in a CV:

1. Contact Information
2. Research Objective, Professional Profile, or Personal Statement
3. Education
4. Professional Academic Appointments
5. Books
6. Book Chapters
7. Peer-Reviewed Publications
8. Other Publications
9. Awards and Honors
10. Grants and Fellowships
11. Conferences
12. Teaching Experience
13. Research Experience / Lab Experience / Graduate Fieldwork
14. Non-Academic Activities
15. Languages and Skills
16. Memberships
17. References

What Is a Resume?

A resume (or résumé, from French “to sum up”) is a short, concise document used for job applications

The purpose of a resume is to provide recruiters with a brief overview of the candidate’s work history.

A good resume should be targeted at a specific job and one to two pages long.

What to Include on a Resume:

1. Contact Information
2. Resume Summary or Resume Objective
3. Work Experience
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Additional Sections (Awards, Courses, Publications, Certificates, Conferences, Patents, memberships, etc.)

The key difference between a CV & Resume

• Length: A CV is an elaborate document with no specific page limit whereas a resume is typically a few pages long
• Purpose: A CV is primarily used for academic purpose and elaborates the candidate’s academic career whereas a Resume summarizes work experience and skills primarily to apply for jobs

Click on “next page” below to move to Best Practices for resume and cover letter writing Section 2 :

Guidelines for writing an effective CV / Resume

Checklist | Do’s and Don’ts